Olivia Lane shines a positive light with her music. The singer/songwriter was featured this season on an episode of NBC’s Songland, with her song “Perfect Skin.” For many, this was the first time they have heard of Olivia Lane. However, Undiscovered Nashville has been following Olivia Lane since seeing her perform in January at Whiskey Jam, a weekly band showcase in Nashville. Her music is easy to relate to and filled with positivity and truth. From Houston to Los Angeles to Nashville, Olivia has always had a love for music. The singer/songwriter is by nature, a positive person, so it is only logical her music reflects that positivity.
Houston > Los Angeles > Nashville
Olivia Lane grew up in Houston, Texas. It is was here that her love for music was born. Olivia said, “My childhood was filled with lots of music around the house because my mom was a singer. My parents were supportive of any artistically inclined thing I wanted to do, like theater or guitar lessons. I always knew music was my calling from a very young age just by how I felt about it.”
The singer/songwriter would move to Los Angeles to be in a city that was entertainment centered. She would attend the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. While living in LA, Olivia was pursuing an acting career. However, the singer/songwriter discovered her love for songwriting at the same time. Lane said, “I took a songwriting class in college at USC. I thought I was going to stay in LA and act, but this songwriting class changed my life.” She would eventually move to Nashville to chase her dreams of songwriting and to perform.
Positivity, Struggle, and the Love of Performing
Since moving to Nashville, Olivia Lane has faced obstacles like any other singer/songwriter. Olivia said, “There are many struggles, but the most significant struggle I’ve now overcome was losing my voice when I was heavily on the road from 2015-2017. It has been two years of learning how to take care of myself, but now I am back and ready to work.”
Olivia Lane shines a positive light with her music and personality. When asked what inspires her writing, the singer/songwriter responded, “Everything inspires me! I am programmed as a positive person from birth, so my songwriting naturally skews inspirational. There is so much beauty in the world, and people are so resilient. I love writing songs that lift people of up.”
Olivia Lane has a tremendous stage presence, and she connects with her audience with ease. The singer/songwriter said, “I fell like I’m my most confident and freest self when I perform.” That confidence was on display for a national audience on her episode of “Songland.” She continued, “There’s no overthinking when you perform, it’s GO GO GO! I like that kind of adrenaline rush. I also love connecting with people who liked your music after a show.”
Stories Behind the Music
In 2018, Olivia Lane released one of my favorite songs of hers, “You Got Me.” The message of the song is simple when everything is falling apart; I am here for you, even if nobody else is. Lane said, “I think there is a real power in saying you’re there for someone. I wanted to write a song with that message.”
In 2019, Olivia released “Hey 3 am,” which, according to the singer/songwriter, was “my most personal song to write.” She continued, “I had this idea for years, and no one would write it with me. It’s about how late at night anxieties seem to rear their ugly heads, and sometimes it’s so hard to fall asleep because you stress so much. I wanted to write a song about that idea.”
“Perfect Skin” was a song Olivia brought to NBC’s Songland. It is a song that reminds us that beauty is more than skin deep. Lane said, “I wrote this song in the middle of my ‘Losing Voice’ era. I was looking in the mirror and not being kind to myself. I wrote this song as a reminder to myself that my flaws are what make me beautiful and my story interesting.”
Olivia Lane’s EP “The One”
Olivia Lane released an EP in August of this year. Once again, Lane shines a positive light with her music. The songs on this EP are about empowering yourself. The first single, “So Good It Hurts,” is in Olivia’s words, “a fun uptempo son about a good man who’s giving me good love.” She wanted to include “a feel-good fun song,” and this was it.
“The Cape” is a song about regaining your strength and channeling your inner superhero. “Friend’s Don’t is a song in which many of us will relate. That moment when you and a friend lock eyes or share a touch that makes you wonder if something more is there than just friends.
“Let it Hurt” is a song about embracing vulnerability after a break-up or other disappointments in life. It is a reminder that we cannot truly heal unless we deal with the pain directly. Many times in life, we bottle up our feelings or distract ourselves to avoid the pain. We should “Let it Hurt” and get through it.
The EP’s title track, “The One,” is about wanting someone to choose you to be with them for the rest of their life. We can easily relate to the message in this song. People don’t want to be a rebound or feel like a boyfriend/girlfriend, but not chosen to be that someone.
The last song on the EP, titled “Not Know,” is a song that embraces the uncertainties in life. The world tells us that life should follow a particular pattern or timeline. However, some of us march to the beat of a different drum, and that is okay. As Olivia says in the song, “It’s okay to not know.”
Future Plans and Thoughts
Olivia is planning to get back out on the road, and if she comes to a city near you, get out to see her. She wants her fans to know, “I love them, dearly.” If you are in Nashville, you can catch Olivia at a writer’s round on October 30th, at Smokin’ on the Row held a Douglas Corner. The following week, on November 6th, Lane will be at BusCall, a full band showcase at Tin Roof Demonbreun. Come out and meet Olivia.
Olivia Lane is a talented singer/songwriter who will continue to inspire us with her positivity. Olivia reminds us, “Be positive but deal with the negative. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel.”
You can find Olivia Lane on the web at olivialane.com. Follow her on Instagram @olivialanemusic and on Facebook at Olivia Lane. You can also find her on Twitter at Olivia Lane Music
