24-year-old east London artist Olivia Miller – AKA Modern Liv – puts her own distinct slant on the indie rock sad girl scene, bringing elements of jazz, soul and chanteuse elegance into the mix. It’s a style which makes her independently released debut EP Boy Band such an engaging listen – and one that demonstrates that she has everything in place to rise to bigger things in the near future.
Modern Liv
The EP’s opening track and lead single Together Tonight provides a compelling introduction to Modern Liv’s world. Her voice confidently darts between styles – breezy soaring highs, rhythmic cadences and barely enunciated whispers – while the music toys somewhere between the candid authenticity of the bedroom pop scene with a little slacker rock ruggedness for good measure. As strong as her vocal is, her words are full of unguarded me-versus-me self-doubt that comes with being a new artist stepping out to share her songs with the world.
Modern Liv says: “Together Tonight is about getting in your own way and asking yourself to stop doing that. I wrote it before playing at a big concert, when I had to ask myself if I was going to keep fighting my desire to perform and cave to the fear, or if I was going to back myself and take the leap.”
The Boy Band EP maintains that consistency throughout, moving from the driving energy of the indie-pop melodies of Betting On Illusions through to the soul-flavoured intimacy and beautiful guitar tones of Shake The Feeling (a track already supported by BBC Introducing), and the title track which very naturally blends all of the EP’s varied influences together with some throwback classic rock motifs into one empowered, high drama finale.
As for that title – a Boy Band from a solo female artist? It’s a reference to the power of friendships: if someone makes you feel like you’re the star of a boy band, you really know you have someone you can always rely on.
Liv adds: “Boy Band is a coming of age EP about the different journeys we take with love – self love, childhood friendships, unconditional romantic support, and platonic breakups. I wanted to create songs about growing up and navigating my twenties while referencing the music that shaped me and my relationships as a child and teenager, like ‘70s and 2000s rock, French electronic music, and a sprinkle of jazz.” Check out the EP here.
Modern Liv wrote all four songs on the EP, and co-produced the set with Russell Harris on Together Tonight and Fionn Connolly on the other three tracks.
Miller was born in Paris to a French mother and a Canadian father, and moved to England to attend university six years ago. Her early years took her through a variety of formative musical experiences, from childhood dance classes to singing with a jazz orchestra and a rock band. But writing her own music really shaped her musical identity, her talents further honed as a regular on London’s grassroots music scene. Her gig highlights so far include supporting Yoa at La Maroquinerie in Paris and playing showcase events at the O2 Academy Islington and Camden Assembly.
Whether she’s on stage or on record, Modern Liv has the power to charm, which leads us onto the next point: her artist name is a tribute to her favourite song lyrics, David Bowie’s Modern Love. The Thin White Duke is one of her biggest influences, alongside Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, but she’s also enamoured with the contemporary scene, as demonstrated by her covers of songs by Chappell Roan, Frank Ocean and Phoenix on socials.
The singer’s next London show is at The Old Blue Last on November 23rd as support to Pocket Jam.
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