Few have heard about professional whistling, but Molly Lewis is keen on keeping it alive. The Australia-born professional whistler has joined the league of a few legendary whistlers, such as Elmo Tanner, Sean Lomax, Carole Anne Kaufman, and more.
The lyric art of whistling
The art of whistling has been around for millennia. In ancient times it was a form of music and a long-distance communication device. However, the 1920s-1950s became the golden age of whistling. This period saw the rise of several professional whistlers who toured with big bands. Sadly, the popularity of this melodic art declined with the advent of the radio and other musical instruments.
Whistling is common, and most people can do it. But few realize the potential of whistling and that whistlers are considered instrumentalists of professional caliber. Professional whistlers like Molly Lewis are showcasing how it can be a unique art form.
Molly Lweis’s high-pitched birdsongs are highly melodic and give excellent throwback retro movie soundtracks of the 60s and 70s.
How did Molly Lewis start whistling?
Molly Lewis comes from an artistically creative family. She was born in Sydney and raised in Los Angele, but later returned to Australia for her high school studies. She then got her film studies degree from the University of Sydney.
She probably gets her artistic talent from her mother, Rhyl, and father, Mark. Rhyl works as a music supervisor, while Mark is a documentary filmmaker focusing on animals and subcultures. Mark Lewis is the director and writer of Cane Toads: An Unnatural History, — a documentary about the controversial introduction of cane toads in Australia.
Today, whistling has made Molly Lewis an international sensation. But when did she realize she loved whistling and could do it lyrically?
“I guess I realized when I was young that I had a talent for it. Then, I saw a documentary about a whistling competition and realized I could whistle as they could; these whistle champions. So, that was a big moment for me.”
She mentions the 2005 documentary Pucker Up that her parents showed her when they realized she was interested in whistling. The documentary shows behind-the-scenes coverage of the International Whistlers Convention (IWC) in Louisburg, North Carolina. Several whistling enthusiasts had started the IWC in 1973, but sadly, it was dissolved when the main sponsor pulled his support.
Fortunately, in 2015 Caroline Anne Kaufman created a new competition called The Masters of Musical Whistling.
That said, Molly Lewis eventually attended the competition as a hopeful whistler in 2012, winning the “Whistler Who Traveled the Greatest Distance” award.
Molly’s whistling career
Molly Lewis relocated to Los Angeles a year later, where she’s made good of her whistling talent with various types of whistling gigs.
However, she still had not realized her talent’s full potential for a while, which happened accidentally when performing in bars.
“Whistling was something my friends knew I did well, and she asked me to do a song. I was like, ah…It was fun to surprise some people, but I didn’t in any way think it was a possible career,” she says. “It was just something that I loved doing.”
With time, her occasional appearances eventually became a serious proposition. Finally, independent record label Jagjaguwar noticed her talent, and in 2021, she released her first Extended Play (EP), The Forgotten Edge. It includes six melodious bird song tracks that propelled her to worldwide recognition.
Today, the gifted whistler regularly performs at her impressive “Café Molly” club nights. She performs various whistling tunes such as spaghetti western music, Bond themes, and her compositions. She has also collaborated with fashion house Channel, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Dr. Dre.
Her whistling musical talent has also enabled her to travel to several parts of the world. She’s been to France, New Zealand, Shanghai, and Mexico, among other places.
“It’s been incredible to see people’s response to this kind of music,” she says with an infectious smile.
Conclusion
Almost everyone can whistle, but Molly Lewis has turned it into incredible ethereal music. She’s keeping the art of whistling alive and inspires other talented individuals to follow her steps.
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