Review Fix chats with singer Olivia Penalva who discusses her new EP “Outshine The Stars.†Breaking down the inspiration behind her newest work and goals for the future, Penalva lets us know what she’s up to for the rest of 2016.
For more on her music, click here.
Review Fix: What was your creative process like for this EP?
Olivia Penalva: I feel like I had a blank slate going into to this EP, as I was not limited to a certain genre that fans were necessarily expecting from me. This gave me the opportunity to pretty much write what I wanted. I decided I wanted to work with one of my favorite songwriters, Robin Ghosh, but as a duo to see what we would come up with, as we had always written as a trio with another song writer. Robin lives in LA, so we started just messing round on face time and came up with Outshine the Stars, which we knew right away was magic and the song that would set the tone for an EP. So then Robin flew up here to British Columbia, Canada, and we spent a week locked in my little studio and just wrote and wrote until we had the EP. It was so much fun and exhausting, but I absolutely love working with Robin. He is amazingly talented and super nice and easy to work with.
Review Fix: How is this different from your previous work?
Penalva: It is certainly very different from my first album Rainfall, which I released  when I was 13. I still did not really know what kind of artist I was at that time or what kind of music I really wanted to make, but once I started co-writing with different artists  I think my style evolved  into what you now hear on this EP.  I am very proud of  what I have accomplished with the songs on this Weightless, and am really loving the vibe.


Review Fix: How have you changed as a person since your last release?
Penalva: Well, I guess I have grown up a bit and matured, and I can definitely hear that reflected in my music. The older I get the more experiences I have, or the people around me have, and this helps me be a better song writer, and I am driving now, which I love.
Review Fix: Who influences you musically?
Penalva: Like everyone my music mood changes, and I have to say right now I am really liking Hailee Steinfeld and James Bay. When it comes to new song writing sessions, I would definitely reference both of those artists for inspiration.  I also love JT and his new song Can’t Stop the Feeling. Definitely going to add that to my summer playlist.
Review Fix: How do you want this EP to be remembered?
Penalva: This EP is about loving yourself, being hopeful, letting go, and leaving the bad behind. It is meant to make people feel positive and optimistic. So I hope that is what people get out of it. The title “Weightless†is supposed to remind us to be light as we go forward. I love that image of moving forward without all the baggage!

Review Fix: What are your goals for the rest of the year?
Penalva: Work hard and have fun of course! Much of the next couple months will be spent promoting the EP, but I am also going to work on new material. I am always interested and excited to see where my music takes me.
Review Fix: What’s the standout song here? How was it written?
Penalva: I think I would have to say Weightless, because I think lyrically it’s just has that message that I like about being happy and letting go of what is on your shoulders. I do have to remind myself about that sometimes as well when things feel like they are hard. The song definitely lifts me up. When Robin and I wrote this we were talking about how good it feels when in those brief moments you have no worries, you feel weightless, light, and hopeful. It is a feeling you want others to feel as well. You want it to be contagious.
 

Review Fix: Bottom line, why should someone listen to this EP?
Penalva: I think most people who like pop music would enjoy the EP. It lightens the mood, brings people up, and reminds us to move forward. Hopefully it will give people a positive perspective, at least that is where my heart was at when I wrote it. I think we all want to feel free from stuff that keeps us down, whether it be ourselves, the stressors in our lives, the relationships we have…. Give it a listen!

Review Fix: What’s next?
Penalva: Always working on new stuff, always trying to move forward. So I am for sure going to spend the next couple months writing with different people, and seeing where the music takes me! And maybe some travel…. Love to experience new things!
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