Rockcast 450 - Molly Rennick of Living Dead Girl

·16 min·1 clip

Molly Rennick found her screaming voice trying to sing like Marilyn Manson in her parents' basement.

Cutter opens the episode by welcoming Molly Rennick from Living Dead Girl and mentions rediscovering their vinyl. Molly explains that forming a band was a lifelong dream that started when she was 16, jamming with people and auditioning members. She chose metal because she felt her screaming abilities would be wasted in pop music, describing metal as choosing her as much as she chose it. Molly discovered her screaming voice accidentally while trying to sing along to Marilyn Manson and In This Moment in her parents' basement. She formed Living Dead Girl as her own creation, with bassist Jordan as the only other original member. The band's horror imagery evolved from early Halloween-themed photos with manager Jeremy Saffer to their current black-and-pink branding. Molly and Cutter discuss industry biases, with Cutter confirming promoters have said 'there's already a girl on that bill' when booking shows. Molly explains her philosophy on balancing dark themes with intentional cheesiness, using her 'Ugly' music video as an example where she leaned into silliness due to budget constraints. Her new album 'Conspiracy' came together naturally in two weeks with no writer's block, a contrast to the pressure she felt after her previous album. Molly wrote the ballad 'Survival Mode' during an emotional period, showcasing her love for non-metal music like singer-songwriter pop rock. She announces Living Dead Girl's headlining 'Conspiracy Tour' for May to June 2026, marking their first West Coast shows. The conversation touches on artistic evolution, with Molly mentioning possibly branching out musically like Gwen Stefani or Opeth did with acoustic work. Cutter closes by wishing her luck on the tour.

As heard by us

A candid rock-radio episode on metal's gender politics, intentional cheesiness, and Living Dead Girl's visual identity.

Molly Rennick of Living Dead Girl talks through the sexism that still follows rock and metal, from booking assumptions to radio habits and the way women in heavy music are often read before they are heard.

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Why you'd press play

You get a candid look at metal's old booking rules and the fine art of making horror imagery work without accidental cheese.

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