Olivia Grace Wood: "Serendipity" (Exclusive Interview)
When did you first realize your ability to sing?
I first realised I could sing when I was about 8 years old, my grandad asked me to learn a Doris day song and sing it for him the following week. From then on, every week my grandad and I would pick a new song for me to sing. Soon I had a repertoire of 1940s and 50s songs! This led to me being asked to sing at family events, being entered into local singing competitions and eventually having singing lessons!
What is your music and message all about?
Serendipity means ‘finding happy things by chance’. I loved the idea that our lives could be changed by a series of chances and coincidences. My song is about allowing this to happen and finding happiness!
How would you describe your vocal style?
My vocal style I would say is soulful and jazz orientated, I grew up listening and singing to my musical icons, Ella Fitzgerald and Keeley Smith! I love putting my own twist on a song and adding an old school rnb feel.
What was the hardest part of making this song?
The hardest part of making this song I found was having the confidence to just try and write a song in the first place! I felt out of my comfort zone at first trying to write lyrics and create a melody because I hadn’t done it before, but overtime I felt like I could express the lyrics that I related to and sing a melody that I enjoyed singing with feeling. Then once that fell into place more ideas stemmed from there, it was such a good learning curve for me.
What was the most enjoyable part of making this song?
The most enjoyable part of making this song has been being able to actually create something that is my own and hear it all come together! I loved being more creative and found it really therapeutic and relaxing just coming up with lyrics and working with Roy on ideas, even though we had all of our meetings on zoom calls I felt like we really worked well as a team and he really boosted my confidence and helped me to believe in myself, which overall has been the best thing about this process.
What is one feeling you want to leave listeners with?
I would love for listeners to hear the song and be able to relate in to it in someway and feel that whatever situation they find themselves in- good or bad- everything happens for a reason! Sometimes things can happen unexpectedly whether that’s finding love or a new career! I hope the song makes people feel positive, hopeful and happy!
How do you prepare for your live performances?
Before live performances I spend a lot of time rehearsing and getting to know the songs really well. My focus is always on the lyrics and how I want to interpret them. I tend to get really nervous before a performance, so I like to do just ten minutes of meditation and breathing before hand which helps release some of that nervous energy! Failing this warm water and manukha honey always helps!
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