- Words Aimee Phillips
- Photography Louis Browne at WMA
- Styling Lyn Alyson
- MUA Lulia Scvortova
- Hair Sara Tintari
Canadian pop-princess in waiting, Olivia Lunny, chats about her new bop "Sad To See You Happy", musical journey, dream collabs and more.
Don’t you love it when you discover a new artist just when they’re on the precipice of blowing up? Well, get ready, because Olivia Lunny is next in line.
Since the release of Olivia’s EP, ‘To The Ones I Loved’ last year, she’s been quietly racking up millions of streams and launched her own label Infinity &, an imprint of Universal Music Group Canada. Recently, she dropped her new single “Sad To See You Happy”, an irresistible pop bop with an earworm chorus waiting to get live in your head rent-free. Next up? A debut album, due sometime this summer.
Growing up, Olivia was always surrounded by music, whether that was from her family playing CDs around the house, or the melodies in movies catching her ear. It’s no wonder then, that Olivia knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career in music herself. In love with the way that music allows people with each other, Olivia uses it as a form of self-expression, drawing inspiration from her personal experiences and of those around her.
Noting Coldplay and Norah Jones as some of her biggest influences, Olivia adores the songs of Julia Michaels, Shawn Mendes, and Harry Styles, naming them as some of her dream collabs. With the stage set, we bet it won’t be long before that dream becomes a reality.
Notion caught up with Olivia Lunny to talk about “Sad To See You Happy” and the meaning behind it, her ‘Strawberry Mint’ musical flavour, and much more. Dive in!
Congratulations on releasing your new single “Sad To See You Happy”! How long has the track been in the works?
Thank you so much and thank you for the support so far! This song was written about 10 months ago, so I’m very happy to finally have it out and into the world!
Was the song inspired by a personal experience, a friend’s story, or fantasy?
More often than not, I draw lots of writing inspiration from my personal experiences and those around me. This song, however, wasn’t inspired by a specific person rather the universal emotions that surround the post-break-up process. This song explores how love can skew one’s logic and blur the reality of a situation.
How has the reception been to the song so far?
It’s been very positive so far and I’m really grateful for that. I’ve received so many messages about how people are resonating with STSYH and it makes me smile to hear it’s connecting with so many people.
What was it like filming the music video? (Maybe add a story from the shoot as well)
Filming the STSYH music video was so incredibly fun. At the same time, it was also a complete whirlwind! Working with so many talented creatives from the glam team, to the director was such a treat. I think my favourite moment was seeing the lighting team create the artificial sunlight you see in the first front porch scene. There is truly SO much that goes into a successful video shoot.. and I’m beyond excited and feel blessed that it turned out so beautifully!
If your music were a flavour, which would it be?
Strawberry Mint. Fresh, sweet & satisfies the soul! 🙂
Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
Coldplay was one of my first band obsessions. To this day I really love how stamped their sound is. Growing up my mom also loved Norah Jones and vocally I think I was influenced by her sound early on.
What’s been your musical journey – how did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in a household where music was playing constantly. CDs playing on the car ride to school, live concert DVDs on in the background all weekend, etc. After I asked my dad to teach me the fundamentals of guitar, I took those basic chords and began to write. Fast forward to High School, music was a constant and led me to play local coffee shops and gigs. Shortly after grade 12 I started working on my first recorded song and decided to not attend post-secondary. I’m very grateful to have such a supportive family who never stopped encouraging me and preaching the skies the limit.
Have you got any dream collaborations on your bucket list?
Julia Michaels and Shawn Mendes are up there for me. Harry Styles has also been writing so much beautiful music lately, so he’d be on that list too.
What does music mean to you?
Music is precious to me. It’s always been my way of self-expression. I’ve also grown so much on a personal and spiritual level through discovering myself in the words that come out subconsciously when I write. I’m forever grateful for the gift of music and how it allows us to connect with one another.
If you weren’t a pop artist, what career would you have liked to pursue instead?
I’d love to study holistic nutrition!
What’s your idea of the perfect day?
8-hour sleep, wake up early, move my body, eat nutritious food, hang out with the people I love and write some music, repeat!.
What’s next for Olivia Lunny?
There is so much new music I can’t wait to share! My debut album is coming out sometime really soon and I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.