OLIVIA MORREALE: WE'RE JUST A CHANNEL FOR ART
Springing back from isolation and equipped with the eagerness for live performances and getting the ball rolling on her fresh career, LA-based singer-songwriter Olivia Morreale has released her jangly and experimental EP ‘Space Dreams’ consisting of four unique and rather “sparkly” tracks that are delightful and almost somnambulistic in their dreamy sensitivity.
Having been a singer as early as the age of 8 as well as a participant of school theatre, Morreale is a natural when it comes to performing and carrying out her musical talents. It wasn’t until enrolling at the University of Southern California, though, that she began writing her own songs once she was surrounded by a variety of different musicians at USC’s music school who were orchestrating their own music, though one can assume that as an English major with some experience in journalism, Morreale writing her own imposing songs would be an indisputable fate. It is also no secret that her experience constantly going back and forth between New York and DC while growing up would give her a unique advantage to encapsulating a very dreamlike jazzy and pop-y infused sound, very specific to those urban areas.
Now, Morreale has drawn inspiration from all kinds of artists such as Daniel Caesar to the Bee Gees and has honed in on her production skills for a more synthy and electronic feel. After releasing ‘Space Dreams’ she describes her sound as “dreamy sparkly indie-pop R&B,” and is now ready to get back on stage and release a new single and music video, expected to be presented this coming September.
Blueprint Zine: Who are you and what inspired you to start making music?
Olivia Morreale: I’m Olivia Morreale and I’m an LA-based artist. I was born in Manhattan and spent most of my childhood in the New York and DC areas. I’ve been singing since I was 8 or 9 years old in musicals and school shows, and as I got older started singing jazz music. I didn’t really start writing my own songs until I moved to LA. I got a scholarship to study English at USC, but then I auditioned into the music school and was surrounded by pop and jazz musicians all composing and arranging their own original music. New York and LA have also had a huge influence on me as I develop my own style.
How did your experiences growing up and moving around affect/inspire what you do now?
I studied Music and English at USC. My parents aren’t musicians but always encouraged music around the house. Moving from DC to New York really urged me to begin thinking seriously about music as a career. Once I decided to pursue music in high school a lot of what I was doing started to line up and make more sense. I’ve always been someone who needs to try everything, though, so I was still hopping around from job to internship, etc. throughout college. That’s been good and bad for me - I’ve learned a lot, but also feel like I have surface-level knowledge in lots of subjects that I’d still like to delve deeper into.
You’ve released a new EP this summer that sounds super dreamy and even the song titled reflects that. What's it about and how has your sound evolved?
These songs were all about Eli Koskoff (producer and co-writer) and I learning how to produce and write together, so a lot of it was vague and experimental. Once we wrote the frameworks of the songs, though, we sort of stuck to the dreamy ethereal theme. The videos hopefully represent that same type of thing. I use a lot more synths and electronic sounds than I used to in every element of my production, just because I’ve become more aware of how to use those tools. I used to arrange primarily for a live band and then workshop my songs at live shows - I’ve just recently started incorporating tracks into my show and getting a little more experimental, which has been fun.
What does this EP represent? Is there a story behind it?
“Matter of Time” is the only song I can think of on the EP that really has a concrete story - I had just gone through a breakup, so it was on my mind, and thinking about the fact that you can still love someone but not be able to be with them seemed like the most heart-wrenching aspect of the situation. The lyrics for the other songs are all representative of different moods and emotions as well, but were definitely drawn from multiple experiences. That’s what’s so nice about co-writing - it creates a collective story that can be a little less real at times.
Has the pandemic helped you or hinder your music-making and how are you feeling about things opening back up?
I used the pandemic to really get better at music production, and I feel as though I actually learned a lot during that time. It’s absolutely changed the way I write - I used to either sit at the piano and write chords and lyrics or if it was a co-write would enter the session primarily as a writer and usually sit with a producer to write a song. Now I’ll start in my DAW and utilize the arrangement as I go, which also has benefits and downsides but allows me to go much further with my ideas. I feel great about things opening back up because live performance is definitely my strongest suit, but I definitely want to maintain the work I’ve done to become a better producer as well.
What was the process of becoming “discovered” and starting your journey like? Have there been any big changes?
Not yet. Ripping off the band-aid of planning for a big first release is done, so now I’m just trying to shift my mindset to producing content that keeps people engaged and trying to build my audience. Starting the journey was pretty difficult and I still feel like I am at the beginning! One of the most important things I’ve learned is to plan for the bigger picture, which is what I’m trying to do with my new releases.
What do you do when you’re not inspired and how do you get through that?
Collaborate. It usually really jump-starts my creativity if I’m feeling uninspired. If I really need a break from music I’ll try to start a new hobby or work on one I already have - I’ve been making jewelry, which is really fun, and also love reading and recently have been going for walks around LA. It’s hard to make myself do those things, so it’s nice to allow myself to when I know I need a break.
Best advice you’ve been given?
We’re just a channel for art - the work we do while practicing and honing our craft is in order to remove obstacles to that channel. I love that outlook because it takes all the ego out of being an artist.
**Latest Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krIICy8kXuk
