A Unique Career in Whistling
Somebody wise once said, “it’s impossible to be miserable and depressed while whistling.” While this might be true for many, Molly Lewis has taken this simple act of whistling and turned it into a full-time career. Originally from Australia, she spent time living in New York before recently moving to London. Unlike many musicians who use music as a form of emotional release, Lewis has found a unique way to express herself through the art of whistling.
“I’ve been touring for the last two years,” she shared. “I played in Istanbul last year and Bergen [in Norway] and Paris and Tokyo. I’ve played at the Royal Albert Hall in London.” Her performances have taken her across the globe, showcasing her talent on some of the most prestigious stages.
Despite being a niche musical export compared to icons like Kylie Minogue or Keith Urban, Lewis has performed at high-profile events such as an Oscar nominees’ luncheon in Los Angeles and opened for Beck on a North American tour. She has released an album, two EPs, and even launched her own brand of chapstick as part of her creative marketing strategy.
“It’s my art form,” Lewis said. “It’s something I love doing and that I’m very grateful for because it’s given me so many wonderful experiences.”
Early Influences and a Life-Changing Moment
Lewis comes from a family deeply involved in the arts. Her father, Mark Lewis, is a filmmaker known for Cane Toads: An Unnatural History, and her mother, Rhyl Lewis, is a music supervisor. From a young age, she realized she had a natural talent for whistling.
“It was something I could do well because I had a good ear for music,” Lewis explained. “I could whistle what I could hear.”
A pivotal moment in her life came when, during her time at Byron Bay High School, her parents showed her the 2005 documentary Pucker Up, which follows a whistling competition in North Carolina. “I realised that I was as good as these champions,” she said. “That was a turning point.”
Making a Living Through Whistling
For a long time, her family questioned how she could make a living from whistling. “My parents were like, ‘Are you OK? What’s paying the bills?’” Lewis recalled. However, she has managed to build a diverse career, performing at weddings, creating walk-on music for wrestlers, and selling her records.
“Your music gets licensed,” she said. “It’s always different. I played a wedding in [Spain’s] Costa Brava last weekend. I did the walk-on music for a famous wrestler in Dallas, Texas, months ago. It’s a very fun, strange job.”
Her talent has also caught the attention of renowned producers. Mark Ronson had Lewis whistle on an orchestral version of Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winning song What Was I Made For? for the Barbie soundtrack album. Dr Dre also recruited her for a track that is yet to be released.
The Art of Whistling
Unlike classical musicians, Lewis doesn’t need to practice for a set number of hours each week. “I just whistle for fun,” she said. “If I’m going to be performing a song, or if there’s a [new] song I’m learning, I’ll whistle it. But it can blend into my daily rhythm – I’ll go for a walk in the park and whistle.”
However, she warns against assuming that whistling is purely an expression of happiness. “You can whistle and be feeling sad,” Lewis said. “People used to whistle or hum because they wanted to carry music with them: your grandfather would whistle a tune that he loved and it was stuck in his head. But these days everyone has their ear pods in, everyone’s listening to their own music.”
Recognition and Future Projects
While many people don’t think of whistling as a form of musicianship, Lewis is proud of her craft. “When someone asks me what I do, I’m like, ‘I’m a musician’,” she said. “And then they ask me what I play and I say, ‘I’m a whistler’. People don’t understand what that means until they hear it. Then they realise that it can be an instrument. It can be more beautiful than a little riff that they hear in a pop song or someone whistling badly on the street.”
Lewis is currently heading back to Australia for the premiere of the documentary Whistle at the Sydney Film Festival. Directed by Christopher Nelius (Girls Can’t Surf), the film explores the colorful characters competing in the Masters of Musical Whistling event in Los Angeles. The documentary will potentially screen at the Melbourne International Film Festival as well.
“I’m glad that somebody captured a whistling competition and all of its craziness,” Lewis said. “It’s a very funny, strange, heartwarming community.”
The film screens at the Sydney Film Festival on June 5 and 7, followed by a whistling performance at the Festival Hub.
