Biography
The Molochs, based in California, fuse contemporary indie rock with infusions of blues, folk-rock, psychedelia, and garage rock across their songcraft. Their material balances brightness against darker currents, as the memorable hooks and airy arrangements frame the reflections on personal and romantic setbacks voiced by founder Lucas Fitzsimons. Launched in 2012, the band issued their debut LP the next year and reached a critical turning point with 2017's America's Velvet Glory, which broadened their reach both domestically and overseas. The blues leanings of the first two releases receded on 2018's Flowers in the Spring in favor of a brighter, more pop-oriented direction.
Lucas Fitzsimons serves as the creative force behind the Molochs, handling guitar, songwriting, and vocals; born in Argentina, he moved with his family to the South Bay section of Los Angeles, California, at an early age. A childhood enthusiasm for hip-hop gave way to guitar playing near the onset of junior high after a friend acquired an electric instrument. During a subsequent family visit to Argentina, Fitzsimons encountered a worn acoustic guitar at a relative's home and began teaching himself, acquiring his own instrument upon returning to California. In his teenage years he performed with several groups, among them Bad Dreams and Forming, the latter of which released a single in 2011.
A 2012 trip to India sparked an epiphany for Fitzsimons, prompting him to start a new band aligned with his changed outlook. Joining forces with Ryan Foster, who contributed guitar and keyboards, he assembled the Molochs—named after a passage in Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl—to explore blues, garage rock, psychedelic music, and folk as refracted through modern indie rock. Fitzsimons and Foster tracked new material in the studio during August 2012, and the resulting debut album, Forgetter Blues, appeared on their own Fourth and Orange label in January 2013. The duo began performing in California, which led independent label Innovative Leisure to offer a recording contract.
The Molochs' second album, America's Velvet Glory, emerged in January 2017 and registered a stronger impact in indie music circles. Extensive favorable coverage, including selection by the British magazine Mojo as one of the year's standout releases, supported successful tours of the United States, the U.K., and Europe while Fitzsimons continued to write new songs. Innovative Leisure released the band's third album, Flowers in the Spring, in September 2018, shifting toward a poppier approach that offset the frequently somber tone of the lyrics.
Lucas Fitzsimons serves as the creative force behind the Molochs, handling guitar, songwriting, and vocals; born in Argentina, he moved with his family to the South Bay section of Los Angeles, California, at an early age. A childhood enthusiasm for hip-hop gave way to guitar playing near the onset of junior high after a friend acquired an electric instrument. During a subsequent family visit to Argentina, Fitzsimons encountered a worn acoustic guitar at a relative's home and began teaching himself, acquiring his own instrument upon returning to California. In his teenage years he performed with several groups, among them Bad Dreams and Forming, the latter of which released a single in 2011.
A 2012 trip to India sparked an epiphany for Fitzsimons, prompting him to start a new band aligned with his changed outlook. Joining forces with Ryan Foster, who contributed guitar and keyboards, he assembled the Molochs—named after a passage in Allen Ginsberg's poem Howl—to explore blues, garage rock, psychedelic music, and folk as refracted through modern indie rock. Fitzsimons and Foster tracked new material in the studio during August 2012, and the resulting debut album, Forgetter Blues, appeared on their own Fourth and Orange label in January 2013. The duo began performing in California, which led independent label Innovative Leisure to offer a recording contract.
The Molochs' second album, America's Velvet Glory, emerged in January 2017 and registered a stronger impact in indie music circles. Extensive favorable coverage, including selection by the British magazine Mojo as one of the year's standout releases, supported successful tours of the United States, the U.K., and Europe while Fitzsimons continued to write new songs. Innovative Leisure released the band's third album, Flowers in the Spring, in September 2018, shifting toward a poppier approach that offset the frequently somber tone of the lyrics.
Albums
Singles
