Olivia Barton writes songs that sound like stream-of-consciousness journal entries—because they are. Olivia asks and answers questions in real time, taking you through a “diary of the healing process” (Sound of Boston). The 90s-inspired folk-pop songs live in a raw but playful space Olivia (sort of) jokingly describes as “somewhere between Elliott Smith and Hilary Duff.” After releasing her sophomore album This is a Good Sign at the end of 2022, she is gearing up for her biggest year yet supporting Lizzy McAlpine’s full US tour in spring of 2023.
This is a Good Sign has been written about in publications such as Stereogum and Brooklyn Vegan, charted at #3 on college radio, featured on Spotify editorial playlists, and gained the attention of dream collaborators, including Madi Diaz, Carol Ades, and Evan Stephens Hall of the band Pinegrove. The album’s opening track, “I Don’t Sing My Songs” is reflective of Olivia’s infectious ability to hold darkness and light in the same hand, starting by directly facing reality: “I stay inside / I call my dad / I wait to feel” and ending with an inner knowing: “Good feelings are so possible within me.” She leaves you feeling cracked open, seen, and vibrating with hope in the connectedness of things.
