AGED just 19, singer-songwriter Olivia Sebastianelli has already experienced life signed to a major label and the pressure conform.

That didn’t suit the independently-minded south Londoner, so she quit, took control of her own music and is set to release her first EP Perfect Getaway this Sunday (October 6).

Olivia told Vibe: “I got bored of basically being told to be the next blah-blah or to be more like this person. I just wanted to do my thing.”

She added: “I’m really excited about the release, I can’t wait. It is quite scary having my music out into the world for people to listen to and buy.”

The reaction to her music has been glowing, with national newspapers like The Guardian, The Sun and The Times raving about her ‘rich, huskily emotive voice’.

Penning her own songs, which she has been doing since she was 13, is of utmost importance for the youngster.

She said: “It is the most important thing to me. Aside from playing live, writing music is the most important thing if you can do it.

Olivia has scored herself a support slot on Nina Nesbitt’s UK tour, which takes in Koko in Camden on Thursday, October 10, after which she hopes to play more shows in the capital.
She said: “I’ll be playing quite a lot of shows in London. I might do a couple down south, down here.

“I love playing London, it’s one of the best places in the world.”

Croydon was the backdrop to Olivia’s childhood, though she is no stranger to the south east of the capital.

She said: “A lot of my friends are from Bromley. We spent a lot of time at TPs and saw a lot of bands there and met a lot of cool guys there.

“I think TPs is where I learnt a lot about performance. I discovered a lot of cool bands in there that are doing really well.”

Olivia Sebastianelli’s debut EP Perfect Getaway is out October 6. Go to oliviasebastianelli.com