Canadian singer-songwriter Olivia Wik is excited to share her new single “Let’s Dance” – which is now available on all digital platforms.
Written by Wik and produced by ‘Towers’ (Brad Simons and Brandon Unis), “Let’s Dance” taps into the Edmonton-based artist’s established foundation as a singer-songwriter but adds a timeless retro-pop production as a fresh twist. The artist’s sultry vocals blended with deep bass and strong horns add modern sensibilities to the track’s romantic energy.
She says, “This was a rare moment where the song came to me fully-formed in my head. I knew what it had to sound like, what I wanted to say, and how it had to be said. ‘Let’s Dance’ is all about having a connection so intense that when you’re finally allowed to have an intimate moment with someone, it feels like full electricity. This song lives in the heat of that moment with someone.”
As her first new music of 2022, “Let’s Dance” builds on her past single releases as a solo artist (“Over and Over” and “When I Was Drunk”) and comes just as her recognition as a songwriter is reaching new heights. With a catalogue of over 250 original songs, Wik’s writing has already led to sync placements on the likes of CBC, PBS, Hockey Night in Canada, Lifetime, and YTV, and releases from Canadian artists like Krissy Feniak, Rebecca Lappa, Steven Sware, Connor James, Lisa Nicole, and Olivia Rose.
Having also written with songwriters as far away as Sweden, Finland, Japan, England, and Barbados, Wik gained international awareness just a few weeks ago for co-writing “See You Again”, which was recorded by Ovi Jacobsen and Paula Seling, and selected as the Romanian submission to the New European Songbook, a co-production of the European Broadcast Union and Eurovision.
With “Let’s Dance”, Olivia Wik is continuing to follow her dual path as an artist and songwriter and is using this single to showcase the best of both of her passions. Another single, “Write Me In It”, is also in the works for release later this year. In the meantime, she hopes that audiences will be inspired by the hot and heavy vibes of “Let’s Dance” to let the sparks fly with someone special.
“I want people to sing it, dance to it, and use it as a not-so-subtle way to nudge their crushes and say, ‘I want you.’”
The new single “Let’s Dance” from Olivia Wik is available now on all streaming platforms.
Hi Olivia, welcome to OLC! Tell people a little bit about yourself and how you discovered your passion for music?
Thank you so much for having me!
My name is Olivia Wik, and I am a singer/songwriter from Edmonton, Canada.
I’ve always had a passion for music. I would sing any moment I could, I’d make up songs all the time, and I eventually found myself in voice lessons and musical theatre. I picked up a guitar at 8 years old, but I gave that up because my little hands hurt too much to play it, but when I revisited the guitar at 15, it was much easier to play.
I was inspired by Taylor Swift to start writing my own songs. So, I started writing and writing, but I realized that I wanted more people to hear my songs than just my family and my bedroom walls.
One thing led to another, and here we are today!
Who were some of your biggest inspirations and what did you love about their craft?
Growing up, I loved Taylor Swift as I mentioned, but also Shania Twain. They were (and are) iconic in my eyes and were the reasons I even got into music.
As I discovered my love for writing songs in other genres besides country, I felt like they had paved the road for me in terms of being such strong songwriters, but also being strong enough to know that their music can transcend genres.
You’ve written well over 200 songs, where do you draw your ideas and inspirations from?
Oh my gosh, I think that my catalogue is almost too big! I think at this point, having written so much and so often, I can draw inspiration for a song where there is none.
Sometimes it’s an idea that another co-writer brings into the session, sometimes it’s a voice note, a lyric, a title, a track, a reference, it can really be anything that gives a song life. The tricky part is then finding out where you want to go from there and craft a story from that inspiration.
Who have you written songs with that you’d love to work with again and why do you gel so well with them?
My co-writer from Romania, Ovi Jacobsen, and I work so well together. He’s a legend in the European music scene and we’ve written so many songs that are already *chef’s kiss* quality!
He has been such a wonderful guide and partner. We’ve already had a song featured in the New European Songbook, a partnership between the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Eurovision. We wrote the song that was the Romanian submission for that project. I hope that we can keep the ball rolling with that kind of momentum.
I think that we work so well together because he is a master of melodies and I can pop out the lyrics to accompany them. It’s the perfect paring.
Is there anyone you haven’t worked with that you would love the opportunity to?
I will always and forever wish to work with Charlotte Cardin. She has the most incredible voice and writes the best songs. I can’t get over it. She constantly leaves me speechless with her artistry.
You have released your brand new single ‘Let’s Dance’. Can you tell me a bit about it and what inspired you to write it?
“Let’s Dance” is one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written because it came to me in such a strange way. It seemed to hit me all at once. My brain fired on all cylinders and said “We’re writing a song, we’re writing it now, this is what it’s called, this is what it sounds like. Okay, go!”
It was so strange because inspiration had never hit me that hard before and all of a sudden, I had a song in front of me. Even though I don’t think that I could ever replicate that experience if I tried, I’m happy it happened because now I have a song that is positive, uplifting, passionate, and overall, fun.
Any plans for a music video for the single and if so, any thing you can tell us about?
I want to do a video for this so badly but I just need to find the resources to be able to do that. Hopefully I can pull one together because I think that a video for this song would be so fun to shoot.
Any plans to release an EP?
Yes and no. I’ve been mulling that idea over for a few years but have only been able to release singles. I’ve been talking to my publisher about releasing an EP for a few years now, so the idea has been mulling around in our minds. Hopefully we can make that happen!
Who are some artists you are currently listening to?
I have such a mixed bag of artists and my fiancé laughs at me but I love it! I am always, always, always listening to ABBA. Always. But I also love to listen to Cher, all the mid 2000’s Canadian bands that I grew up with, Charlotte Cardin, Måneskin, One Direction, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga. I also pepper some pop punk bands in there too. It’s a big mix of a lot of things and I get made fun for some of them.
What has been the most memorable part of your career?
I’ve had so many incredible moments. It’s hard to choose one. I think it’s a tie between having my song inducted into the New European Songbook and having my song on YTV’s the Next Star. The Next Star was a Canadian kid’s talent show that was basically like American Idol for kids. The finale of the show was a live concert in front of thousands of people. I got to see the faces of so many kids singing the words to my song. It was incredible.
For the New European song book, I had the pleasure of writing the song, “See You Again,” with Ovi. He and Paula Seling performed the song together. It was surreal to have a song of mine associated with the EBU and Eurovision, and have it played across Europe.
When you’re not working on music, what do you like to do in your down time?
I have a regular 9-5. I work on my music in my down time so, maybe I don’t have much time to relax in my life. My day job requires me to write all day too, so my music is my creative outlet. But if I’m not doing anything, I’m likely bothering my cat and giving her too much attention.
What’s next on your agenda?
I have another song coming in a few months called “Write Me in It.” It’s a dance pop song and I’m excited to release it because it’s a genre I’ve never released music in before. I wrote it ages ago when I was in a songwriting camp in Finland. I wrote it with a group of talented producers and writers, and I can’t wait to share it.
OLIVIA WIK SOCIAL LINKS
Instagram: @Olivia_Wik
Facebook: @OliviaWikMusic
Twitter: @OliviaWik
neillfrazer@hotmail.com
