LYDIA OLIVER TALKS LOOK UP KID
"The song came from a pretty sad feeling"
Daniel John
I can't say this song is raining on my parade. But what inspired you to write this song?
Well, thank you so much for your very kind words about the song! I’m so glad you like it. For me, the song came from a pretty sad feeling. I had been dating somebody for a while, the euphoria of falling in love was lifting, and underneath it I was carrying a lot of sadness. I think I was feeling like a dark cloud in his otherwise sunny life.
Does songwriting help you live in the moment or is it more processing the past?
Having songwriting as an outlet is one of my absolute favourite things. I think it does allow me to seize the day mostly, but I do use it to address and process things from my past that are getting in the way of my present. My approach to songwriting is as limiting as it is freeing, I don’t seem to have much control over it. When I get an overwhelming feeling, the songs just come out of me. If I try to sit and write something out of nothing, it’s close to impossible for me to write anything good.
Is music always freeing or can it be confining?
I think music itself is always freeing, but the music business, and the way it works these days, can feel confining at times. Virtual presence and social media has become such a big part of it, for someone who’s not so into that stuff, it can be a bit of a struggle.
How do you get past that?
I try to focus on what music is for me, and not what it should be in order to be "successful". Staying off social media helps too. Also yoga (laughs).
Did you always kinda know you wanted to be an artist?
Definitely not. I always thought it was very cool and when I would go to concerts or to listen to live music, I’d watch the musicians and think, that’s the dream. But I didn’t exactly grow up in an environment that lead me to believe being an artist was an option for me, so I think the reality of it only came about when I was older and living on my own. I bought a guitar and used it to sing and to write. I kept it secret mostly but then I met someone who I trusted enough and I sang for him and he made me feel like I had something worth listening to. I guess I kind of owe him everything.
It hasn’t even been a year since you released your first song, and now you’re already on your fourth single. Are these songs connected in some way. Maybe as part of an EP or even a album?
Absolutely! Eliot, my producer, and I have recored five songs total. We’re releasing them individually but by the end they are going to group together to make my first ever EP. Very exciting.
How long have these songs been with you?
I wrote most of the songs whilst I was living in Bordeaux, which actually was during Covid’s peak. So life was very slow, and strange. Songwriting was to me, and I am sure to most songwriters, a massive comfort during that surreal and scary time.
How did you and Eliot James first start collaborating together?
I was lucky enough that Eliot stumbled upon a video I’d posted on my Instagram page. One reason to be grateful for social media. It was the first and only video I’d shared of a song I’d written, and I guess he liked it. We've since recorded it and I think it's actually going to be the next song I release.
Born in Paris, and raised between the French Riviera and Southeast-Asia, you moved to London to find your artistic voice. How long have you been there for now?
I have been in London just over a year now. It is definitely the place to be for musicians. So much opportunity here!
Do you feel you found your creative home. Or might you still have itchy feet in finding out what your quarters are?
On a personal level, I have to say I am craving some sunshine, and some wide-open nature, but professionally and for now, I’m definitely where I should be.
