In Conversation With #153 - Beren Olivia
Rising alt-pop superstar Beren Olivia has just released her debut five-track EP ‘Early Hours of The AM’ - which sees her explore the essence of what it is to be young, navigating those winding formative pathways and all-too relatable early heartbreaks. Over the past few months Beren Olivia has gained huge support from the likes of Radio 1 and racked up over five million streams in just one year. She took a moment to talk to us about how the EP came together.
Hey there Beren, how are you? So your debut EP is finally here - how does it feel to have it finally out there in the world?
Hiya, I’m really well thank you, excited to be chatting to you today! It is! I’m so excited, it feels like a massive exhale. It’s the first body of work that I’ve been able to release and as a story teller, it feels great to have the room to tell one massive story with chapters in it. And that’s how I think of this EP.
It is titled ‘Early Hours of The AM’ - what is the meaning behind that?
I feel like all of the thoughts and worries we have hanging over us get pushed aside so we can get through the day. But that second when you turn the lights out and you’re just about to fall asleep, that’s when your mind starts going crazy. Every song on the EP represents a different stress or worry that I have and I know that my close family and friends also have.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
All the songs were recorded in my bedroom. I have a little set up at home that has been getting me through the pandemic that last year or so. All of the songs, bar one, were also written this year! Zoom sessions have been an interesting process but I’ve learned to love it. After the tracks were written and recorded, I sent the files to my producer, Dylan Bauld in LA, and he took it from there! Obviously recording at home is not the same as recording in a studio... I was constantly battling with hoovers, barking dogs, my brother getting angry at the Xbox… but it also had its perks. I wrote one song in a paddling pool in my back garden!
What are the key themes and influences on the EP?
Midnight thoughts and worries all to do with self confidence, how you look at yourself in the mirror and battling with insecurities, mixed with stresses of relationships and complications that arise when you really love someone. You’ll be surprised though, all bar one song are very upbeat and make you want to dance. There’s an element of knowing you’re struggling with these emotions but also not caring because you know that’s how life works. They are songs you can dance to!
Do you have a favorite lyric on the EP? If so, which one and why?
In my song Red Ripped Sweater, there are quite a few lyrics that I’m proud of, especially on the verses. “You know so much about me, facts could fill a library to the brim but you never learned to read me”. That song started out as a poem that I had written earlier in the year and I took it into a session where my friend Ryan Bickly helped me turn it into the song it is.
Now the EP is out there, what next for you?
Live shows! I’ve just been chosen to support James Arthur for my first show ever! Performing live is something I’ve been dying to do, as I started releasing music a couple weeks before the pandemic hit, and it’s amazing to have such a huge opportunity off the bat. So definitely keep an eye out for some announcements on my socials soon!