I started singing when I was a teenager. I always wanted to write songs; I just didn't understand how someone could sing without writing their own songs.

Olivia Merilahti

Categorized in : Song Writing Teenager

My parents were not musical, but my mom just really wanted my brother and I to learn music as well as practice sports. It's a balance for which I'm thankful. I'm not sure I'm more balanced than anyone, but I'm happier because I can make music and I'm really thankful for that.

Olivia Merilahti

mom brother sports

I think I write a lot, but it's always a continuous stream of consciousness, I guess. It's a mechanic. It's a discipline and it's a way to have supplies for the songs to come.

Olivia Merilahti

writing song thinking

There's an energy that I got inspired by from practicing a lot of sports. There's a philosophy or some sort of courage and bravery with sports that I like to adapt to the studio life, especially for touring. It's this courage that's required to keep going on and not let go. Being brave is something I appreciate a lot in people usually.

Olivia Merilahti

letting-go sports philosophy

English has always been my musical language. When I started writing songs when I was 13 or 14, I started writing in English because it's the language in between. I speak Finnish, I speak French, so I'll write songs in English because that's the music I listen to. I learned so much poetry and the poetic way of expressing myself is in English.

Olivia Merilahti

musical writing song

I'm very concerned with the healing process of a song and music in general. I think that's why I make music - it heals me and I'm extremely sensitive to people who tell me that this or that song made them feel better or helped them go through a difficult time in their life. I think that music is almost medicine. I don't know if that's my philosophy, but that's my thought process.

Olivia Merilahti

healing song philosophy