Austin-based singer-songwriter Molly Burch has only been headlining since last October, but she thinks she’s getting the hang of being on the top of the marquee.
“I think in October, because it was the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I think there were some more nerves, but it was a really great experience,” said the 28-year-old Los Angeles native who has made her home in Texas for the past six years. “Now I definitely feel more comfortable and I’m really happy with the turnout. I feel good about where we’re at right now.”
Burch brings the West Coast leg of her “First Flower” tour to Tucson’s 191 Toole on Thursday, Aug. 22 — the second time she has played Tucson since she released her sophomore album last October. Tucson’s own Brian Lopez opens the show along with Jackie Cohen, who will join Burch on dates in California, Oregon, Washington and Utah through early September.
Burch, a big fan of Tucson and its music community, played Club Congress not long after “First Flower” dropped last fall. Over the past couple years, she’s played several Tucson shows at Congress.
“I love coming to Tucson,” she said during a phone call from Austin last week. “This is our first time playing at 191 Toole; I’ve only played at Club Congress but I’m super excited.”
“First Flower” is Burch’s second full-length album. She’s also recorded a pair of two-song EPS, including “Ballads,” which she released in early August. “Ballads” includes two songs that she originally recorded for “First Flower.”
Burch’s 2017 debut album “Please Be Mine” was lauded by critics impressed with her smoky vocals and heart-wrenching lyrics of unrequited romance. Burch penned the album not long after studying jazz vocal performance at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. According to her bio, she left Asheville for Texas following a devastating heartbreak.
Burch toured “Please Be Mine” around the country and in Europe, mostly as an opening act or in small clubs. The experience has served her well, she said, as a headliner.
“I’ve been super happy with the album and the tour,” she said of “First Flower.” “I think this tour is the end cycle of my album and I do feel really good where it’s at. I’m looking forward to writing new music.”
