Artist
livinthemomnt’s debut project, ready to liv, showcases her vocal
virtuosity and creativity
By Kurt Beyers
For
her debut as a recording artist, the album ready to liv, livinthemomnt sings,
in 10 alt pop tracks, the story of a young woman on the cusp of a new life.
The
story is rendered in a voice that, in its lowest register, like on the track
“atonement,” plunges down into the listener’s bones and makes them tingle. In
the first half of the very next song, “so long,” her high register soars into
the upper atmosphere.
Liv
says she is still exploring how high she can go.
“I’ve
learned a lot about my own voice and vocal range through creating this album,”
she said, adding, “but this album actually doesn’t even portray my highest
range.”
Still,
her voice covers a remarkably wide range in singing the stories in individual
tracks. They include three short, fun and funny vignettes that punctuate the overall
narrative frame.
“The
album is about a young woman who is in a relationship and dealing with those
ups and downs while also coexisting with the struggles of going to work at a
job that she doesn’t necessarily enjoy,” said Liv.
“And,”
she concludes, “wanting more, she makes the decision to go and pursue her
dreams.”
The
musical conclusion comes in the last track, the title song, “ready to liv”:
I’m ready to live with all this shit that I did
I won’t let nothing stop me from where I’m going
I’m never going back this time.
The
album is based on her life but, naturally, she takes some artistic license.
“There
are some exaggerations. I didn’t kill anyone in a wreck or anything, like in
‘so long.’ You can take the meaning of the songs any way you want when you’re
listening, you know? Some people relate differently to them. But overall, it is
based on me and my life.”
Olivia
Toliver, artist name livinthemomnt, is a singer/songwriter from North Carolina.
She has been involved in music since childhood, performing in school talent
shows and at local venues. As a teenager, she was also in America’s Got Talent
and Miss America Teen pageants.
After
performing with the Salisbury Symphony in North Carolina, Liv was given an open
invitation to return but decided to launch her own career instead. She worked
through the fall on ready to liv and released the project this spring.
The personal
part of ready to liv, the part of the story in which the protagonist
decides to take the road named “Hopes and Dreams,” is not an exaggeration. That’s
what she did.
“It’s
something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’ve always known that I wanted to do
this. The time is now. It just felt right.”
She
grew up listening to blues and soul from artists like Etta James, Nina Simone,
Sam Cooke, but she loves a wide variety of music.
“I’ve
never wanted to be boxed into just one genre, because there’s just so many
genres that I love, and I enjoy singing. I want to be able to put aspects of
all genres into my music. That’s why I went with alternative, but I ultimately
consider my music as alternative soul.”
“The
sound that I have created, I feel like, is a unique sound.”
How
she feels about her music and career is how she wants her audience and her fans
to feel.
“When
they hear the album, I want people to feel empowered, and I want them to be
able to relate to it and to know that no matter where you’re at in life, it’s
okay to start over, live with your mistakes and pursue whatever you want.”
Right
now, her focus is ready to liv.
“I
want it to reach its full potential. I want it to be successful. This is my
first love right here, so I want to cherish this moment and get it to where it
should be.” She is working on visuals for the album.
At the
same time, she and her producer are working on the next project, which will be
what she calls act two of a three-act sequence.
“This,”
she said, meaning ready to liv, “is just the first part, and we’re
working on the second one. We hope to have that released by the end of this
year. This is just the start.”
Rise
with her and her music by staying connected to livinthemomnt on all platforms
for new music, videos, and social posts.
https://linktr.ee/livinthemomnt
https://www.instagram.com/livinthemomnts
https://www.tiktok.com/@livinthemomnt
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