Olive Louise is a singer/songwriter mixing her classical background with a pop flow. She recently released her latest single "Bad Things" (listen here). We recently had the chance to take about all things from her creative process, her upbringing, and so much more!
Hi Olive. Thanks for taking the time out to answer my questions! What have you been up to? Of course! I’m so happy to be doing this. I’ve been staying inside for the most part! It was nice out a couple days ago so I went out and read “Breaking The Rules” ( by Caroline Lassalle ) in the backyard. I’ve also been writing a lot of music since me and my partner Harrison have a home studio and are stuck inside for the time being. We’re getting ready to release some duo music! I’m really looking forward to it. When did you know you wanted to be a singer/songwriter? It started with a love for theater. I was in Pinocchio, Guys and Dolls, and I played Grace in Annie. I would come home from play practice and start writing down my own lyrics. I became so obsessed with it that all of my notes in class were covered in lyrics. I couldn’t think about anything else and I realized I’d never be happy in life if I didn’t go for it. Can you tell us about your writing and creative process? For me to go ahead with a song I need to see it and it needs to take me over. When I wrote Bad Things, I had the image of this bright blue sky and this looming shadow creeping in like a cloud and the contrast was so striking that I knew that was it. In the studio I’m usually standing up and swinging my arms while I let a piece of the rough instrumental play on a loop, to see what it feels like, if it literally moves me. I feel the adrenaline kick in before my lyrics come together. Words almost present themselves to me out of nowhere. I just need to be quick enough to catch it before it disappears again. You grew up in Kings Point, New York. Does the New York music scene hold any type of inspiration for you? Definitely. I just can’t wait to be able to start playing shows. I think New York has a lot of people that take pride in finding new artists and that excites me. It allows room for venues to take people in that don’t have a ginormous amount of followers and gives artists a chance to be heard. Of course you have your snobby people and places like anywhere else, but there is a scene full of real people that just crave real music, and I love that. You’ve said “Bad Things” is about how you suffered anxiety at a young age, and had no one to talk to about it. Do you see yourself reaching a certain audience with your songs who are going through the same thing, hoping to inspire them and give them comfort in a way? I hope so. I think a lot of people assume that when you’re going through things, darker music is only going to further your negative thoughts but I really don’t agree with that. I think honest music that talks about difficult topics actually helps people to feel less alone. It shouldn’t be taboo. I’ve already got a ton of messages from people of all ages sharing their experiences with anxiety and things they’re going through and It’s allowed them to open up and connect. I think the same can be said for positive songs and happy upbeat music, but I do think that the fact that my music is more cynical and doesn’t shy away from it, can also really help people. It gives them an outlet and says it’s okay, you have a place. What artists or bands inspire you and your music? The Kooks. I listen to them everyday (my favorite song is still "Naive"). Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Grimes (her new song "Delete Forever" has been on repeat), Judy Garland, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra. The album Koop Island Blues, Lykke Li, Michael Kiwanuka, and H.E.R. I don’t listen to one specific genre. I love it all! Were you listening to anything specific when writing "Bad Things"? I wasn’t, but I was watching The OA, and that was life changing. If you haven’t watched it yet, you should.
What message are you trying to portray in your writing and creative process? That there is nothing in the world like letting your feelings be free. I hope my music makes them feel like they can be themselves and not feel any shame for whatever they’re going through and that there is hope.
Was there any difference between writing/creating “The Fool” and “Bad Things”? Definitely! That’s a great question. Writing wise, "Bad Things" was channeling a specific experience and for "The Fool," it was creating the story based off of situations that made me feel a certain way, not the specific events. Also shooting "Fool" in LA was totally different because it was mostly shot in a studio, and it was my first time working with controlled lighting. It was so much fun picking the colors that best represented the song. With "Bad Things," it was so prop heavy, so I got to really dive in to creating my own world for the video to live in. The upside down room was shot in my living room. I kept the swing, I just need to slide the living room table over when I want to use it.
How did you come up with your sound? Has it always been the same, or has it changed over the years? It used to sound more like folk music, surprisingly! I wrote mostly ballads, and then all my music was in 3/4, like a waltz. I have so much music now and it’s all different. It’s funny thinking about how some of the music I’m releasing is being released in the opposite order of when I actually wrote it. So weird!
My heart goes out to you after reading your bio. It’s really inspiring how you don’t let tragedies get in between you and what you are working hard for. What advice would you give someone who might be going through the same thing? I would say don’t hold it in. Try your best not to detach and not to feel embarrassed about having zero control over when you cry, and when you scream, and where it happens because holding it in just means years down the road you’re going to feel like you never dealt with it, and like there’s no time to now because life keeps moving. I’d also say stay focused. It’s a very blunt thing to say, but when you lose your parents, everything seems pointless. If you have someone that is close to you, I would tell them to keep you in check. I would tell them that you need them to push you to stay grounded and to work hard. Life is not over. You’re going to have a beautiful life still, and what you do now matters, so don’t give up and most importantly ask for help. If you can go to therapy, do it even though it is so uncomfortable and raw. Don’t pity yourself, it will prevent you from growing and being happy one day- and you will be happy again one day. Talk to whoever you’ve lost. Find a way to still feel like you have a relationship with them. You have a classically trained background. How do you intertwine that with the music you create now? It will always be a part of me. I always start a song at the piano and then branch out from there. I love layering sounds and putting things together that you wouldn’t expect to work. In "Bad Things," my partner Harrison and I added bell sounds to give it that eerie feel and to lighten it up a bit, and then we added drums that have a heavy hip hop feel to them, and it just brought it all together. I feel as a person, sometimes conflicted by my life. I was raised listening to only classical music, and then became obsessed with Avril Lavigne and Eminem. I had a French hip hop craze, and have jumped around quite a bit due to living in a bunch of different states and with many different people. I was heavily influenced by each experience. My music is the only place where I can really show myself for who I am and let the music speak for itself because I’m not just one thing and life has taken me for quite a ride that’s exposed me to a lot. What inspired the video for “Bad Things"? My experiences with therapy and anxiety as a kid. I wanted the story to look like it was through a child's lens, experiencing things for the first time and dealing with confusing situations. I’ve been told the video feels like one big panic attack, which means I got my point across! Last question: we love discovering new bands and artists here at Underground. Who should we be listening to right now? My sister Emma released a new song called ‘Insane’ and another song called ‘Alone’. They’re both great!
Keep in touch with Olive!
Words by Melody.
