New York singer-songwriter Olivia Reid brings a stylish blend of indie acoustics with exploratory pop soundscapes, creating a distinctive sonic space to express her most inward emotions.
Olivia recently released the heartwarming new single “Love Don’t Leave”, which serves as a heartfelt love letter to her person reassuring them that she will always be by their side to support them.
The song was written while staying in Burdag, Poland for a few weeks. The first audience to hear the new song was sitting around the campfire on the property, with neighbours from nearby farms gathered around the fire.
Olivia has kindly taken the time to chat with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding “Love Don’t Leave”. You can find the full interview below.
Hey Olivia, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by introducing yourself to anyone who might be unfamiliar with your music?
Olivia: Thanks for chatting about the music with me! Quick intro – I’m an independent artist, songwriter and producer originally from outside Sacramento in California and have been based in New York City the past several years.
How would you currently describe your musical style?
Olivia: I would describe my music as an introspective corner of indie folk and pop, with influences from electronic and alternative. Most of my lyrics I write alone, so there’s a certain introspective calm that my music usually channels. I’m also very inspired by nature – both in my lyrics and production– so organic metaphors and textures are a throughline of what I love to make. My music floats between a few genre lanes but I often hear fans of my tunes find some parallels with music from Hozier and Florence & The Machine, to Bon Iver and Billie Marten, to Clairo and Maggie Rogers.
You just released the brand new single “Love Don’t Leave”. How did the idea for this song come together?
Olivia: I was traveling with my partner in Poland as part of an artist residency and was writing music every day on this trip while she was working on choreographing a new dance piece. I sat down one day in the dance hall while they were on a break and started strumming these chords. In the reverb of this big dance studio, the chords and the melody I started humming just gave me this sense of warmth. I was like oh – that warmth is literally what love feels like. And I’m not one for love songs usually! I think part of it is a fear of being cheesy, but part of it is also the real vulnerability that it takes to write a true love song. Once I wrote it though I recorded the first demo that same day and felt all this emotion when tracking the vocals. I came back from the trip with the production demo and worked with my friend and lovely artist Tim Atlas to produce the track to its final form. I am so happy with where it evolved from its inception.
The song is a deeply moving heartfelt love letter. What did it mean to you to turn all of these thoughts & emotions into lyrics?
Olivia: Thank you so much. I think, when I opened myself up to writing this as a love song, I realized how special the simple things about our relationship were and how really… I’d do anything for this person. And that concept is so vital: who are we to the people we care about? This gentleness and understanding is what comes out in genuine love, and comes out in love for family and friends too. And when you’ve got that kind of love in your life, it feels like everything else stings a little less.
Did you always plan to release “Love Don’t Leave” as a single?
Olivia: When I was on this trip in Poland, I wrote several songs and wasn’t sure if I’d release any of them at first. But that’s I think why I ended up writing a lot of very honest songs. Leading with this song off the new project – it’s very much from the heart. I think leading with love can only be a good thing!
What does this song personally mean to you?
Olivia: It’s a lullaby, it’s a serenade, it’s an ode to connection. But most of all this song just feels like a big bear hug. And if that bear hug reaches a few other people by releasing it, that’s all that matters to me.
If listeners could take something away from this song, what would it be?
Olivia: Small gestures of love are often overlooked in favor of grand romantic gestures. But the small ones are the ones that count. To be loved is to be seen.
Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?
Olivia: You deserve to love and be loved.
You can check out “Love Don’t Leave” on Spotify below or on more platforms here.
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