With little to do during the COVID outbreak, Vernon singer-songwriter Olivia Penalva began learning about the meeting application Zoom.
For recording artists, there was a lot of uncertainty initially about Zoom and what it would look like. As Penalva points out, the personal element of recording is so important and you can feel the emotions and moods in the studio, which isn’t really possible through a computer or phone screen.
She also decided that the pandemic was a good time to write. And she did. A lot.
“I wrote nonstop. It was a nice way to pass the time,” said Penalva, now 24.
She shook off writer’s block and created Spiderwebs, her first full-length album, which will be released on May 10th via all streaming options.
“Spiderwebs” is a captivating collection of 11 songs that takes the listener on an emotional journey through the highs and lows of love and self-discovery, offering undeniable earworms throughout.
From the consequences of toxic relationships to the pain of unrequited love and the search for self-acceptance, each track addresses the complexity of human connection through Penalva’s powerful vocals and catchy lyrics.
The first title track of the album and the outstanding first single, Spider websis an emotional and melodic pop-dance track that describes the loss of a sense of identity in a relationship.
“It’s a personal song and one of the later songs I wrote during the pandemic, but I knew I wanted to share it. I loved it,” Penalva said. The problem was that at the time of completion, she was working on another project with her former record label and the song would not be included in that project.
But when the record label was dissolved, she took the opportunity to release the song she really wanted to share with the world.
“When I started working with the label, I liked all the other songs too, but ‘Spiderwebs’ was the one that best fit what I was going through at that stage of my life and where my music was headed after that, so I decided to go in that direction,” Penalva said.
The 11 songs on Spiderwebs are the result of feelings and experiences that she and people close to her have lived through. There are many darker themes, but these reflect her emotions and the state of the world.
“Life is not perfect, it’s not all sunshine and roses,” said Penalva. “Life is hard. We experience complicated emotions, and that was the direction behind this whole project.”
She is absolutely satisfied with the final product.
The album was produced by Ryan Stewart, a multi-platinum and Juno Award-winning producer/songwriter, mixer and multi-instrumentalist. He has worked with artists such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Simple Plan and Smash Mouth and has written and produced numerous #1 and Top 10 Gold and Platinum singles and albums. The album was recorded at Stewart’s The WineCellar studio in North Vancouver.
Penalva said Stewart’s work “made the project even better.”
“He pushes you to stand by your art or try something new,” she said.
The next step is to take the songs out into the world and perform live again.
Although she doesn’t have any dates booked at the moment, Penalva wants to get her album and songs out there as much as possible.
“I’m definitely going to be nervous about performing live again,” she said. “I did a few shows during COVID, but I was singing behind plexiglass. I’m really excited to perform again, see the audience and their reactions and how they respond to the music.”
Since releasing her debut single at age 13, Penalva has evolved into a versatile artist and songwriter. With more than 25 million streams and multiple top 20 radio hits, she is one of Canada’s rising pop stars.
In 2021, Penalva secured a top 20 spot on Canadian radio for her hit single Love me which then became the second most played song on CHR Mediabase. Her next single,Ex’s, It also reached the top 20 at CHR and Hot AC radio in Canada and marked Penalva’s foray into US radio, where it earned her a spot in the top 50 on mainstream pop radio stations.
