Ep. 226: Olivia Dean | The Art of Loving (and Finding Yourself)

Today's guest is an international soul sensation...From writing “The Hardest Part” on Zoom to conquering imposter syndrome, crafting hits like "Dive" and "Man I Need," and creating her acclaimed album The Art of Loving.. She is on a meteoric rise in music.We discuss raw stories of heartbreak, growth, the magic of songwriting.. and how she learned to protect her voice in a room and write music that actually feels like her.And The Writer Is...Olivia Dean!Whether you're a songwriter, fan, or music lover, this episode is packed with inspiration, laughs, and behind-the-scenes gems.Presented by NMPA..The National Music Publisher's Association. Championing songwriters everywhere.Thank you to our sponsors!Co-presented by Splice.The best music sample library in music.CHAPTERS:00:00 – Welcome to the Soul01:50 – “I Still Feel So British”03:00 – First Trip to L.A. (With No GPS or Plan)04:00 – Learning to Trust Her Own Taste07:40 – When Artists Had Time to Be Bad08:30 – Making Meaningful Music in a Chart World09:20 – “I Don’t Write Every Day”13:35 – Disney, West Side Story, and Other Early Teachers15:50 – The First Song: “Mean Boy”17:05 – Parents Who Said Yes17:20 – The BRIT School Plan20:05 – Busking, Best Friends, and the Birth of a Band22:15 – The First Show: 70 Tickets, 10 People on Stage23:40 – Signing Her First Deal25:00 – The Studio Explosion (Her Worst Song Story)27:00 – Surviving the Rooms29:15 – How the Best Songs Are Written30:45 – The Yellow Van Tour (COVID-Era Reinvention)31:30 – “OK Love You Bye” — The First Song That Felt Free34:00 – From 70 Fans to 100 Million Streams36:00 – It Takes a Village (and a Lot of Gratitude)39:00 – “The Hardest Part” — The Song She Hated (That Changed Everything)40:00 – The Take That Hurts Is the Take That Wins43:20 – NMPA Ad Read44:05 – Splice Ad Read47:45 – Crying on the Studio Floor48:00 – “Dive” — When the World Started Singing Back51:40 – Being a Woman Who Writes (and Plays)53:10 – The Anatomy of a Song56:25 – “I Don’t Write Lies”57:35 – “The Art of Loving” — How the Album Was Born1:00:15 – What Love Actually Taught Her1:01:35 – Making Time for Love Anyway1:02:55 – Ross’s Mirror Moment1:04:30 – Learning to Sit in Silence1:05:45 – The Weight of Words1:06:30 – Being HeardAnd The Writer Is...Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London and Jad Saad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.