Project Description
Photo – Sophie Alexandrou [ IG: @sophxalex ]
Interview with
JULIET OLIVER
(8th October 2021)
Interview by Vicky Hebbs
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Photo – Sophie Alexandrou [ IG: @sophxalex ]
How would you describe your brand of country music? For anyone who has not heard your music yet, what song would you want people to listen to first?
I would describe my brand as unique & honest – I think of my sound as some kind of fusion between Taylor Swift style country-pop, with a splash of Amy Winehouse Jazz, tied together with catchy pop flavors.
My songwriting is honest and raw. I Do It To Myself is probably my most candid and lyrically mature piece yet, so I’d love for listeners to start there and work their way backwards.
You started making music fairly young! How did the journey of becoming a musician start for you?
It was a natural progression for me. My family were never musical, although they did have a Foxtel account… Disney channel was a constant in my household, and so was the show Hannah Montana. I bought a blonde wig of eBay, a pair of cowboy boots, and tried my hardest to transform into Miley Cyrus. In turn, I started delving deeper and found artists like her dad, Billy Ray and her godmother Dolly Parton.
My parents realised my obsession, and gifted me an acoustic guitar on my 11th birthday. I taught myself some chords via YouTube, and naturally, every day after school I would lock myself in my bedroom and began penning songs about my high school heartaches. My songbook was like, and still is, my diary – I never knew anything different.
Who were the country singers you listened to and were inspired by growing up?
I am the biggest Taylor Swift fan, of course… however, I also love traditional country singers like Patsy Cline – she is so classy and her songs such as Crazy are timeless and prevalent even today. I’m a huge Linda Ronstadt fan too, I hope one day I can be as badass as her!
Your latest single, ‘I Do It To Myself’ is out now! Can you share the story behind the song?
I Do It To Myself is me at my most vulnerable. I wrote the song early one morning after coming home from a guy’s house who had been stringing me on for quite some time. I sat on my bedroom floor with my guitar, and the song wrote itself in 30 minutes.
I think we all meet one person, at least once in our lives, who we know is really bad for us but we want them all the same. Despite knowing there were a line of girls behind me, who were all carbon copies of me, waiting to take my place when he decided to cycle onto the next, I couldn’t let go. Like smoking or drinking, he was something I just couldn’t quit even though he was so bad for me… and so, I Do It To Myself.
What was the process of writing the single like for you? Do you always have a similar writing process?
The song truly wrote itself in this instance. For me, the process is different for every song. I try to be as honest as I can be when I write and I try to write in the heat of the moment when the emotions are at their strongest. Once I hear a melody or a lyric in my head, I have to get it down immediately.
I think listeners connect on a deeper level when they can feel your raw emotions and sincerity. I feel like the beauty of original music is that people can find shared comfort in the pain and the experience. I Do It To Myself is a diary entry that I’m lucky enough to be able to share through music.
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The song is a beautiful fusion of country music with modern jazz and pop music. How did you get to a place where you are incorporating such a unique blend of music genres into your music?
It was never something I thought too much about, I think my sound has evolved naturally through listening and studying a wide range of artists and their styles. I have always loved country-pop music, that’s where my original love for music and songwriting came from. Over the last year I have been religiously listening to Amy Winehouse, in particular her album Back To Black, which I feel is reminiscent of some of my recent experiences as a young adult. It’s interesting, and surprising to me that by listening to and connecting with a completely different style, can maneuver its way into your own style. I never expected the song to have this sound, but as it came to life I loved the unique fusion between country, pop and jazz.
If there is one lesson or message listeners take away from hearing ‘I Do It To Myself’, what would that be?
I think the main takeaway would be it’s ok to make mistakes in relationships, it’s ok to not be able to let go of something that you know is bad for you, we’re all human and it’s ok.
A lyric that I live by is “if you never bleed, you’re never going to grow” from Taylor Swift. I really applied that message to this situation. Learning from unhealthy relationships is an important lesson in life that we all go through, and I hope listeners can find some shared comfort from my experience.
Do you always draw mostly from your own life experiences in your writing? Where does inspiration to write music come for you?
Absolutely, I write what I live. It’s my way of healing and expressing myself, it always has been. I think the most important element in the craft of songwriting is being able to honestly recount an experience or a story through your own voice. It’s therapy for me.
Who or what are your biggest music influences at this point in your music career?
Heartache, love, art. Life is beautiful, painful and wonderful all at once – it inspires me.
If you could work with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why?
It would have to be Taylor Swift – she has always been my number one inspiration, and I have always turned to her music throughout my life when I needed comfort or to be able to relate. Her art is something else, I’d love to see her process and how she operates. I am in awe! Stevie Nicks comes in at a close second!
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Photo – Sophie Alexandrou [ IG: @sophxalex ]
What is next on the horizon for you? Are you writing any more new music?
I am always writing, and I am in the studio at least once a week. I hope to keep releasing music and making new friends and followers in the process.
Do you have any live gigs planned for the foreseeable future?
I am very lucky where I live in the McLaren Vale wine region, we have so many awesome venues who always support us local musicians. I play solo gigs every single weekend. I am also in a Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band (I play Stevie Nicks, of course) and we play shows around SA every month. Follow my socials to see where I’m playing – I’d love to meet you!
If you had the chance to go anywhere in the world to play a live gig or go on tour at the moment, where would you choose? And why?
Oh boy… that’s a tough one… I think every musician would love the opportunity to tour around the US in their career. I’d love to play on the Grand Ole Opry stage in Nashville one day, it’s a right of passage for every big country star!
What does country music mean to you? Where do you see the country music seen heading at this moment in time?
Country music is my home, it’s my safe space, it’s my family! I will always be a country girl at heart, no matter which direction my music heads.
I see a bright future for the genre. A lot of kids nowadays think country is all boots, hats and yeehaw, and that’s so not the case! Country music is one of the oldest genres in history, even before rock n roll. If you listen to some of the new music coming out of Nashville right now, it’s basically pop music with banjo and pedal steel overlays – you can’t not like that stuff!
I’m impressed to hear so many country songs, even Australian country songs, making it onto commercial radio at the moment. I’m excited to see how the industry progresses over the next 10 years.
Where do you see yourself in two years’ time in your music career?
I’m sure I’ll still be writing and recording music. I hope to have my music out to a wider range of listeners who connect with my experiences and songs. I’d love to keep playing live, and hopefully once borders re-open, I’ll be able to take my music further afar!
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Photo – Sophie Alexandrou [ IG: @sophxalex ]
Follow JULIET OLIVER
Website – Facebook – TikTok
Instagram – YouTube
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AMNPLIFY – DB
Press Release 8th October 2021 (below)
JULIET OLIVER
won’t just be another
girl on your shelf
Introducing
‘I DO IT TO MYSELF’
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Photo – Sophie Alexandrou [ IG: @sophxalex ]
About Juliet Oliver
There is something about a country song that’s like a good wine. There’s a quality, a workmanship, a passion that goes in to both. Hailing from the South Australian wine region of McLaren Vale, 23- year-old singer and songwriter Juliet Oliver first discovered country music through watching Hannah Montana as an 11-year-old. This led to her parents gifting her a guitar, and so Juliet began teaching herself via YouTube.
Like many young country artists her age, it was Taylor Swift who pulled her in to the genre, which guided Juliet to begin crafting songs about her experiences as a young teenager.
The infectious singles, previously released by Juliet, showcase her trademark wit and sass, as well as a newfound sense of lyrical maturity which ultimately lead to Juliet Oliver twice named a Grand Finalist in the prestigious Toyota Star Maker competition at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 2019 and 2020.
With a country attitude, there is definitely a little edge to Juliet Oliver with a touch of classic. Juliet is true to herself, her age and where she comes from. She writes what she lives, and she is authentic like a prestigious glass of red wine.
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Photo – Sophie Alexandrou [ IG: @sophxalex ]
About ‘I Do It To Myself’
For Juliet ‘I Do It To Myself’ was all about creating a fusion between her country roots and newfound love for modern jazz & pop music.
‘This is the most honest song I’ve ever written. I wrote it in my bedroom after coming home from a guys house, who ultimately broke my heart slowly, and it wasn’t till I was sat on my bedroom floor with my guitar did I come to the realisation that he didn’t love me, and it would never be enough. I wrote the song in 30 mins.’ – Juliet Oliver
Add ‘I Do It To Myself’ to your playlists on Spotify and Apple Music
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Photo – Sophie Alexandrou [ IG: @sophxalex ]
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