ICYMI: #WomanCrushWednesday IG Live featuring Olivia King
BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer
Every songwriter has a different approach to creating music, but few artists employ a method quite as unique as the one used by singer-songwriter Olivia King.
King always knew that music was her dream, and despite her parents telling her that she didn’t need to go to college, she attended anyway, bouncing between majors before settling on a communications degree. However, it was in college that she discovered her love and passion for songwriting.
“Nothing has come easy, but you have to be passionate about what you’re doing to be successful,” King said.
Now, King writes all of her own music and has even had the opportunity to write for other people, including her brother, who plays baseball for the Yankees. When her brother was in college, she wrote a walkout song for him for Christmas which he still uses to this day while playing in the major league.
Another unique aspect of King’s songwriting is that she often involves her fans in the process by going live on Instagram while trying to write a song. Doing this not only allows her to connect with her fans, but it also allows her to gather instant feedback on the song she’s creating. In the past, she has even given publishing credits to fans who helped her come up with lines during those livestreams.
King made it a goal to go live every day since last November and says the experience has been instrumental in shaping her career.
“The connection between me and the people who support me on social media has gotten so much stronger,” King said. “I feel like they are actually my friends.”
Since starting her career, King has amassed over five million streams on Spotify. However, the road has not been without challenges, as she describes being a young woman in the music industry as “scary.” After having a rather uncomfortable experience with a man in a position of power within the industry, she now emphasizes the importance of women speaking out against this behavior and not giving in to ideas of what women should do in order to be successful musicians.
In fact, King’s story is just one of many that women can relate to as part of the #MeToo movement regarding sexual abuse and harassment. She says her experience has unfortunately taught her to be a little less trusting.
“It’s important especially as a woman to stand your ground and have respect for yourself,” King said.
King believes it is essential for women to not give in to such pressures and to never agree to anything that would be disrespectful to themselves on the promise of success.
Upcoming, King will be releasing a new single on September 30 as part of her commitment to release one new song every month for a year.
For more on Olivia King, you can check out the entire interview on the @OfficialWomenWhoRock IGTV channel on Instagram.