The Australian-American singer-songwriter and alternative-folk artist Olivia Phillips gives us a needed serotonin boost with her refreshing debut single, "color monsters <3."
Influenced by a wide variety of genres, Olivia Phillips is finally settling into her unique and lush sound under the realms of alternative folk. Also offering a spacey and dreamy atmosphere to each of her tunes, Olivia Phillips always turns to music when in need of a pick-me-up, as it's proven to be her only constant.
Serenading us with her harmonious vocals and soothing soundscapes through her debut single, "color monsters <3," listeners are able to make a solid introduction to Olivia Phillips' warm and tender stylings. As she swoons our ears with her fluid and delicate instrumental arrangements, Olivia Phillips wears her heart on her sleeve while enlightening listeners on how her days seem to merge into one during these times.
Delving into the soothing stylings of Olivia Phillips and her debut single, "color monsters <3," the song opens with layered electric guitars the sonically serenade us while making way for the bright keyboard melodies and Olivia Phillips' chilling vocals. As she makes her way in, Olivia Phillips begins to touch on wearing her heart on her sleeve and watching it crumble beneath her feet.
We're honestly surprised with the vocal prowess and haunting abilities that Olivia Phillips holds, especially as she continues to paint several descriptive scenes with her poetic lyricism. While Olivia Phillips continues her heartwarming performance, the sonics perfectly back her up while sending us into a daydream until the song's hazy end.
We're nothing but pleased with the entire listening experience that Olivia Phillips had to offer with her debut single, "color monsters <3," and we encourage our readers to take a listen to the soothing single on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Olivia, and congratulations on the release of your chilling debut single, "color monsters <3." Why did you choose to release this song as your debut to introduce yourself to new listeners?
Thank you! My choice to release "color monsters <3" came with a lot of deliberation. I have many finished works recorded, but this one was really special to me. I remember listening to it the day after recording and feeling like I was finally achieving a sound that felt like me. It took me almost a year of mental back and forth to release it as I was still so nervous about putting my work out publicly, but I felt like going with this song was the truest to myself.
What inspired your poetic lyrical theme within "color monsters <3?" Was there a particular moment or experience that made you feel compelled to create this piece?
Writing the lyrics for this song was actually a really unique experience. I was planning on recording a song that night by myself, and my bandmates Tommy and Danny came by to pick up some equipment. I convinced them to stick around and help me write something, but when we started I got so stuck because I’m really only used to writing lyrics when I’m alone. We were in my room which was covered wall-to-wall in posters and drawings and photos. I started to draw from my environment and that’s what the lyrics came from. Many of the lyrics are tied to different artworks or experiences in my room - the tag line of the chorus actually eventuated when I looked under my table and saw Albert Camus’ ‘A Happy Death’ sitting there.
Did you work alongside any producers or session musicians when formulating the sonic atmosphere for "color monsters <3?" Or did you work solo on this process?
The original demo of the song was written and recorded all in one night with my bandmates Tommy and Danny. We went to a bridge in Portland and sat there for the sunset, and decided to try to make a song in 6/8. The next morning, after writing and recording all night, we went up to Council Crest Park and watched the sunrise over Mt. Hood while listening to the finished song. It was a really blissful experience and we were all so excited about what we’d achieved. We recorded it professionally at The Rye Room in Portland about a month later and worked with Clara Baker at the studio. Re-recording the song was much harder than expected because we had all become so attached to the demo and wanted to replicate it, but Clara helped to make the final version even more special. We also got the chance to record the keys on a ‘73 Rhodes which was exceptional.
How does "color monsters <3" represent you as an artist? Should we expect more lush and dreamy singles like this from you in the future?
"color monsters <3" is definitely just one of the facets of what I want to do in music. My taste is really all over the map and I think that reflects in much of my writing and composition. Despite the upbeat and light tone of this song, many of my other works are much more gloomy. My goal in my upcoming releases is to showcase the many styles in my writing and to never have to conform to a genre. There are too many types of good music and I just want to make them all, and do it well.