Country Artist, Olivia Mae Graham Shares New Single, “I Can’t Move”
Last month, emerging country artist Olivia Mae Graham released her latest single, “I Can’t Move,” delving into a heartfelt narrative inspired by a genuine local incident. The emotionally charged track navigates the vulnerability of being stuck, both physically and emotionally, set against the backdrop of Norfolk County’s own Delhi.
We had the pleasure of diving into the creative process behind this compelling song with Olivia. Enjoy!
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I am a singer/songwriter who is determined to share the truth from my heart through my songs. Music isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am.
My earliest memories are of me making up melodies and songs to perform them for anyone who would listen. My first real performance was at age four during my piano recital and I remember something clicking in me that this is all I want to be doing for the rest of my life.
The years that followed were marked by my parents’ unwavering support, chauffeuring me to numerous music lessons and performances across southern Ontario. Fueled by passion and determination, I made a pivotal decision at 18 to leave home and pursue my dreams in Toronto, Ontario. At Harris Institute for the Arts, I studied the business side of music and graduated Valedictorian of my class, with an Honours Music Business Professional Certification. Continuing my journey, I ventured to Scotland, UK, earning my Masters’s degree in Songwriting in 2020, with Distinction.
Returning to my hometown of Tillsonburg, Ontario, amidst the pandemic, was admittedly a bit of a heartbreak for me because I felt that my dreams could only be achieved if I was out and away from home chasing them. However, this time at home offered me a rare transformative period that allowed me to delve into the core of my identity as an artist and clarify the messages I wanted to share in my music. Looking back on this time now, I can see that I needed to get to my truth right here at home.
Since 2021, my drive has been to uplift and empower others through the positive messages and vulnerable lyrics in my original music. I have made every effort to connect with my fans and strive to understand which songs of mine they are resonating with and I am choosing to work towards producing and performing songs that will connect with them on a very personal level.
Your latest single, “I Can’t Move,” has garnered attention for its heartfelt narrative inspired by a real-life incident. Can you tell us more about the story behind the song and how it came to fruition?
Picture a cold, gray winter day and I am driving into town with my list of things to get done when my car decides to break down on me. I was able to pull off the roadway and for me being a 23-year-old girl, this was a very stressful situation and my initial reaction was tears. Feeling upset about not knowing what was wrong with my car, I called my dad and got a tow truck en route to help. Sitting in my car waiting for the tow truck is when I decided to reach out to my friend and co-writer, Jay Allan. At that moment, stranded by the roadside, I told Jay, ‘One day, we’ve got to write a song about a car that won’t let you down and a boy who won’t break your heart.’ His immediate question: ‘Liv, are you on the side of the road?’. Being the supportive and spontaneous songwriter that he is, he stopped cooking his supper and grabbed his guitar and we wrote the entire song together over the phone!
Can you take us through the songwriting process for “I Can’t Move”? How did you and your co-writer, Jay Allan, collaborate to bring this song to life, especially considering it was written over the phone?
Stranded roadside waiting for a tow truck I had this melody pop into my head and I kept singing “I need a car that won’t let me down” … To help pass the time, I reached out to my dear friend and co-writer, Jay Allan, hoping it’d spark something.
What we ended up writing was beyond the initial idea of a song about a broken-down car. I couldn’t see it at the time, but this song really captured a moment in my life, where I felt completely stuck and then I was literally stuck because my car couldn’t move.
With the sound of the four-way flashers going in my car while we were writing this song, I knew production-wise that I wanted to use them to set the mood for the entire song. While in pre-production I pitched this idea to my team and co-producer Aaron Murray jumped from his seat and went outside to record the four-ways from my car to start building our song.
It turned out to be that we wrote the song that I personally needed to fall apart to and it’s my hope that if anyone is feeling like they just can’t move from a situation they are going through this song brings them comfort they need to know they aren’t alone.
The music video for “I Can’t Move” was filmed in Norfolk County’s Delhi, capturing the essence of the cold, rainy night that inspired the song. How important was it for you to incorporate the local touch into both the song and its visual storytelling?
For me, music is a canvas for emotions, allowing me to paint pictures with my lyrics. While recording ‘I Can’t Move’ I knew I wanted the music video to capture the raw essence of the cold, rainy night similar to the night we wrote the song on.
Growing up, I always believed that to achieve something significant, I had to be in a city somewhere far from home. However, returning to Norfolk County in 2020 completely changed all of that for me, revealing that everything and everyone I needed to tell my stories was right here.
There were many struggles in finding the right location and car for this video. I had a clear vision in my mind of how I wanted to portray the song and it just seemed that weeks were going by and we couldn’t pull anything together to make it work. Like we were stuck and couldn’t move! Then one morning, after asking a friend who owned a local farm, we got the answers we were looking for, and everything came together in a matter of a few days. Graciously, this Norfolk County farmer lent us his car and farm and anything else we needed to put this video together. He set it up for us and was more than happy to help us in bringing this video together.
Collaborating with a local videographer like Alex Franklin adds a unique touch to the video. How did Alex contribute to the creative process, and what was it like working with someone who shares a connection to your hometown?
When envisioning this music video, it was clear to me that I wanted Alex to be the one to bring my ideas to life.
Alex witnessed the song’s evolution from its live debut, where she captured its first moments, to being in the studio during the recording process. It was during a recording session break when I pitched her the idea of a car in the pouring rain music video, and I knew instantly that she shared my vision.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the ‘I Can’t Move’ journey was witnessing Alex’s growth as both a photographer and videographer.
From that initial show to the recording studio and now the music video, Alex has been an integral part of my team and bringing ‘I Can’t Move’ to life. This wouldn’t have been possible without her!
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from you in terms of future releases or projects? Are there any themes or stories you’re particularly excited to explore through your music?
I want everyone to know that I’m here and ready to put my foot down on the dreams I’m chasing. I feel like I’m just getting started on this journey to really show people who I am and what I am capable of creating. The new music we are working on has me feeling more inspired than ever before!
We have a bunch of new songs in the works about following your dreams, love, heartbreak, and everything in between, and a lot of fun things in the works from backyard parties to county fairs. I’m ready to put my boots to the ground and wear my heart on my sleeve and I can’t wait to see where that takes me!
I would like to invite you to head on over to my socials to join the Mae Flowers to experience this journey with me! I’m ready to go all in and gotta say there’s no holding me back in 2024!
Connect with Olivia Mae Graham:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
TikTok