We recently spoke to Olivia Lunny about the inspirations behind her debut album To the Ones I Loved. In just a year, the Canadian artist went from being a winner on CTV’s singing competition The Launch to scoring her first Top 40 hit. Now she’s released her debut album, a fun mixture of bops and tender moments that will pull on the heartstrings.
Here’s what the artist had to say.
Tell me about ‘To the Ones I Loved’!
“TOIL” is my Debut EP composed of 4 songs. This EP is super special and close to my heart as the theme/ lyrics explore my personal experiences with love and heartbreak over the past 3-4 years! I’m so happy it’s finally out and into the world.
What was the writing process like?
For me, writing is always a very therapeutic process. Lots of the time I pick up my guitar without having an idea in mind just to see what words end up coming out. Music is so beautiful that way and I’m not sure where I would be without it! Although I write alot on my own, I co-wrote most of these songs which was also a very fun/different process as well!
Watch “Think of Me”
How about inspirations?
For this project, I was very inspired by personal events in my own life. Navigating through relationships at a young age is a very new and confusing process. Through doing so, I gained so much life experience and decided to document those into song.
I was listening to “Bedsheets” in the midst of a recent breakup and it felt parallel to my experience. Do you have one song that feels more personal than the rest?
I’m happy to hear that! “Bedsheets” for me is actually the most intimate and personal song on the EP! It seems like people are resonating with this song the most which I find very cool. Feelings are universal and I think this song really dives into the strong feeling of longing and letting go.
How would you describe your style?
A cocktail of indie-pop with a dash of alt/folk lyrical inspiration!
When did you get started in music?
Growing up, music was always playing in my household. When I was 12 years old, I asked my dad to teach me a few chords on the acoustic guitar. By 13, I started writing little hooks and melodies overtop of these chords. This eventually led me to writing full songs as I went through high school, etc!
Have you worked with anyone that changed your perspective on an aspect of music-making?
AJ Healey helped write and was the producer of my EP. His outlook on songwriting opened my eyes to being a better writer. He challenged me to think outside of the box and not become stuck in the traditional structure of a pop song when writing. I think this is why “Bedsheets” in particular turned out so interesting!
Do you have any dream collaborations?
I’ve been a Coldplay fan for as long as I can remember so definitely them! 🙂
Watch “Hold Me”
Find Olivia Lunny: Spotify
