Polly Money Talks About New Ep and Touring
Polly Money spoke with NME about her new EP “FUT FORT Nothing ESHIFUL,” touring as a member of 1975, and what to expect as the group prepares for its major slot as headliners at Glastonbury 2025.
- Read more: 1975 Live in London: Holiday among online Four
Her Journey on Tour with 1975
The singer-songwriter joined Matti Hili and Co. for their ambitious 18-month tour, featuring standout performances of “In Their Best” and “Still … In Their Best” to support the group’s last album, 2022’s “Be Funny in a Foreign Language.” Alongside three other musicians and four primary members of 1975, her vocal contributions and guitar enhanced the live experience.
Her theatrical and often meta performances resonated with fans, particularly when she took over lead vocals for “Jesus Christ 2005 God, Bless America” — originally featuring Phoebe Bridgers — and tackled the emotional rendition of “Changes of the Heart.” An outstanding and viral TikTok showcased her solo verse in the ballad “Heartbreaker: About You.”
Despite her success, Money admitted to grappling with imposter syndrome and feelings of insecurity while on tour. This struggle inspired her T-shirt slogan, “The single ‘Whatever’” (“I’m not even that good at this, I was just lucky/ but they say that I deserve it/ but this is not what I feel/ I feel that we still”).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GuyVFTRSC8
“It took me a lot of time to overcome it,” she shared with NME, “I just told myself that I deserved to be in this position. I give my all at every show. I try to believe in my own abilities. There’s so much luck involved. With every concert I get to play, I’m thankful for it.”
Last Friday (March 21), she released her latest EP, showcasing “the complexity of love, longing, and self-knowledge” across five tracks. This mature project blends R&B influences with indie-pop, revealing a raw side of her sound on the delicate title track.
“I really appreciated the vulnerability present in that line (‘T-shirt, nothing more/ she holds me from behind‘),” Money explained. “I enjoy creating interludes and short musical sections that grab your attention. I didn’t overthink it; I just liked the line and decided, ‘This is what I want it to be.’”
She mentioned to NME that her introspective, electronic acoustic hybrid track “30 Minutes” was never intended for a single, yet she was delighted to see fans embrace it, leading to radio play. “We released it with the EP, thinking it wouldn’t fit anywhere, but people reacted positively,” Money added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdv6qux9fp8
Discussing the dreamy and contrasting lyrical themes of “Milk and Honey,” Money described the difference between the melancholic “Sad Song” lyrics and the optimistic, euphoric feeling of the melody.
“I love when the lyrics have a completely different tone than the song’s melody,” she elaborated. “It creates an engaging and interesting writing approach. A lot of these moments happen by accident, especially with ‘Milk and Honey.’ I try to incorporate that into my work.”
Money revealed that she is “already working on” her debut studio album, asserting that “T-shirt of Nothing Else” sets the tone for what’s to come.
“This is so exciting; it’s the first time I’m writing an album and experiencing this process,” she noted to NME. “It’s great to be on stage, spending time on it. There are definitely several elements and genres I want to incorporate into the album that aren’t on the EP. This is undoubtedly a tone setter.”
“I am a huge R&B fan. You can hear hints of it in some of my previous work, while the EP remains very indie-pop.” She praised Haima for their “huge connections,” highlighting their talent for merging different genres seamlessly. Other influences include Dijon, MUNA, and the groundbreaking 1975 tracks “Japanese House” and “Beabadobi.”
Money expressed her ambition to “create a full R&B album” later in her career. “Some people describe my voice as leaning toward R&B,” she said. “I would love to incorporate more R&B elements into my production.”
@h1trewind “About You” by 1975 featuring Polly Money ❤ Her voice is beautiful 🎥: @Bochaatt #Popmusic #The1975 #MattyHealy1975 #MattyHealyEdit #MattyHealyLive #PollyMoney #Music #NewMusic #Concert #LiveMusic #The1975Tour
♬ What Was I Made For? (From the movie “Barbie”) – Billie Eilish
Influence of Touring on Her Music
When asked how touring with 1975 has influenced her work, she replied, “So much of this tour has inspired and motivated me, both consciously and unconsciously. Being around the band — and I can say this because I don’t write the songs; I’m a fan — largely inspires me to create and work harder.”
“I have always thought they were magnificent. Playing for them has been an absolute joy. Living music is my passion — it’s where I feel most at home. Being on tour for this long has been incredible,” she said.
Money expressed to NME that she felt “very lucky” to have her own followers after the 1975 tour. “Their fans are so devoted,” she explained. “There are some female parts featured in a few of the band’s songs, and I eventually took those on. So fans discovered my music through those performances, and now many of them follow me — which is really cool. I truly didn’t expect this as a musician. I really appreciate all of it.”
Reflecting on her “best manifestations,” she noted how her “responsibilities grew” as the tour progressed, especially closer to the end.
Money continued, “I felt incredibly lucky with this. With how the stage was set up, all four of us musicians received attention. It was like a family on stage. That definitely contributed to the show and enhanced all our performances — you truly feel like a part of something special.”
Money will join the 1975 at Glastonbury 2025, taking the Pyramid stage after previously performing solo at the BBC festival stage. “Wow,” she exclaimed when asked about the massive upcoming performance. “Honestly, this is a dream come true. This is a significant bucket list concert — I still feel like it’s not real. I believe it will be an incredible experience, possibly the best night of my life.”
The artist told NME that she will soon “switch to session mode” for Glasto, remaining mysterious about what fans can anticipate: “I have several ideas about what will fit in. Obviously, this has nothing to do with the boys. But yes, the vibes are definitely in play.”
Now, Money is “fully back in solo mode” as she looks ahead to her biggest show yet at Oslo Hacni in London. “It’s going to be very fun,” she told NME.
“I want to play a few songs that might surprise some fans. The way we’re structuring the show and the setlist is really thought out; we’re working on it now.”
“I played solo for many years, which I always enjoyed. But now, with an incredible bassist and drummer, my sound has really elevated. I’ve understood this for a while with the band, although I’ve had wonderful musicians on stage with me. Now, we’ve performed a series of gigs and are pushing ourselves hard.”
Money hinted at another potential solo gig before Glastonbury, as she’s organizing a small UK tour this fall. “We’re currently in the middle of planning that,” she said NME.
“I’d love to tour a bit — that’s always significant for me. I want to write and release my debut album and see how it’s received. I hope to support larger acts on their tours and build it from there. I always prioritize the live aspect of things over anything else; it’s truly what I want to do. I aspire to be a touring musician for myself and for others.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaoc-nceh2k
Polly’s T-shirt “Nothing Else” is now available. She plays Oslo Hacni in London on Saturday, May 3 (Buy tickets here) and joins 1975 as they headline Glastonbury 2025 on Friday, June 27.
https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-1975s-polly-money-interview-t-shirt-nothing-else-ep-glastonbury-2025-new-material-3849083?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-1975s-polly-money-interview-t-shirt-nothing-else-ep-glastonbury-2025-new-material
