Olivia Barnes: The Unfolding of a Songwriter’s Story
At 23, Olivia has transformed a childhood passion for songwriting into a flourishing music career, guided by creativity, self-discovery, and a deep commitment to staying true to herself.
If Olivia Barnes could take a trip back in time and visit her childhood bedroom, she’d find a scene straight out of a songwriter’s scrapbook. Notebooks would be scattered across the floor, their pages crammed with lyrics reflecting a young girl’s innocent, unfiltered way of viewing the world, and rough drafts of songs would be taking shape in the margins.
“I’ve always been a songwriter in my head. When I was 8 and 9, I was writing break-up songs,” Olivia reminisces. “Obviously, I had no idea what they meant, but I just had that creative bug and a visceral urge to get things out.”
As she filled those pages, the sounds of Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, and the Eagles drifted through her home, colouring her earliest understanding of music, and sparking a dream of someday creating songs of her own.
Today, Olivia may be 500 miles away from that bedroom, but the 23-year-old New Orleans-based singer, songwriter, and part-time server remains closer than ever to that dream. And with three original songs to her name, she’s turning it into reality.
“When I was a kid, I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to be in a band, to write songs, to be in a studio,” Olivia reflects. “The fact I’m doing this now is so crazy to me.”
Olivia (second left) credits her figure skating coach Chrissy as the catalyst for her music career. “I was a figure skater for 14 years,” she explains. “My coach was a singer-songwriter. She told me she’d played in front of 1,000 people - I thought that was the coolest thing ever, and at that point, I was already writing songs, so it became a dream for me. She’s the reason I’m doing what I’m doing now.”
Her latest single, Marry Mississippi, was released in the final days of 2024. The catchy country tune has become her most successful yet, racking up thousands of streams and receiving glowing feedback from listeners around the globe - a testament to Olivia’s gift for capturing emotion through melody and lyrics, and an exciting glimpse into what her future may hold.
But the song’s easygoing charm hides the considerable effort that went into its creation - with Olivia collaborating with her producers Ethan and Max for months on end, across borders and time zones, fine-tuning every detail until it felt just right.
“It was a total beast to conquer, and the bane of my existence for a few months.” Olivia shares with a laugh, warmly recalling the back-and-forth voice notes exchanged with her producers, the seemingly-endless tweaks to the song, and a weekend spent in Los Angeles to record guitar and vocals - only to decide to scrap it all and start again from scratch.
As frustrating as those moments were, with hindsight now on her side, Olivia looks back on them with gratitude. “There was a lot happening in the song, and we wanted it to be perfect, because we believed in it and loved it so much. I’m glad we took that time with it, because now it feels so good to have a piece of work I’m incredibly proud of. It tested my patience, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“I’m glad we took that time, because now it feels so good to have a piece of work I’m incredibly proud of. It tested my patience, but I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Olivia performing in December 2023, right before starting the recording process of Marry Mississippi. “It feels so good to have Marry Mississippi out. The fact that people are responding so well to it is a cherry on top,” she shares.
It was during a late-night scroll on TikTok that I first heard Marry Mississippi, thanks to a video from a backyard party that came across my feed. Guitar in hand, Olivia is belting out the song, surrounded by friends - some are playing tambourine, others are bopping along, drinks in hand, in sync to the catchy beat. There was something about it - a slice of summer captured in real-time - that made me desperately wish I could teleport straight there.
When I ask Olivia if these kinds of scenes are reflective of her creative process, she describes it as a balancing act between two extremes - collaboration and solitude, connection and introspection. Both play key roles in her music.
“Recently I’ve been writing with my roommates and some band members,” Olivia shares. “We’ll be in our living room, bouncing ideas off each other, having a silly time, and getting excited about each other’s ideas, so it has that real fun energy.”
But most of the time, Olivia writes in solitude. “That’s my meditative time, so it’s a very secluded thing. I like to be in my own thoughts and head, and just tune out the world.”
Even when it comes to sharing her music, this dance between the two extremes of connection and isolation continues.
“It’s interesting,” Olivia says, “writing and creating in that secluded space, but then having people on the outside relate to something that came from your internal-most thoughts and feelings. It makes it a cool experience though, it adds to the fun of it.”
I ask her if it’s ever scary - putting something so personal into a song and then letting it go into the world.
“Yes and no,” Olivia answers thoughtfully.
“It’s definitely vulnerable. But if I love the song, and my friends and band members love the song, then I’m not too worried about what others think. They’re the opinions I care about the most. And then I think an audience can feel it when people on stage are playing a song that they’re really enjoying. If I love a song, I have confidence it’ll come through and translate.”
“If I love the song, and my friends and band members love the song, then I’m not too worried about what others think. They’re the opinions I care about the most.”
“In the back of my head, I always knew music was what I wanted to do,” Olivia (pictured right, along with her godbrother and godsister) reflects. “It was an easy decision, but it was scary to admit that I was actually going to give it a shot.”
But what about the moments when that confidence wavers? Olivia’s had her fair share of those - the late-night spirals where she’s questioned why she’s pursuing this career.
For Olivia, two things have been key to quietening the doubts - consistency and community.
“I try to practice every day,” Olivia explains, speaking to the power of consistently taking small steps forward.
“Even if I’m improving a teeny tiny bit every day, I can at least look back in a few months and know I have gotten better, and that gives me confidence to keep going. And it makes those harder things a bit easier because I have evidence that I can get better and I can improve if I work hard.”
“Even if I’m improving a teeny tiny bit every day, I can at least look back in a few months and know I have gotten better.”
As for community, Olivia credits her second single, Lilith’s Smile, with opening the door to the network of fellow musicians, friends, and supporters that now surround her, fueling her creativity and drive.
“My guitar teacher had a studio in his house,” Olivia recalls. “I brought him Lillith’s Smile and we recorded it when I was home for a summer from university. I had no clue what I was doing or how it was to be in a studio. When I released the song, that was what connected me to a bigger community. That community has really shaped how I approach music and the way I write.”
As vital as her music network is, Olivia also knows the value of looking beyond the industry. Her part-time gig as a server at a historic fine-dining restaurant gives her access to a different community, and she relishes the inspiration it brings.
“Having my server job has been fantastic, it gives me a different group of people to draw inspiration from and get different perspectives from. I think that’s important, not being too secluded in one community, but having lots of different people and areas.”
“I had some friends who had graduated and were pursuing music and had other jobs on the side to make music work,” the Tulane University graduate shares. “I’m so inspired by them.”
And then there’s trust - trust in herself and in the process - that Olivia has learned to lean on.
“I’m still working on this,” Olivia shares. “But I’ve learned that if I don’t succeed at something, it wasn’t meant for me in this moment. Nothing meant for you is gonna pass you by.”
“I’m still working on this. But I’ve learned that if I dont succeed at something, it wasn’t meant for me in this moment. Nothing meant for you is gonna pass you by.”
These insightful comments offer a window into the depth of Olivia’s self-awareness, revealing just how much she’s come to understand herself in the early years of her twenties.
“I’ve definitely gotten to know and understand myself so much more,” Olivia reflects. “I don’t need to try to fit in places that don’t make sense for me. I know where I’m gonna thrive, and I can make sure I have people around me who lift me up, and put myself in places that lift me up.”
“I don’t need to try to fit in places that don’t make sense for me. I know where I’m gonna thrive, and I can make sure I have people around me who lift me up, and put myself in places that lift me up.”
Looking ahead, as much as Olivia is excited for what the future holds, she’s equally committed to staying connected to the younger version of herself that once dreamed of the life she’s growing into now.
“I try to stay in touch with my younger self in a creative way,” Olivia says as our conversation draws to a close. “I don’t want that to ever go away - theres always new things to explore in the world, and new people to meet and things to discover.”
And so, from a bedroom scattered with scribbled lyrics, to studios where those early musings have now evolved into carefully-crafted songs, Olivia proves that the creative fires that burn brightly in our youth don’t have to fade - as long as we keep stoking them. And perhaps, if we let go of the need to find the right place to fit in, we create room to grow into the spaces that were meant for us all along.
Written by Chantelle Cobby.
Follow Olivia on Spotify, Instagram @oliviambarnes, and TikTok @olivibarnesmusic.