21-year-old OLIVIA ROX clearly has music in her genes. Her father is famed jazz recording artist Warren Hill and her mother is Tamara Van Cleef, a former alternative rock singer. At the age of 2 Olivia was performing on stage with her father, by 4 writing her own songs and in her teen years auditioning for America’s Got Talent and American Idol. Her performances in Season 15 of American Idol saw her through to the Top 10.
The emerging pop-rock artist/singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, released her debut album POPROX in 2019 on Songbird Records. The album is 100% written by Olivia. Prior to the Covid-19 global pandemic, Olivia was touring the world, shooting music videos and promoting her singles, “It Girl” and “Galileo.” Most recently she’s been entertaining her 1.7 million Facebook followers on “The Olivia Rox Show – Live From My Living Room – The QuaranTUNE Sessions.” Olivia recently released her latest single, “Shooting Star,” an anthem about going after your dreams against all odds.
Showing no signs of slowing down, Olivia is working on an acoustic album called Just A Girl And Her Guitar and plans to continue her Facebook digital series – both due out in mid-July.
LEG: You come from a music industry family. Was there ever really going to be any chance you weren’t going to follow in your parents footsteps?
OR: From day one, I knew that in some way, I was meant to follow a career in music - perhaps it was destiny that I was raised by such talented parents, but my passion for following in their footsteps always stemmed from my own personal deep love of music. But even still, my parents were always the first ones to ask - are you sure you want to be a musician?? To which I would answer, I’m Absolutely sure!!
LEG: When was the first time you stepped foot on stage?
OR: It sounds pretty wild, but my first time performing onstage was when I was 2 ½! I sang “Someday My Prince Will Come” from Snow White, at my dad’s concert at the Chicago Theater for thousands of fans. I guess I was bit by the performing bug right then! Technically, I guess I was onstage for the first time when I was even younger, because my dad would walk backstage mid concert and pick me up to show me the audience, when I was only a few months old. (I still have fans come up to me and gush about seeing me onstage like that when I was a baby and how they’ve literally followed my career since I was born!! It’s so sweet)
LEG: You’ve competed on both AGT and American Idol. How nerve-racking is it to walk up in front of famous judges, bright lights, national TV cameras and a huge audience? How long did it take to get comfortable out there?
OR: Yes! How cool is that to say? It might seem strange, but I was never really nervous on the shows - I think growing up already on tour my whole life laid the groundwork for me to feel very at home on stage. So for me, I just found it all very exciting! I reveled in every experience and just had fun with it! Although it has only been a few years, it feels like a lifetime ago, as I’ve come so far as an artist and I’ve come into my own as an artist since the show.
LEG: Did you ever go back and watch the full episodes you competed on?
OR: Haha not really! Sometimes I’ll come across a viral clip on social media and I’ll be like, ”Hey that’s me!”, but believe it or not I still haven’t watched the full season of American Idol that I was on!! I have it taped on my DVR, but I’ve been so busy with my career since then, that I haven’t had the time to go back and watch it!! One of these days I will, and who knows - maybe I’ll cringe at watching 16 year old me! ;-)
LEG: What was the best advice you got from an Idol or AGT judge?
OR: I got a lot of great advice from the judges. I think something unique about me, is my ability to take constructive criticism and continue to grow as an artist from it, rather than be beat down, and take it as something negative (like so many artists did on the shows). Harry Connick Jr. was so sweet and supportive, and I'll never forget my last night on the show. Harry surprised everyone by coming backstage to specifically talk to me. He had the producers open up a room to talk with my parents and I, to say how much he believed in me as an artist. He proceeded to give me his words of wisdom about the music business for at least an hour. He didn't have to do that! So, I am grateful for him in that moment - that was really special and has genuinely stuck with me. I loved Jlo’s advice to bring in more dancing when I perform and really hit those beats with intensity. And, Howard Stern believing in my confidence at such a young age was very inspiring.
LEG: Here’s comes a hard hitting question …. which show had better snacks backstage? AGT or Idol?
OR: Ooh… Well I have pretty severe nut allergies, so I would normally bring my own food to be extra safe - but my mom always made sure to pack my favorites! She’d make me tuna sandwiches, pasta salad, and all of her specialties - BUT I would indulge in the chips backstage - Doritos, Lays, Kettle chips - those right there are my vices! But all in all, if I had to compare, I would say definitely Idol had better snacks. And, it got better every round! At one point they even had a juice bar for us! The further you got, the better the food! :-)
LEG: “The Olivia Rox Show: Live From My Living Room” has become a thing! Hundreds of thousands watch every Wednesday on your Facebook (which has over 1.7 million followers). When you created the show, did you think it was going to grow as fast as it has?
OR: Woot woot!! Honestly, I had no idea it would explode like it has!! I really just started ”The QuaranTUNE Sessions” as something fun to do in the absence of my POPROX Spring/Summer Tour (Which of course had to be re-scheduled due to the pandemic), and the next thing I knew, it became a sensation! This season alone I’ve had special guests such as Quino from Big Mountain (Baby I Love Your Way), Eye of the Tiger Rock Icon Jim Peterik, Jeneve Rose Mitchell (from my season of American Idol), and Warren Hill (International Jazz sensation)- to name a few. It’s such a fun, positive show that I feel so grateful to be creating. Because of the overwhelming response, I’m happy to announce that I’m continuing the show with another season: “The Olivia Rox Show - The Summer Sessions”, Which premieres late July!!
LEG: “Shooting Star” is the new single. What are three words to describe it?
OR: Empowering, Hopeful and Danceable!
LEG: Usually, when promoting a new single (like “Shooting Star”), you would be on the road doing a bunch of promo events. How has the mindset and strategy changed when promoting a single during a global pandemic?
OR: Absolutely. I love that human interaction and getting to meet the people supporting my music in person - so it’s hard to not be able to show my appreciation in that way. However, my incredible team and I are committed to continuing that positivity through online events, concerts, and of course - social media. I think the important thing that I keep in mind is that everyone is struggling in the world right now - be it loneliness, financial burdens, health or anything in between - and my personal hope for this single, "Shooting Star", is to bring a little hope and happiness into a dismal time. Really, if my music can just bring a smile to someone’s face through this sadness in the world, I have accomplished my goal.
LEG: What are you most proud of?
OR: My songwriting. I started writing songs when I was just 4 years old, and have experienced an evolution of my writing through just about every stage of my life. I have been through so much with my writing - from rejection when I was 13 pitching my songs, to admiration when I was 15 and I was signed to Warner Brothers Records, who believed in me enough to want me to write my entire album myself. I’ve been on this epic journey with my music that has taken hold of my soul, and has been my guiding light through thick and thin. Now, being 21, I look back on my work through the years and I simply smile - because I finally know exactly who I am as a writer and artist, and I am content in who I’ll continue to become.
LEG: Some say there is going to be an explosion of amazing music after the pandemic because all the creative song writers have been home with nothing else to do. Do you agree
OR: I think so! We’ll probably have an even mix of extremely sad, dismal, lonely songs and then the Positive, everything’s gonna be alright songs, that are released into the world! I can’t wait! I know that for me, during this time, I was so inspired by everything going on in the World - thankfully I had an outlet with music and my new show. Before the show started, I actually had some down time, and was able to work on a special project from my heart that I have been writing for years. I am simply calling it the aptly titled “Just A Girl And Her Guitar”. This is exactly that, an introspective side of my writing, with literally just me and my guitar. It is all one-takes, and No auto tune! Productions are stripped down and bare, and the body of work is cohesive enough that you could put it on at a dinner party and create a vibe, or even play it driving down the coast with the windows down, hair blowing in the wind to set the tone for a beautiful day. It's a feel good album for sure. In a different feel good way than my first album Poprox, which is quintessential pop & rock intertwined, full band productions. My new acoustic album “Just A Girl And Her Guitar” will be coming out July 16th!!
LEG: Who is the first artist you want to see in concert after the pandemic is over?
OR: All of them!! Haha, no but I would love to see The Rolling Stones, Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa and Beyoncé live in concert. I’d also love to collaborate with them but that’s another question! ;)
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