Commanding, evocative lyrics fall upon crisp synths and pared-back beats in cross-country synth-pop trio 100%’s upcoming album Clear Visions. The band combines the creative forces of Lena Molnar, Grace Stevenson and Chloe Blackwood to create clever, honest and emotionally-charged lyrics that speak to the universal experiences of love and loss.

100%’s vocalist Lena joined Lill Scott on Up for It! to talk about the life and times of the internet-based girl band and their upcoming album, Clear Visions.

Clear Visions sounds familiar, emanating 100%’s broad but cohesive array of influences through a story that is uniquely their own. The album’s cutting, synthy beats call to 80s -pop, while its inward-turning, at times melancholy, lyrics point to 90s darkwave influence. It’s reflective, personal and emotional.

The lyrics, which are written by Lena, speak to both grounded experiences and specific influences:

“The songs that I really love listening to are those relatable songs, Kylie Minogue, Mariah Carey, but I also come from a punk background and listen to the Human League and so on.”

When 100% was born from a chance meeting between members at a party in 2014, Lena had been writing political songs in punk bands and was eager to try something new.

Inspired by sci-fi movies and books by the likes of Franz Kafka, Lena asked herself:

“How do I convey these ideas in a way that is more meaningful and more pop, and how do I relate those ideas as though I am talking to a friend?”

“I started thinking about the protagonists in these books and movies and I wanted to convey messages to those people. As the music and ideas developed, I started translating the language of the lyrics to the actual stories and conversations I was having with my friends.”

100%’s process is guided by intention and originality. This is reflected in the distinction in sound and feeling between songs, and the varied journey the listener is taken on:

“We always had a unique sound that was our own, and it was important to us that we had pop songs that each had a feeling: this is a loving song, this is a dark song, this is a sad song, and that all sounded different”

Geographical distance combined with the pandemic thrust 100% into a creation process which predominantly occurred online:

“We were separated, not just because of the pandemic but because the three of us were living interstate, writing through a ‘pass-the-parcel’ process where one of us would come up with a kernel of an idea and then we’d pass it around online, forming what we had in mind.”

Physically separated but acoustically in the same place, 100% have plenty of synthy, sentimental songs on the horizon, with Clear Visions slated for release on Friday 26th August via It Records.

Listen to the full interview with Lill Scott on Up For It! up top, or stream their latest single ‘No Cure For Love’ down below.