Q&A: UK's Rising Star Talks Debut EP ‘Listen to This When You Buy a House,’ Staying Authentic, and the Road Ahead
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY JOY VILLANUEVA ☆
Josie Oliver is quickly making a name for herself as one of the UK’s most exciting indie-pop voices. With standout tracks like “Train to SoHo” and “Glued,” she has garnered attention for her honest storytelling and engaging sound. Having earned praise from notable artists like Sam Fender, Griff, and even Paul McCartney, Oliver’s sound continues to make waves.
As she prepared for the release of her debut EP, listen to this when you buy a house, Oliver took us on a journey through her music and creative process.
Read our interview with Oliver below as she opens up about the inspiration behind the EP, how she thinks her sound will progress over time, and her process for creating songs that resonate on both a personal and universal level.
LUNA: Your ability to capture raw emotion through storytelling while still creating a dance-in-your-bedroom vibe is amazing. Can you share more about the inspiration behind the first single “Standstill” and how it evolved for you over time?
OLIVER: Originally, I kind of wrote “Standstill” as more of a shy, hesitant love song. It was more about wanting to stay in the moment because everything was really nice, and you just wanted to hold onto that.
As time went on and my relationships with different people evolved, I think I now see it as having a bit of desperation—like, stay in the moment because you know it's not going to last. It has more of a sad tone to it now. It’s definitely changed. When I first wrote it, it was a lot more simple and sweet. However, as time has gone on and things in my life have changed, the meaning of it for me has definitely shifted as well.
LUNA: How do you think experiences like that shape your music and the stories you tell through your songs in general?
OLIVER: I think I'm such a nostalgic person—like, nostalgia makes me feel a bit sick, you know? Going through lived experiences, I just feel so much for them, which I used to think was a bad thing.
But as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that’s actually a bit of a power because it allows me to put those feelings into songs. I think I can write songs because I feel so much, and I just put all that energy into my songwriting, really.
It’s very rare that I’ll write songs about other people’s experiences—it’s mainly about my own. So, everything I go through feels super important to the songs I write because it’s all those emotional moments.
LUNA: The title of your EP, listen to this when you buy a house, comes from a voice note. What was going through your mind when you recorded that, and how does it tie into the overarching themes of the project?
OLIVER: The voice note was recorded with someone I was in a relationship with, and it was kind of like a pipe dream—we were just like, "Oh, we’ll listen back to this when we buy a house." We were both just talking about our future houses, and it felt like such a meaningful moment.
I think, regardless of how things ended, it really encapsulates that feeling of the whole EP. The EP takes you through a journey—falling in love, the highs, the lows—it touches on all aspects of love and navigating a relationship for the first time.
The voice note felt so raw and meaningful to me that it just made sense to name it that.
LUNA: Your lyrics capture the raw emotions of young love—excitement, uncertainty, and heartbreak. Was there a specific song on the EP that was the hardest for you to write, either emotionally or creatively?
OLIVER: I think it would have to be "Do You Really Have to Go?"—that’s the next one coming out. I think that one was probably one of the most vulnerable songs I’ve ever written.
I shut myself in my room for the whole night, wrote and recorded it, and I was feeling really down at the time. It was difficult to write because I felt pretty rubbish, but at the same time, it was one of those songs that just flowed out of me.
The next day, I showed it to my five best friends, and all of them cried. That’s when I was like, Okay, I’ve written a good song.
LUNA: You’ve worked with multiple producers on this project, including Jay Flew and Shute. How did their contributions shape the sonic landscape of the EP?
OLIVER: I think I always like to have a lot of input on the production. I never have a session where I’m not really in the room because I’m so obsessive about making cool sounds, and it’s super important for me to work with producers who really understand that. Both of them really get it—I’ll make noises at them, and they’re able to translate that into actual electronic sounds.
And then just picking up instruments, hearing what works with the song—it’s all super important. It always feels so good to be in a room and hope that it’s going to turn out how I envision it, and it always does, because I work with some really cool people.
LUNA: You’ve had some incredible experiences, including performing for Paul McCartney. How did that experience shape your approach to both songwriting and performing?
OLIVER: I remember I was so nervous going in, and he picked up on that immediately and was like, “You don’t need to be nervous. We’re all just songwriters sharing our art.” He had this way of making me feel like, okay, this is fine, it’s just music, it’s fine.
He listened to the songs and gave me a few lyrical opinions, but ultimately, he just made me feel really validated—that authenticity is the most important thing.
I remember having a big conversation with him about staying true to yourself, about never changing for other people. He even told me, “No matter what my opinion is, at the end of the day, it’s your art.” That was really nice to hear.
He really emphasized how important authenticity is—if you stay true to yourself, it will get you somewhere eventually. That’s something I’ll definitely carry with me.
LUNA: Your live performances have earned you a solid reputation. What is it about playing live shows that energizes you, and how do you prepare for such intimate yet powerful performances?
OLIVER: There’s just no other feeling. Obviously, releasing music on streaming platforms is amazing, and getting a reaction on social media feels great, but actually seeing it in real life—hearing people sing the lyrics back or watching how they emotionally react to the songs—is completely different.
Everything feels real when you’re playing live. I think there are two very different energies to it. Some shows are super intimate, just me and my guitar, which I love because it feels vulnerable, like I’m really letting the audience into my world. And then there’s playing with a full band, which is my favorite thing to do. Even in rehearsal today, with no audience, I was just like, this is it. The songs feel huge in that setting. There’s just nothing that compares to playing live.
To prepare, I always want to make sure I’m really present on stage. It’s so easy to just go up, perform, come off, and almost lose the experience in the moment. I want to really take it in.
I remember my final performance at LIPA, in the Paul McCartney Auditorium. I told myself, I want to remember this. There were only a few people in the audience—my close friends and my family—but I was so glad I made the conscious decision to take it all in.
It’s such a good feeling to come off stage and be like, That was a great show. I just want to appreciate every moment of it.
LUNA: “Do You Really Have to Go?” closes the EP on a deeply vulnerable note. How did you approach translating those feelings into music, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
OLIVER: I think every song I write is based on a very unique situation, and maybe the listeners haven’t gone through that exact thing.
But I think it’s the feelings those situations create that are universal. No matter what any of the songs are about, it’s more about the emotions they generate.
I really hope listeners can resonate with that and feel less alone in those emotions. I’m definitely someone who feels a lot, and when I listen to music and think, Okay, I feel that too, it’s such a powerful feeling. It would be really nice for my music to have that same impact on someone else.
LUNA: With this EP marking a pivotal moment in your career, how do you see your sound and storytelling evolving in future projects?
OLIVER: I’ve been writing a lot of songs recently, actually, which have a slightly different feel. Last year, I really got into Maggie Rogers and Lizzy McAlpine’s albums, which are super organic. I’ve really been inspired by that—it feels super authentic.
I think I’m heading more toward that big-band kind of vibe, but I’ll always want my songs to feel intimate and vulnerable. I think I’ll always want them to stay honest like that.
The production might change and what’s layered on top will differ, but I’ll always keep that intimacy in the songs.
LUNA: Is there anything else you’d like to share with Luna?
OLIVER: I’ve definitely been writing a lot more music after the EP as well, so I’m really excited for this year. It feels like hopefully it’s going to be my year.
The EP is really important to me. It feels like a time capsule. Almost as soon as it’s released, it feels like it’ll close a chapter of my life. It’s a snapshot of where I am right now, and then I’ll be moving on to the next thing.
Since it’s my debut, it will always be really special to me. The EP is about navigating love and all those experiences while growing up, especially in your late teens and early 20s. Every feeling is just so amplified during that time.
Looking back, everything feels really intensified, and I think the EP will always feel special to me because it’s where I’ve been able to pour all my feelings.
I also have a show coming up on March 28, which is my first hometown show at The Sugarmill in Stoke. It’s to celebrate the release of the EP, so I’m really excited. I’m hoping to see some familiar faces there as well!
