Artist Interview: LIVVIA

Rising Pop artist LIVVIA is an artist to keep your eye on. You may have heard her previous hits in the last few years – “Damn,” “OXO,” and “Parachute,” or maybe you recently saw her opening for the Jonas Brothers on their Happiness Begins Tour. But if you haven’t, now’s your chance to get on board! The up-and-coming star put out a new single called “Monster” a few months ago, and we finally got to chat with her about it.

CROWDSURFER MAG: Your latest single “Monster” came out back in October, and I loved the music video so much I had to talk about it. When did you decide you wanted to make it more of a film? And would you want to make another like it in the future? 

LIVVIA: I’m so happy you loved it! It’s my favorite creative accomplishment to date. I would absolutely love to do another video of the sort. I’m always involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects of my music videos and visuals, but this was my first time officially directing. It turned out almost exactly — even better — than I hoped and planned. I decided to make it more of a movie when I thought of the murder mystery storyline. The opening scene that sets up the story came to mind instantly. The amazing cast — Chris Pang, Skyler Samuels, Lukas Gage, Michele Selene Ang, Emily Tosta, and Deric Augustine — brought it to life so incredibly. It was an honor to work with them. I’m such a fan of them and their work. 

CSM: Did you help with making the storyline of the murder mystery and how everyone was going to disappear?

L: Yes! I planned the entire storyline and wrote a script that followed the lyrics line-by-line. I went to the location two separate times before our shoot date and filmed reference shots on my phone of camera movement for the scenes. 

CSM: Tell me a little bit about the inspiration for “Monster.”

L: We wrote this song at a writers camp in Nashville last year. It’s about people who try to twist the story to make you look like the bad guy, when the true villain was the wrongful accuser all along. I want this song to encourage people to let the truth speak for itself and not allow someone else’s stories to make them question their own character. Trust your instincts, and if others are determined to fall for the facade, trust that all will be revealed in the end.

CSM: You released another single and an EP in 2020! Which one of those songs is your favorite?

L: “Monster”! My favorite always tends to be my latest release. And I’m always excited about the next thing. 

CSM: And now it’s 2021! Did you make a New Year’s Resolution?

L: A couple years ago, I jumped in the water right after midnight after some convincing and jokingly made a resolution to jump in a body of water whenever the opportunity presented itself. It turned out to be the best resolution and I repeated it the following year. I like resolutions that are fun like that, but also good metaphors. This year, I think we should all be gentle to ourselves. My main resolution is to learn what I need to learn from all situations that arise — and those from the past — so I can move on fully. 

CSM: Can you tell us about any upcoming music you have for us?

L: There is a collaboration in the works! But I can’t reveal my collaborator yet. I’m so excited for you to hear it. 

CSM: What kind of impact do you want to make with your music?

L: I want to inspire and empower as many people as possible with my music, tell stories people can relate and aspire to, and be a part of the soundtrack to people’s lives. 

CSM: I know things are still up in the air because of the pandemic, but what are your goals for this year?

L: I have a secret project I’ve wanted to take action on for a while and I’ve used this time to take significant strides in the direction of that goal. I hope to make as much progress as possible this year. 

CSM: I’m hoping we’ll be able to get back to touring soon… so while we’re thinking about that, do you have a favorite memory on tour?

L: Too many to count! I feel so lucky that the last thing I did before lockdown was open for the Jonas Brothers on their Happiness Begins Tour. I’m so grateful those dates weren’t canceled. Being a part of that tour was beyond a dream come true. I am a huge Jonas fan myself – they’re some of my favorite people, and I absolutely love performing for an audience of Jonas fans because I feel so comfortable. It feels like I’m there with a bunch of friends because we’re all Jonas fans. 

CSM: Anything else you want us to know?

L: Feel free to reach out @livvia! I love hearing from everyone! And I would love it if everyone reading this would go watch the “Monster” music video. I couldn’t love it more.

Photo by Sarah Krick