Olivea Watson

Artist Information

Biography

WINNER OF THE 2007 GIBSON NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR AWARD!!!!!
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OLIVEA WON "A/C BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR" AT THE NEW MUSIC AWARDS for her single "LET GO"!!!
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NEWS:::::::::::Olivea was offered a major distribution deal and her debut record "Way Down Deep" will be released in Sept '07 September

***Look for Olivea in THE LA WEEKLY, CITY BEAT AND THE VILLAGE VOICE in NYC.

NEWS :Olivea won as runner-up for RELIX MAGAZINE JAMOFF for her song "Goodbye"

NEWS::::::::::: Olivea will be on the new compilation CD "HELP SAVE WORLD HUNGER" by BLASTED RECORDS for her song "LET GO. All proceeds benefit world hunger and the compitation will be distributed nationwide in record stores.

MORE NEWS::::::::: Olivea will be on a compilation CD "Music for CoffeeBeings" distributed in coffee houses throughout Canada for her song "LET GO"

OLIVEA WATSON
L.A. BASED SINGER/SONGWRITER
AND HER BAND THE UNSUNG HEROES
“LET GO” OF THEIR DOUBTS AND FEARS AND
EMBRACE THE STRUGGLE TO TAKE FANS
‘WAY DOWN DEEP’
* * *
In Addition To Winning “Honorable Mention” For Four Of The
Album’s Tracks In Billboard’s World Song Contest; The Versatile
Singer, Guitarist And Violinist’s First AAA Radio Single “Let Go”
Will Be Featured On An Exclusive Best Buy Compilation Called
‘Help Save World Hunger’; “All’s I Want” Is Included On A
Fundraising CD For The Montel Williams MS Foundation;
And “Back To L.A.” Is On The
VH1 Compilation ‘Save The Music’
* * *
Watson Is Currently Involved In Raising Awareness
For War Child International, A Global Network Dedicated
To Advancing The Cause Of Peace Through Investing Hope
In The Lives of Children Caught Up In The Horrors Of War

A few years ago, shortly after moving to L.A. from The Big Apple to more seriously pursue her path as a singer/songwriter, Olivea Watson (www.olivea.com) reached a difficult crossroads. Struggling to define her musical direction and facing nagging doubts about her prospects for making inroads on the local club scene, she caught her breath for a moment and decided to take a good friend’s simple advice: “Let go.”

“Let Go,” the heartfelt, roots-rock/blues song that she wrote in response to her crisis of faith, is poised to be the latest breakthrough in the artist’s suddenly blossoming career. The first single from her debut album Way Down Deep (set for release in September on Ramblin Rose Records, with distribution by Burnside), the track is about to go to AAA stations across the country.

“Let Go,” which has logged over 8,000 listens on Watson’s popular myspace page (www.myspace.com/oliveawatson), is also set to be included on a compilation called Save World Hunger, released by Blasted Records in August; it will be available at Best Buy stores nationwide. The song is also the lead track on a compilation called “Music For Coffee Beings,” which is distributed in all independent coffee shops throughout Canada.

Watson is currently using her musical platform to increase U.S. awareness of War Child International, an international network of independent organizations working to help children worldwide affected by the ravages of war. War Child, whose main offices are located in Canada and Holland, was founded upon a fundamental goal—to advance the cause of peace through investing hope in the lives of children caught up in the horrors of war. Watson joins numerous indie artists and such music luminaries as Bono, Sheryl Crow, Phil Collins, David Bowie, Eric Clapton and Elton John in shedding light on the noble efforts of this crucial global charity.

Like a lot of indie artists aggressively seeking unique outlets for their music, Watson was placing her songs on a wide variety of other charity samplers long before her debut had a release date. Her track “Back To L.A.” was featured on the VH1 CD Save The Music, one of the station’s U Heard It First: The Best Independent Music series. Her heartfelt country/blues flavored rocker “All’s I Want” was chosen for the Montel Williams MS Foundation to help raise money for multiple sclerosis; the song was on the organization’s compilation CD connected to the MS Music Fest 2006.

Four of the songs from Way Down Deep also garnered Honorable Mention praise from Billboard Magazine’s World Song Contest, impressive for one artist in a sea of thousands of song entries. Watson is a prolific songwriter who can edge towards the political at times. But she’s mainly interested in chronicling her own personal experiences about trying to negotiate the hairpin curves and emerge a winner in the indie music world. Just before getting her distribution deal, she wrote “Goodbye” as a winking farewell to her songwriting career, as if it might be the last one she writes. “Wake Up” addresses the reality that most of us experience, repeating our patterns day to day without questioning the point of what we’re doing with our lives.

Not that Watson, who grew up in small town upstate New York, has a problem with her day job. She’s taught her first instrument, violin, to private students for several years, but her goal has always been getting out there and performing her own songs for live audiences.

She’s been succeeding brilliantly in doing just that these past two years, playing all the L.A. hotspots a clubhopper can name with her band of veteran sideman, which she fondly dubs “The Unsung Heroes”: Molly Malone’s, Key Club, Viper Room, Genghis Cohen, The Gig and Hotel Café. Last summer, Watson and the guys were given an unprecedented residency at The Mint, playing as the regular house band on Thursday nights.

Watson’s Unsung Heroes are a mix of musical pros that have decades of collective experience playing with artists in all genres. Her regular live band consists of guitarist Tim Burlingame (Kathrin Shorr); keyboardist Carl Byron (Anne McCue, Hound, Low And Sweet Orchestra, Michelle Shocked, David Baerwald, Jim Lauderdale, Walkie Talkie, Sin City All Stars); the singer’s musical partner, bassist Marcus Giamatti (James Montgomery); and the versatile drummer Otis Hayes (Chuck Berry, Ice-T, John Lydon).

Way Down Deep, which was recorded at Burbank’s famed Mad Dog Studios, also features guitarist Doug Pettibone (Jewel, Lucinda Williams); Skip Edwards (Lucinda Williams, kd lang, Michelle Shocked)’, harmonica player David McKelvy (Brian Wilson, Stanley Clarke); drummer Shawn Nourse (Dwight Yoakam, I See Hawks In LA); and percussionist George Martin (formerly with Earth, Wind & Fire). Watson co-produced the album with Giamatti.

Another key player in Watson’s inspiring turn from “discouraged artist” to “hot up and comer” was another L.A. based guitarist she once worked with, Michael Hakes, the friend she credits as most responsible for motivating her to make her own record. Sadly, the week before she was set to go into the studio with him to start recording, he found out he had leukemia; he died shortly thereafter of pneumonia related to his illness.

“He was the one who hooked things up with Mad Dog,” she says, “and then after he died, I unfortunately got caught up for a while with other producers who made promises that never resulted in anything productive. But eventually, I got to record Way Down Deep at the place we originally were going to do it, and it felt very much like home.

“So much of the joy I experience making music comes from all of the wonderful people I’ve had the chance to play with,” Watson adds. “I’m happiest when I’m rehearsing or playing onstage with my band, and every time I think things are going to be hard, I just have to pick up my guitar and suddenly everything’s ok. We’re definitely at our best when we’re performing live. I love the album, but our shows really show who we are and have a more rootsy feel. It’s fun to push the envelope and see people in the audience respond to all the energy."

Instrumentation

**Olivea Watson and her band "The Unsung Heroes"**

Olivea Watson : Lead Vocal and acoustic guitar/ violin
Lead Guitar : Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams, Tracy Chapman, Jewel, Michelle Shocked)
Lead Guitar : Tim Burlingame (Kathrin Shorr)
Bass Guitar : Marcus Giamatti (James Montgomery, Lionel Cole)
Keyboards/Accordion : Skip Edwards (Lucinda Williams, Michelle Shocked, Roy Orbison)
Drums : Shawn Nourse (Dwight Yoakum, I See Hawks in L.A.)
Percussion: George Martin (Earth Wind and Fire)

Discography

Olivea is making a stand in radio..this is her recent week in radio 10/24/07 for her single "LET GO"

(Charts from Spins Tracking Systems)

1.Top 40 Main Chart @ #38

2. Top 40 Top 30 Indie Chart @ #5

3. Top College Chart @ #23

4. A/C Main Chart @ #26

5. Country Indie Top 30 @ # 28

6. A/C Top 20 in Central Region @ # 18





To listen go to www.olivea.com

Official Website

http://www.olivea.com

Links

• Olivea Watson Official Website

Audio

• Goodbye
  Listen   Download
• Let Go
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• Dirty Noise
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• Wake Up
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• Can You Feel
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• Scream Out Loud
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• Comes Down to You
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• All's I Want
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• Back to L.A.
  Listen   Download
• Bring them Home
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• Way Down Deep
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Lyrics

• Wake Up
• All's I Want
• Back to L.A.
• Let Go
• Goodbye
• Can You Feel
• Bring Them Home
• Scream Out Loud

Video

"Back to L.A."

Photo Gallery

Press

• 2007 GIBSON NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR!! [+ Show ]
  

  Olivea was chosen to be Gibson's New Artist of the Year for 2007!! She won a new Gibson Guitar wort... Olivea was chosen to be Gibson's New Artist of the Year for 2007!! She won a new Gibson Guitar worth more that $5,000 and recording time at BIG SKY HIGH RECORDING STUDIO!

• Same vocal prowess of Fiona Apple, Tori Amos and Sheryl Crow [+ Show ]
  

  On Way Down Deep, there's a good range of rock and folk that is sure to catch people's attention. W...On Way Down Deep, there's a good range of rock and folk that is sure to catch people's attention.
  Watson also has a certain earthiness to her vocals, which are not too harsh but have the same vocal
  prowess of Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, and even Sheryl Crow. If you like those three, you'd definitely
  love Olivea Watson.
  

• Los Angeles based singer/songwriter WINNER!!! [+ Show ]
  

  Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Olivea Watson (www.olivea.com), who released her independent de...Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Olivea Watson (www.olivea.com), who released her
  independent debut album Way Down Deep in September, has been announced as the winner of the
  prestigious Gibson Guitar New Musician Award for 2007.
  
  

• Strong yet silent expressive power [+ Show ]
  

  Olivea Watson has a sensitive and charismatic vocal styling that incorporates the best of blues, roc...Olivea Watson has a sensitive and charismatic vocal styling that incorporates the best of blues, rock and pop. She has a vulnerability in her voice that emotes a strong yet silent expressive power. After moving to L.A. from New York, Watson has armed herself with a fervent band of professional musicians, striving to become a force in the music industry. Already on her way to success, she is featured on the VH1 Compilation CD, “Save the Music” as well as “U Heard it First: The Best Independent Music” album.
  
  One particular genre cannot contain the blend of influences that Watson’s music possesses. Watson herself has a style all her own, but it is the concoction of musicians that make up her band which creates a strong fusion of southern rock, blues and contemporary alt-pop. One could interchangeably hear her music on a country radio station, while still maintaining a position on the pop charts.
  
  One such song, “Wake Up” shows the best concoction of genres. Watson’s vocal styling mimics fellow female musician Aimee Mann, while incorporating the influential rhythmical style of late 90’s alt-rock scene. Her vocals are delicate and simple, almost ethereal, which allows the bluesy guitar to voice the emotional upheaval and strength of the song. It’s the combination of all parts that make this track a success. Further on, “Change Me” expresses a more upbeat, southern feel. It is a polished, radio friendly track that has the potential of being an anthem for women all over the world. Her voice is illuminating, while soft drums, smooth guitar and a tinkling of piano throughout the song bring a silky and appealing jazz quality to the track. “Dirty Noise” has a more southern and upbeat feel than the rest. Watson’s sound becomes more pliable with the Sheryl Crow like quality. Her sound is adaptable to the mood and tone that is needed for each stylized track. The ability to change up one’s sound from track to track is a much desired ability and works well for Watson.
  
  Olivea Watson has strived to become a well-respected female singer/songwriter of today’s music scene; an area that is hard to break into because of many well deserved musicians. From her days in New York, perfecting her classically trained violin skills, to breaking free and heading west to bring together a band of talented musicians, Watson shows that she has the dedication and drive to succeed where many strive to go.
  
  
  

• ON THE RISE [+ Show ]
  

  Olivea Watson was in the FEB 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar World Magazine. She was interviewed for t...Olivea Watson was in the FEB 2007 issue of Acoustic Guitar World Magazine. She was interviewed for their "On the Rise" section written by Brad Angle.

• "Olivea is cross between Chrissie Hynde and The Sundays' Harriet Wheeler" [+ Show ]
  

  At first glance, Olivea Watson may seem like any other singer songwriter, making her way through a b...At first glance, Olivea Watson may seem like any other singer songwriter, making her way through a bevy of heartfelt pop songs. But, as the music plays, it's obvious that there's plenty of substance to go along with her well-worn roots rock style.
  
  The most striking thing about her is her voice, which sounds strangely enough like a cross between Chrissie Hynde and The Sundays' Harriet Wheeler. It's strong and assured like Hynde's, but there's an underlying sensitivity which keeps you guessing. It also helps that her songwriting is top-notch and creatively done, and the combination of voice and writing pull this one away from the pack.
  
  In other words, this should be just another album by another wannabe rock star, but it shines in spite of itself---and that makes it even better in the end.
  
  MISH MASH Mandate: Brass In Pocket

• VH1 Compilation CD "Save the Music" [+ Show ]
  

  Olivea was asked to be on "The Best Independent Music -VOL 1" compilation CD for her song "Back to L...Olivea was asked to be on "The Best Independent Music -VOL 1" compilation CD for her song "Back to L.A.". This CD will be distributed to all the celebrities and attendee's at the upcoming VH1 "Save the Music " benefit.

• Honorable Mention for BILLBOARD WORLD SONG CONTEST [+ Show ]
  

  livea got a "Honorable Mention" for four of her songs from her debut record "Way Down Deep" (due fo...livea got a "Honorable Mention" for four of her songs from her debut record "Way Down Deep" (due for release in Sept '07) in this year's Billboard World Song Contest. This is quite a accomplishment considering the thousands of entries and quality of the entries. Billboard recognized her for her ability to write songs at such a high level and issued her a certificate demonstrating her talent, dedication and ability she has to write a "Hit Song".
  
  - Billboard World Song Contest

• Buzz Bands [+ Show ]
  

  Olivea was interviewed in the "Buzz Band" section on the Los Angeles times talking about her upcomin...Olivea was interviewed in the "Buzz Band" section on the Los Angeles times talking about her upcoming gigs throughout Los Angeles.
  
  -Kevin Bronson
  Jan '2007

• MS Music Fest 2006 - Compilation CD for the Montel Williams MS [+ Show ]
  

  Olivea's song "All's I want" was chosen for The Montel Williams MS Foundation to help raise money fo...Olivea's song "All's I want" was chosen for The Montel Williams MS Foundation to help raise money for MS.

Setlist

This is our typical Set list for a hour set...we can play a longer set if needed. This is just a example....

1. Let Go
2. Goodbye
3. All's I Want
4. Dirty Noise
5. Wake Up
6. Can you Feel
7. Change Me
8. Come's down to you
9. Way Down Deep
10.Oh Henry
11. Back to LA
12. Watchtower (Bob Dylan Cover)
13. She's Been Doin' Me

Basic Requirements

Calendar