Interview: Harley Olivia Chats About Her New Album "Let Them Talk"

What inspired the theme or concept behind this album?

The album was inspired by all the things I’ve spent my life feeling like I was supposed to be ashamed of. My sexuality, my body, my emotions, my mental health, my mistakes, my ambitions, my ADHD and honestly just being a little different. I realized that so much of my anxiety and self-doubt came from worrying about how other people perceived me. So Let Them Talk became this journey of taking all of those things I once tried to hide and putting them front and centre. Each song tackles a different piece of that journey, and by the end of the album, I’m essentially saying, “You know what? I’m done asking permission to be myself.”

Were there any particular events or emotions that shaped the songwriting?

Absolutely. A lot of these songs came out of periods where I was questioning myself, worrying about failure and dealing with insecurity and my ADHD, but there were also some really specific and unexpected things that inspired individual songs. Reading is one of my favourite forms of escapism and a couple of songs were actually inspired by books. “Let Them Talk” was inspired by Fourth Wing, which got me back into reading after years of barely picking up a book. “Animals” was inspired by completely unhinged omegaverse romance novels. (If you know, you know) The songs are obviously very different, but I love that they are more playful with an escapist side to them. Then there’s “This Is Your Captain Speaking,” which came from a completely different place. It was inspired by the state of the world and what it feels like to work for a huge corporation where you feel like nothing more than a disposable employee number. There’s a lot more anger and frustration in that one. And there’s “MADONNA/WHØRE,” which came from my long time frustration with the double standards women still face in society. It’s about the ridiculous expectations placed on women and how easily we can be judged for things that would be celebrated in men. But I didn’t want it to feel like I was just beating you over the head with rage, so there’s a playful, tongue-in-cheek side to it too.

Were there any challenges you faced during the recording process?

I’ve always loved incorporating distorted vocals in my music and have been false cord screaming and singing with grit for years, but fry screaming was something I really wanted to master leading up to this record. There were some specific nuances I wanted to nail for “MADONNA/WHØRE” and “This Is Your Captain Speaking,” so I spent months learning and practicing before we recorded them. I’m a vocal coach too, so I really needed out and dove into the technique and now I teach fry screaming as well! Beyond that, the biggest challenge was staying creative while working under looming deadlines and fitting recording sessions in between teaching vocal lessons all day. I had to be careful not to fatigue my voice, while also working around Siegfried’s producer schedule and the other bands coming into his studio to record.

Which track was the most fun to create, and why?

“This Is Your Captain Speaking” was probably one of the most fun because it let me bring my flight attendant background into the music in a really ridiculous way. I loved the idea of taking this very familiar, professional announcement voice and turning it into a dystopian rebellion speech. The song started with the idea of screaming, “Remain calm. This is your captain speaking,” and grew from there. I had so much fun adding the sound effects and voice-over parts in the breakdown so it sounds like I’ve completely taken over the plane. It also became the culmination of the album. I start the record questioning myself and worrying about what everyone thinks, and by the end I’m basically saying, “Okay, enough. I’m done caring what everyone thinks. I’m taking control of my life now.”

Did any collaborations influence the sound or direction of this project?

Siegfried Meier is my co-writer and collaborator. We wrote the album together at Beach Road Studios in Goderich, Canada, and he produced, mixed and played guitar, bass and some drums on the record. We've worked together for years, so there's a level of trust there that allowed me to really experiment and push things. He knows when to encourage me to go bigger and when to tell me to stop overthinking something. The record definitely wouldn't sound the way it does without that collaboration. We also worked with two of the best drummers in the biz right now; Nathan Bulla and Melvin Murray. They play with us live as well and we really wanted them to leave their mark on this record. They’re so talented and we’re lucky to have them.

Did you experiment with any new techniques, instruments, or styles on this record?

As we’ve progressed with our sound, we’ve definitely enjoyed getting heavier. I hadn’t fry screamed on an album before this, so that was something I had to really master. Sleep Token and In This Moment were also big influences on this record, so we incorporated seven-string guitars and lower tunings. Siegfried got a seven-string Evertune guitar specifically for the record, and he absolutely loves it. I played in metal bands for years before starting this solo project, so I’ve rediscovered how good it feels to live in that heavier world. My favourite songs to play live are the heavy ones, so it’s no surprise that we’re heading in that direction. That said, I’m a theatre kid at heart, so we still have very theatrical, almost musical-theatre-inspired songs like “What If It Doesn’t Work Out?” And “San Francisco.” We’re not afraid to let the music move into different genres and explore different emotions.

How do you feel this album represents your evolution as a band?

The majority of the songs on this album lean much more into hard rock than my previous pop-rock EP, and the sound feels much more intentional. My last EP was poppier because I had come from metal bands and wanted to challenge myself. I didn’t want screaming to become a crutch - I wanted to make sure I could develop strong vocal technique and really learn how to use my voice. Now that I feel like I’ve achieved that, I’m coming back to my heavier rock roots, but with a much better understanding of my voice and what I want the music to sound like. At the same time, Siegfried and I love theatricality and being ridiculous, so we’re not taking ourselves too seriously. There are heavy breakdowns, but there’s also my cat literally meowing in one of the songs. We’re getting heavier, but we’re also staying true to ourselves.

What do you hope your fans take away from this album?

I hope they feel a little less ashamed of whatever it is they've been hiding. Maybe there's something about themselves that they've been told is too much, too weird, too emotional or too ambitious. I want them to hear this album, wake up and think, “Actually, I don’t give a f*ck what everyone else thinks.” If the album makes someone feel more confident in their own life, then I've done what I wanted to do.

Have fans influenced the direction of your music or this album in any way?

Definitely. One of the coolest things about building this project has been seeing people connect with the really vulnerable parts of the music. Sometimes I’ll share something lyrically that feels super personal or even a little embarrassing, and then someone will message me like, “Holy sh*t, I thought I was the only one.” Those moments mean a lot to me because they remind me that the things we’re most ashamed of are often the exact things we want to hear about in music as it makes us feel less alone. That’s become a huge part of why I make music. I want to be honest about the messy, weird, uncomfortable parts of being a human being and hopefully make someone else feel like, “Oh thank god, it’s not just me.”

What can fans expect from your upcoming tour or album release events?

People can pick up their copy of the new album at our album release show on October 23rd at Bovine Sex Club in Toronto. I've hand-picked some of my favourite bands to play with us including Excuses Excuses, Dammit Goldie and Limits of Approach. People are invited to dress dystopian with us so they can be a part of our faction! We have a few more shows throughout October and November and then we’ll be planning another tour to support the record in 2027.

Do you have any music videos planned for the album? What can you share about them?

Yes! All the music videos from this album cycle are all connected with an overarching storyline which I’m really excited to continue. So far “San Francisco”, “Trouble” and “Try Me On For Size” have been released, but “MADONNA/WHØRE” and “This Is Your Captain Speaking” will be coming soon. I come from a film/theatre background, so I don't just want to stand in front of a camera and sing. I want the visuals to add another layer to the songs and help build this slightly dystopian, theatrical universe around the album.

If you could describe this album in three words, what would they be?

Liberating, Theatrical, Rebellious.

Is there a specific moment during the album’s creation that you’ll always remember?

I loved the late nights recording vocals with the lights dimmed in the tracking room. It was my first time really hearing all the instrumentation Siegfried had recorded, and getting to add my vocals on top of it felt so immersive and exciting. I also really loved adding all the little final touches, like the sound effects and voiceovers. There are speaking parts in “What If It Doesn’t Work Out?” and “Animals,” so I secretly got my parents, my sister, and even my cat to record some things without telling them what they were for. So now they’re all technically on my album, which is pretty special.

Do you have a tour booked or is one being booked to promote the album?

We did a tour through Alberta last month, and because the album hadn’t officially been released yet, we actually burned some one-of-a-kind CDs and sold them as early copies at our shows. It was kind of fun having these little unofficial physical copies that people could get before anyone else. Now that the album is officially out, we’re finishing up the Ontario dates of our current tour with shows in London, Toronto, Ottawa and St. Thomas. After that, we’ll be planning a proper Let Them Talk tour for 2027.

Anything Else That You'd Like the Fans to Know.

I think the biggest thing I'd want people to know is that this album is an invitation. I invite you to stop letting other people dictate who you should be, what you should want, how you're supposed to look or what you should be ashamed about. I've spent too much of my life worrying about whether people would approve of me. Let Them Talk is me finally realizing that they're going to talk no matter what I do. So... let them. You have a life to live. You might as well live it the way you want. And if you're going to take anything from this album, I hope it's this: stop asking for permission, think for yourself and take the controls of your own life.