Biography
Molly Lewis stands out in today’s music landscape as an Australian performer and composer who channels her whistling through a blend of jazzy lounge, exotica, and smoky retro-pop. Now based in Los Angeles, she first gained notice through collaborations with an eclectic range of artists including Karen O and Dr. Dre, while also establishing her recurring live series Café Molly. After joining the Jagjaguwar roster in 2021, she issued the EPs The Forgotten Edge and Mirage. A prominent placement on the 2023 Barbie soundtrack preceded her full-length debut, On the Lips, which arrived early the following year.
Born in Mullumbimby, Australia, Lewis arrived in Los Angeles with her family as a child. She had whistled since early childhood, yet her commitment deepened after encountering the 2005 documentary Pucker Up: The Fine Art of Whistling, which chronicled the International Whistlers Convention. She later entered that same event as a contestant in 2012. In 2015 she claimed first place in her division at the Masters of Musical Whistling competition in Los Angeles.
By this time Lewis had begun working in Hollywood, gradually becoming a fixture in the city’s creative underground. Following open-mic nights at the storied Kibitz Room, she launched Café Molly, a cabaret-style concert series that attracted guests such as actor John C. Reilly and singer Karen O. Her whistle appeared on recordings by Weyes Blood, the Black Lips, and others. She also writes her own material, drawing from the golden age of 1950s exotica, film music, jazz, and lounge. Jagjaguwar released her debut EP, The Forgotten Edge, after signing her in 2021.
The EP’s arrival expanded Lewis’s reach and drew invitations from unexpected quarters, especially in fashion. She performed Handel’s “Sarabande” with the Orchestre National de Paris at a French lingerie presentation, appeared with Chanel at a Cannes Film Festival event, and whistled at a Gucci gathering in Shanghai. A second EP, Mirage, followed in late 2022. In 2023 she partnered with producers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt on a whistled version of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” for the hit Barbie movie. Its featured placement in the film brought her wider attention ahead of the February 2024 release of On the Lips.
Born in Mullumbimby, Australia, Lewis arrived in Los Angeles with her family as a child. She had whistled since early childhood, yet her commitment deepened after encountering the 2005 documentary Pucker Up: The Fine Art of Whistling, which chronicled the International Whistlers Convention. She later entered that same event as a contestant in 2012. In 2015 she claimed first place in her division at the Masters of Musical Whistling competition in Los Angeles.
By this time Lewis had begun working in Hollywood, gradually becoming a fixture in the city’s creative underground. Following open-mic nights at the storied Kibitz Room, she launched Café Molly, a cabaret-style concert series that attracted guests such as actor John C. Reilly and singer Karen O. Her whistle appeared on recordings by Weyes Blood, the Black Lips, and others. She also writes her own material, drawing from the golden age of 1950s exotica, film music, jazz, and lounge. Jagjaguwar released her debut EP, The Forgotten Edge, after signing her in 2021.
The EP’s arrival expanded Lewis’s reach and drew invitations from unexpected quarters, especially in fashion. She performed Handel’s “Sarabande” with the Orchestre National de Paris at a French lingerie presentation, appeared with Chanel at a Cannes Film Festival event, and whistled at a Gucci gathering in Shanghai. A second EP, Mirage, followed in late 2022. In 2023 she partnered with producers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt on a whistled version of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” for the hit Barbie movie. Its featured placement in the film brought her wider attention ahead of the February 2024 release of On the Lips.
Albums
