Cool V's Rated Next Presents: Interview of Olivia Louise

1) When did you start taking an interest in music?

Olivia Louise: From as young as I can remember ! Music was always a big part of my family home. When i was about 6 i used to sit at the radio with my sister and we would pretend we were radio DJ’s lol.

2) When did you begin song-writing?

Olivia Louise: I firstly began poetry at around the age of 6 or 7 and by 8 I was writing songs. By the age of 9, I had perfected how to write a song with correct structure ( verse, bridge , chorus, etc) by studying the insides of album cover sleeve lyrics!

3) Who are your biggest influences?

Olivia Louise: My influences are constantly changing as i grow as an artist , but the very first artist that truly blew me away was Lauryn Hill . I was about 10 or 11 when i borrowed ‘ The Miseducation’ from my mum and have been hooked ever since . Even at that young age i was fascinated by her flow and content and her ability to both rap and sing at such high level.

4) What motivates you to song-write?

Olivia Louise: Lots of different things . A lot of the time its personal . I feel after experiencing extreme pain or extreme happiness I always make the better songs ! Or issues that i feel are important that people need to hear . When i wrote ‘ the today lady’ i felt like i had a lot of my chest . I was tired of constantly hearing and seeing women portrayed and displayed as sexual objects in the music industry and what message this is sending to the young listeners . Music and the visuals alongside are so powerful and can really influence our beliefs and ideas and i felt i needed to speak up on it.

Sometimes its not that deep though . I just Literally like to create a story, a fantasy and be creative with my writing.



5) If you could collaborate with any artist or producer who would be and why?

Olivia Louise: This is always the hardest question for me lol! Theres so many! But a lot of the names I’d really love to jam with aren’t mega super stars . I love people on the come up , the hunger and passion just seems stronger . Chelsea Reject and Tnah Appex are two favourites of mine , both female conscious rappers. I’d love to work with them . Production wise I think i could create some magic with Stwo or Zero seven. If i had to pick mainstream though? Kendrick Lamar and Timbaland!

6) Who are some of the producers and artist you have and are working with?

Olivia Louise: A variety so far ! DJ Q is well known over in the UK and its been a dream to work with him. His sound is so on point and he’s professional and completely understands my vibe . Two of my favourite UK underground producers to work with are Moteleoa and Wayne Benson , both are so young as well so its exciting to see where they’re heading!

A producer I recently hooked up with who is going to be HUGE is American ‘ That Boy Good’ he's signed to Carter Wisdom Management ( ROC Nation) and we've been collaborating on many demo reference tracks for mainstream artists. Working with him is a great challenge and really pushes my writing skills, he's incredible!

7) How many live shows have you done so far? What was your best experience? Worst experience?

Olivia Louise: I haven't actually done a huge amount of live performances just yet , as I've been busy getting lots of material out there and networking with industry people . However earlier in the year, I was invited to the BBC world famous ‘Maida Vale’ studios to sing live on BBC Radio as part of a singer vs rapper theme. The likes of Alicia Keys and Adele have sang there so I was completely overwhelmed . It was definitely the most moving experience of my musical career as i won my battle! I was hugely grateful to be given the opportunity.

The worst? Lol, the worst has to be when i used to sing with a group of emcee’s called P3. We were invited to a festival to perform , at the time our material was very loud Electro and the content wasn’t always appropriate lol anyway we turned up to the festival and it turned out to be a pensioners festival , full of the older generation! It was fun though we had a few of the granpa’s up dancing in their Zimma frames lol!

8) How much of your EP is completed? What can we expect from your EP?

Olivia Louise: The EP is done and dusted! ‘Starstuff’ is a joint EP I’ve worked on with a really talented producer from Paris called Gautier . I’d describe the sound as soulful future RnB with dreamy synths . I really enjoyed writing this project with Gautier . All the songs are very personal to me and I feel they describe different journeys I’ve grown through over the last year with regards to my spirituality , love and motherhood. It's very light and airy and I hope you’re going to love it! We just need to prepare the visuals etc for the project now and it will be ready for release early 2015.

9) What is your song-writing process like?

Olivia Louise: Depends what kind of mood I'm in. I can just write a song whilst washing the dishes lol with no beat. I can envision how the instrumental would sound in my head and just build from there. My favourite way to write though is to just put the beat on , hit record and freestyle the first thing that comes out . Sometimes its just a melody other times its a full song! That's how i wrote ‘Skin deep’ that whole song is basically a freestyle . Moteleola sent me the beat and I had it all wrapped up and finished within about half an hour . But with my EP I could spend a whole week writing a song. I'd come back and forth , add bits , take away, etc. I had to make sure I'd expressed myself vocally and verbally in the exact way I felt in my heart .

10) Name some your your favorite albums and songs.

Olivia Louise: Miseducation of Lauryn Hill !!!! Lol every song!! Ha! I loved Ashanti first album as well , that was real R&B! Anything Pac! Tupac everyday!

Also a motown singer Anne Sexton “Gone Too Long” is one of my all time favourites , her emotion is just so raw! I want to cover this song and of course John Lennon ‘Imagine’, he was an incredible writer .

11) What artist do people most often compare you to?

Olivia Louise: I get Jhene Aiko a lot , I guess its because we both have very light soft voices. I love Jhene though so its a great compliment , she has a wonderful energy.

12) What are you looking to do and accomplish in 2015?

Olivia Louise: In 2015 I’d love to get a demo song that I've written cut for a major artist. That would be amazing. And I also want to perform on the Jools Holland show!

13) What is most important to you in a song - the melody, the chorus, the rhythm, or the message conveyed?

Olivia Louise: I really think it’s important to balance everything , all are equally important in my eyes to create a great record . My personal preference is lyrics though. For me to enjoy a song fully I need to be able to relate or feel the lyrics on some level, and because I love poetry and art I think the lyrics are the foundations of the song. All the other bits add strength and support but you need that main scaffolding that holds it all together.

14) In your opinion, what has been the biggest moment in your music career?

Olivia Louise: Eating Sunday dinner with my family and then hearing myself come on BBC Radio lol ! It’s a bit surreal at first but such an achievement . And shooting a video in Paris! That was incredible . We recently drove over for the day , it was literally a 24 hour road trip lol my manager came up with the whole thing , he’s very creative and really worked hard to get the project together . The video is actually for ‘Skin Deep'! And will be released in the next month.

15) Tell us one thing that most people do not know about you.

Olivia Louise: Most people don't know that I record everything myself from home . I don’t go to any big fancy studios , I literally have a basic setup at home and record all my material in the comfort of my front room lol . From ‘Skin Deep’ , ‘Cocaine’ to ‘Physical’ all at home . And it just shows you don't have to splash out hundreds of pounds to create some real , honest quality music .

16) 'Skin Deep' is an amazing tune. How did that song come about?

Olivia Louise: Thank you :) as i mentioned earlier skin deep was basically a free style . I saw a tweet earlier that week about a guy saying how natural woman are better and why do women wear makeup and weaves and alter their bodies for attention, then literally a day later he posted up a picture of Nicki Minaj and said how she was his perfect girl . I was thinking , bruh you just contradicted yourself! And then i started seeing more and more of this all over my timeline and i guess it inspired me ! And the song is not a dig at any female who wears weaves and fake nails and who's had plastic surgery or to any guy who's attracted to that. Its a reminder for woman that whilst working on all that outer beauty don't forget to work on the inner too! don't be out here getting your nails did when your soul ain't did lol and a message to men to evaluate what’s beneath skin level . Don’t settle for skin deep.

17) The ‘Physical’ video was released about three weeks ago. How was it collaborating with DJ Q and how long did it take to make the video and what was the concept (of the video)?
Olivia Louise: Collaborating with Q has been amazing . I used to listen to his music growing up so it was crazy when he first contacted me ! When he sent me the beat for physical over I instantly connected with it. The video reflects the concept of trying to break down the physical barrier. Its trying to get deeper than being physical with somebody, I mean getting physical is great but its not enough to sustain a relationship spiritually and emotionally. It's about trying to break the other person's ego and pride down and just getting to that realness underneath .

Listen to 'Physical' (DJ Q Remix)

18) You had a song that was featured on DJ Booth called ‘Cocaine’. How did this song come together and are you planning to have a visual for it?

Olivia Louise: I worked on ‘Cocaine’ with a great young UK producer Wayne Benson and we actually met through a notice board on Twitter set up through BBC 1xtra which aims at getting unsigned artist’s collaborating together . It was actually that song that made DJ Q contact me , he heard it and hit me up for a remix . There were rumours going around that i wrote the song for Britney Spears ... I had a lot of Britney fans messaging me saying they loved it and it should be her come back song lol.

19) If you had to chose between being a singer or a songwriter which would you chose and why?

Olivia Louise: I love both . Singing is newer to me than writing though so I would say maybe I’m a stronger writer than I am vocalist ? But i know i have something unique to offer with my voice and thats why equally love singing. I would love to be an established artist in my own right , and have a publishing deal to write for others as well. Best of both worlds :)

20) How do you feel about BBC labeling you as ‘up next’?

Olivia Louise: Such a huge compliment! Just to have the support of so many DJ’s behind me feels great. I feel that the BBC are supporting UK artists hard at the moment and we need more of it so we can all rise and succeed together .

21) Who have been some of your biggest supporters of your music since you started?

Olivia Louise: My family have got to be top of the list. They have supported me from day one and never made me feel as though my dreams are too big . When I had no money for studio , my dad was there investing in me and I love them for that. They believe in me as much as I believe in myself and thats very hard to find. My friends of course are an amazing network or support. K stah ,my friend and emcee i used to sing with , is the whole reason I’m doing this, he pushed me into the studio 5 years ago when i was a nervous wreck lol and made me keep going over the years.

And all course all of the DJ’s, bloggers , tweeters (shout to miss Radcliffe and Mizz fierce!) playing and sharing my music from ALL FM to BBC radio! and of course yourself! You’ve supported me hard :)

22) What is your favorite song that you have worked so far?

Olivia Louise: 'Skin Deep' is probably one of my favourite . I like the cheeky sarcastic undertones.  And there a few on the ‘StarStuff’ EP but you’ll have to wait for those :)

Listen to 'Skin Deep'

23) Are you currently independent or signed to a label?

Olivia Louise: I’m independent , I’ve done everything myself up until recently I met my manager, Josh Ryan, who really motivates me, gets my sound and is just a great overall inspiration to me.

24) How can people find out more about you and listen to your music?

Olivia Louise: I'm easy to find, nice and simple ‘Olivia Louise UK’ into Google and my Soundcloud, Twitter and YouTube should all crop up :-)

25) If you could give any advice to young artist looking to get into the game, what would it be?

Olivia Louise: To follow your own sound and style, incorporate your influences, but do not become them. Network network network network! Do not be afraid to approach people and show people what you're about, I have sent out hundreds of emails in the past, many unreplied but I kept consistent and have made some amazing business links because of it. And lastly allow critique. Let other people have an opinion on your music and do not be offended or discouraged by those that don't see your vision. It's YOUR vision after all.

26) What was the biggest crowd you performed in front of?

Olivia Louise: The biggest crowd was probably at the O2 arena in London a few years ago, the venue and crowd were so live!

27) Have you written songs for other artist? Which artist have you written for?

Olivia Louise: Yes I have written for a few UK artists including ‘The Akalites’ an up and coming UK Band. Myself and ThatBoyGood (CWM ROC Nation) are slowly building up a catalogue of reference songs for a few mainstream artist although I’m not sure I'm allowed to mention any names! It's all exciting stuff though and I'm loving exploring different writing styles!

28) Who is on your team to help you with your music and get your music out there?

Olivia Louise: I don't pay for pluggers or promo or anything like that, it has just naturally progressed. I have a lot of great people on my team, from my manager who really has helped reach my music out to a lot of industry professionals, my friends/ family to all the DJ’s and bloggers and fans supporting. Everybody is equally pushing and supporting and I'm just trying to get as many people on board, anybody who feels the music and the love is welcome to join us on our journey :-) every single play, share, retweet and like is more than appreciated. I feel blessed and grateful to share my dream :)

Follow Olivia Louise's Social Media:
Instagram: olivialouiseuk
Twitter: Olivia_LouiseUK
Soundcloud: Olivia_Louise
Youtube: Olivia Louise

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