Charmingly candid and tenderly sincere modern folks artist Olive Klug displays on the creation of their debut album ‘Don’t You Dare Make Me Jaded,’ the cycle of self discovery, and lyric-forward music.

‘Don’t You Dare Make Me Jaded’ – Olive Klug

I believe that the factor that ties all of them thematically and sonically collectively is that this story of coming into myself. I name it a late in life coming of age.

Contemporary folks artist and “twenty-something teenager” Olive Klug is making waves with their whimsically nostalgic instrumentation and tender and poignant lyricism of their debut album, Don’t You Dare Make Me Jaded. Klug has been sharing their uncooked, story-driven music since 2019 changing into the voice for all of the tender hearted and deeply reflective folks lovers.

Amassing 8 million streams on tracks like “Raining In June” and a pair of.5M likes on their TikTok, Klug has discovered nice success while exploring the depths of their thoughts, discussing every thing from childhood nostalgia to self discovery, to grueling heartbreak of their music. Launched on August eleventh through Nettwerk Music Group, Klug’s debut album creates a wealthy and various soundscape taking listeners on a journey from Klug’s very personal yard in “Casting Spells” all the best way to Catalina Island in “Ghosts of Avalon.”

Don’t You Dare Make Me Jaded depicts an arc of self discovery because the opening observe of the album “Faking It” states:

No there’s not sufficient home windows there’s not sufficient time
There’s an individual who hates me inside my thoughts
Who’s repeating the identical drained line you don’t deserve the gold
And I would like a clear slate so I arrange a date and
I wait and I wait and I wait and
I wait and I wait until it’s far too late to get able to go
If that is it
It don’t match
However I’ll develop into it
If that is actual why do I really feel like I’m faking it

Whereas the closing observe on the album “Taking Up House” sings a unique tune:

I hit all-time low
Then one thing simply clicked
And now I’m choking on the leftovers of the child I was
And I really feel sick

It’s a apply
Taking on house
I’ll drive the automobile within the quick lane
At my very own tempo
I’ll minimize the curtains
However you already know I’ll depart the drapes
And I’ll begin to like staring on the crooked smile by myself face

While Klug acknowledges “development is completely not linear” they offer listeners the chance to expertise this development from the start of the album to its shut. The singer/songwriter sat down with Atwood Journal to have a candid dialog about rising up, self discovery and taking on house.

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A CONVERSATION WITH OLIVE KLUG

Atwood Journal: For the uninitiated, who’s Olive Klug? And what music do you make?

Olive Klug: Ooh, okay. Who am I? That’s the query I’ve been attempting to reply, I assume. I really feel like I’ve a lyric about that. Like, what’s my lyric? Gimme a sec. I have to know what my lyrics are.

*laughs* Be happy to hunt, I promise I will not ask you to cite any extra of your lyrics!

Klug: No, I believe it’s humorous. I prefer to quote my very own lyrics. Right here! “They are saying simply be your self/ However they overlook that order’s tall/ I’m nonetheless looking for it.” That’s my quote from “Self Assist.” I don’t know who I’m, I’m nonetheless attempting to determine that out however I assume I can speak about my music. I make folks singer songwriter music. I make it fairly easy. I believe that a number of instances there’s this stress in music to do one thing actually groundbreaking or completely different, or experimental and I’m like, I don’t make experimental music, I make folks singer songwriter music about my direct expertise and I believe that that’s actually cool.

I really like that you simply embrace that directness! A lot of your music facilities round simply your vocals and your guitar or piano. What about that, very stripped again, direct manner of creating music speaks to you?

Klug: It’s at all times been my favourite sort of music. I’ve at all times listened to music, for the melody, however primarily for the lyrics. The lyrics paired with a extremely good melody, is what makes it so cathartic and is what permits folks to actually really feel their emotions by music and course of their emotions by music. In order that’s actually necessary to me, with the ability to hear and really feel the singer and the author’s expertise and feelings by songs. In order that’s what has at all times known as to me and so lots of my favourite artists have an identical fashion.

I believe lyric ahead artists are a world on their very own. Who’re some lyricists that encourage you?

Klug: My favourite lyricists are, undoubtedly Adrianne Lenker! I believe that she is a tremendous lyricist. I’ve been listening to Vampire Empire for the previous three days, on repeat. Like I’ve not listened to the rest.

Similar right here! I obtained a notification saying I listened to it twelve instances in a row.

Klug: Superb! I believe persons are giving them a lot shit about it. And it’s actually making me unhappy, as a result of I actually appreciated the model that they launched. She’s simply a tremendous lyricist and I really feel like she will be able to do that basically, actually, intimate, stripped again sort of music. After which she will be able to additionally do a rock music very well and it’s so inspiring. She’s so cool. She’s truly one among my favorites proper now. I even have been obsessive about Joni Mitchell since I used to be a child. And so she’s one other one that basically conjures up me.

Talking of your individual lyrics, you could have so many memorable lyrics all through the LP however what’s it about “Don’t You Dare Make Me Jaded” that triggered you to have or not it’s the title of your debut album?

Klug: I knew I wished to make my LP title a lyric from the album and never a music from the album. There are such a lot of of my favourite albums which can be only a music title. However I believe that selecting one music might be like, “Oh, that is the massive music of the album.” I simply don’t suppose that that’s true for any of the songs on this [album.] However I wished to discover a lyric that I felt summed up the time in my life that I wrote these songs. I’m 26 now however I wrote a number of the songs in earlier maturity from once I was like 23 and 24. And that was additionally in the course of the later elements of the pandemic and I simply felt like there was a number of stuff happening on the planet in my very own life that had the flexibility to make me very jaded and make me very closed off and make me very pessimistic concerning the world. And I believe that, who I’m as an individual, I attempted to rise above that feeling and stay open and stay optimistic and keep my childlike spirit, regardless of all of that stuff that was sort of coming my manner and attempting to make me jaded. And in order that line, I selected that as a result of I believe that’s what a number of these songs are about, the response to the world and never changing into jaded and closed off. However to be like, Don’t you dare make me jaded, I’m going to maintain these spirits about me and stay optimistic.

I believe that is a extremely profound manner of placing it. I believe you do that basically properly all through the LP and also you discover that childhood innocence and pleasure. Do you’re feeling as if that exploration of adolescents is what hyperlinks the 11 tracks of the album? And did you discover there was a distinction between placing out singles and placing out one cohesive album?

Klug: I’ve by no means performed this earlier than. I’ve by no means put out an album earlier than! I put out an EP once I was actually younger. However that had no intention in any respect behind how the songs went collectively. It was only a mixture of ‘these are my favourite songs I’ve written previously couple of years.’ I believe that the factor that ties all of them thematically and sonically collectively is that this story of coming into myself. I name it a late in life coming of age , as a result of it’s not highschool or school. And I believe that’s often what folks consider after they consider coming of age. However I believe there’s a really particular coming of age that occurs if you’re in your early 20s. I say this rather a lot however if you arrive within the driver’s seat of your individual life, and also you get to make all your individual selections. It’s like, ‘Oh, my God, that is so scary. I’ve to make all my very own selections. I’m answerable for every thing.’

I believe a number of the songs are about that. And even the songs which can be about relationships, they’re concerning the necessary relationships that form us into the individual that we’re. And a number of them are concerning the acceptance of how the relationships have developed, as a substitute of longing and attempting to get them again or being indignant on the individual. I’ve one music, “Ghost of Avalon,” and [another] known as “Do You Consider Us?” and so they’re each about folks that I used to like and accepting that these folks aren’t essentially in my life in the identical capability anymore however recognizing the significance that I nonetheless love them. These songs are about relationships but in addition are associated to this normal theme of coming of age coming into your self acceptance. My last music on the album is named “Taking Up House” and I actually love that that’s the final message as a result of I begin out the album being actually unsure about myself and feeling impostor syndrome. After which I come to the top, and I’m like, “I’m going to say who I’m and I’m going to say my house on the planet.” I believe that that’s the journey of the album.

I really like the way you’re redefining the approaching of age to be that early 20s. I believe there’s such a terrific analysis of what rising into your self means. “Out of Line” and “Coming of Age” are so fascinating to place again to again. I really feel “Out of Line” embraces these extra infantile tendencies and appears for the childhood surprise and magic in life however coming of age discusses the frustration of feeling like a ‘20-something teenager.’ How do you’re feeling about strolling that line between the 2?

Klug: I really feel very fortunate to do the job that I do, as a result of it’s so completely different than what a number of my mates are doing. I get to be a “26 yr previous teenager” in a manner that a number of my mates don’t get to be. As a result of capitalism desires most individuals to repress their emotions and never really feel them and never take into consideration them however with a purpose to become profitable, I’ve to consider my emotions, I’ve to mirror and be nostalgic and be actually indulgent in my emotions in a manner that I don’t suppose I used to be in a position to once I was in highschool in school. And in order that’s actually cool!

I really like the best way you discover feelings by these 11 tracks. However have been there any songs that did not make the minimize for what you have been attempting to do thematically?

Klug: The album got here collectively as I used to be recording it. So I didn’t determine forward of time, which I really feel like is what lots of people do. But it surely all simply sort of got here collectively… I believe one music that was attention-grabbing. I wrote “Tune About America” fairly lately. And it’s very particular to a political time and a time in my life that wasn’t essentially associated to the time in my life that I wrote all these 11 songs on the album. I actually wished to launch this music and I believe it’s necessary that it will get out on the planet, however I made a decision that I don’t need it to be on the album. And that was a harder final minute choice. That one’s simply gonna be a standalone single and isn’t going to be on the album. However I believe it’s simply navigating the world of being on a label whereas being an individual who makes final minute selections. […] I added a music final minute, which I believe was an attention-grabbing factor. There’s a music known as “second opinion” that I wrote extra lately. However I really feel prefer it matches properly with the a part of the journey that’s the starting of the album. It was a time once I felt actually disconnected from my sense of self. And I really feel like all of us get existential.

It was simply that second the place you’re trying within the mirror and also you’re trying round your house and also you’re like, “Who is that this individual? Who am I? How did I make all these selections which have led me to this place? I don’t really feel like myself. And I simply really feel so disconnected from who I’m.” I put that in the direction of the start of the album as a result of I believe it’s like the opposite much less foolish aspect of “Faking It” the place I’m like, “Oh, I don’t know what I’m doing, what’s happening?” And right here I’m like, “No, severely, I really don’t know who I’m.” I wrote it throughout the final yr and added it on the final minute.

I believe it is good to have either side of this journey as a result of the arrogance in tracks like “Taking Up House” in comparison with this could coexist and I believe you depict that.

Klug: Undoubtedly. Progress is completely not linear. I made it linear on this album however I wrote “Taking Up House” earlier than I wrote “Second Opinion.” So I wasn’t like, “Oh, I’ve arrived at this place. And that is how I really feel on a regular basis now.”

I believe you would hearken to this album on a loop and it restructures itself in a way.

Klug: Yeah, undoubtedly!

All through the LP I really like using sound textures. You utilize grainy, muted tones with the opening observe, and you’ve got like a movie whirring in “Parched” and birds chirping on “Casting Spells.” What was the inspiration behind constructing out these soundscapes for listeners to actually really feel such as you’re within the room with them?

Klug: That’s superior! I actually recognize that go with. That’s one thing fairly necessary to me within the recording course of; permitting issues to really feel such as you’re within the room with me, permitting issues to not really feel good or overly clear. I believe that when manufacturing takes all of the imperfections and the entire pure sounding components out of a observe, it can also take the emotion and the rawness of the observe. So I actually wished to take care of that feeling and never simply have clear guitar tracks and clear vocal tracks. I wished to create soundscapes and wished to create the sensation that we have been exterior, hanging out.  Quite a lot of what impressed me to try this was that I began on TikTok and among the pure sounds that ended up making their manner into my TikToks made that particular recording so particular. So I wished to include that. I talked about this with my producer just a little bit and he was like, “yeah, there’s a top quality in iPhone recordings that I truly discover actually exhausting to seize with actually fancy microphones.” and I completely agree. There’s one thing particular concerning the imperfections of an iPhone mic, there’s on faking it. We truly layered an actual mic with an iPhone mic to create a soundscape that felt actual.

I really like that you simply speak about how scientific recording can sound and it being one thing you are actively working in opposition to. I believe typically singers can deal with a technically good vocal efficiency reasonably than a uncooked, emotion stuffed one. I am simply curious, if leaning into emotion over technical perfection is one thing you deal with?

Klug: I undoubtedly wish to lean into the uncooked emotion. I do suppose I’m sort of a perfectionist in terms of vocals, although, so it’s exhausting to reconcile these two issues. I do know what my good vocal efficiency seems like however I additionally wish to have the feelings right here. […] I used to do musical theater and folks would at all times inform me like “Cease specializing in the vocal efficiency, focus in your feelings” And I used to be like, “I do know, however I additionally wish to sound fairly!” So balancing these two issues might be actually exhausting and I believe I’m nonetheless working in the direction of discovering the proper stability.

As somebody who additionally did musical theater I believe your vocal tone has a particular high quality that prioritizes rawness reasonably than that technical perfection. A minimum of from a listener’s ear.

Klug: I believe musical theater influences my writing and my music a lot. So there’s no approach to actually separate that from the best way that I write and carry out. And there was some time the place I used to be sort of embarrassed about it however now I do know that’s completely who I’m. And I believe that’s completely why a number of the individuals who hearken to my music get pleasure from my music, as a result of it has these components of theater truthfully.

I wished to ask you concerning the little campfire chant in the direction of the top of “Out Of Line.” What was the story behind that?

Klug: I used to be on tour with Odie Leigh and Kevin Atwater final June. I hadn’t recorded the music but and Odie was doing all these sing-alongs with [their songs] I used to be like “That’s so enjoyable!I wish to sing alongside!” However I didn’t know what music to do a sing together with as a result of I don’t do a number of repeating strains.I really feel like I simply have so many lyrics in my songs. However the final a part of “Out of Line” is enjoyable and folks can actually sing alongside and it’s foolish! I did it as soon as on the present in DC and it was so enjoyable! And it made your entire expertise completely different. It jogged my memory of once I was a camp counselor, and we’d educate songs to youngsters, it was simply a lot enjoyable to listen to everyone singing it again. A pair months later, I went into the studio to file it and I used to be like “Now we have to have the massive gang vocal for that half.”

It’s probably not a music about me essentially, it’s extra of a group music. I’m inviting everyone to be this fashion and to disregard the principles. So I believe it was solely becoming that I had a gaggle singing with me. In order that group is my producer, Ehren Ebbage and some mates who simply occur to be in Eugene, Oregon. So Philip Farrington and Georgia Parker, who’re additionally musicians, got here into the studio. […] But it surely was all musicians who have been doing it and at first, I used to be like, “They sound too good. They sound too good.” And I used to be like, “It’s important to do that such as you’re drunk, fake you’re 4, 5 drinks in and also you’re at like a bar. And also you’re actually excited to be singing alongside to the music.” And that modified every thing! I used to be like “sound worse, sound deliberately unhealthy.” And it made it so a lot better. And when you pay attention actually intently, you may hear that Philip  does, some little screams and laughs and stuff… You simply should be as foolish as you may with it. As a result of that’s what creates a particular feeling once I carry out it dwell.

That’s so beautiful! Talking of these ‘lightning in a bottle’ moments on the album, are there some other moments that basically stood out to you whereas creating this LP?

Klug: I wrote “Coming of Age,” and it was one other a kind of viral web songs that I used to be like, “Oh I’ve to file this.” I imply, as a small artist, if one thing goes viral, it’s a must to simply capitalize on that second, until you actually hate the music. I believe there are people who find themselves actually in opposition to that, I do know Lizzie McAlpine is like “I’m by no means going to file “You Ruined The 1975.” And I’m like “Hear, that’s nice for you, however you’re well-known.” I would like to have a look at this as a enterprise and I’m simply responding to what persons are requesting of me as a result of I have to do my factor. Until I actually hate the music, which there’s a few songs that I haven’t recorded simply because they’re not me.

However the response to “Coming of Age,” was so big and it match the theme of my album. However at first I didn’t prefer it. It was so tacky and I used to be embarrassed by among the lyrics and I felt prefer it was too pop-y. So I went into the studio, and I used to be like, “I wish to file this music, […] And I had an concept that I wished a sort of pop manufacturing. I appreciated the idea but it surely simply wasn’t working. […] I went dwelling and the very first thing that got here on once I obtained into the automobile was folks punk. I’m an enormous folks punk fan! The Mountain Goats, Apes of the State, Kimya Dawson, Pigeon Pit. The music that got here on was an Apes of the States music known as “Invoice Collectors theme Tune” and it was all about being an indignant twenty-something who doesn’t know what to do. And I used to be like, “Oh, shit. That is the vibe of this music” and I had that lightbulb second within the automobile. I used to be like, “It’s not a pop music, it’s a self ironic folks punk music, that’s what it’s!” I went dwelling, wrote a second verse that I cherished, wrote this bridge that was actually indignant and I got here into the studio the subsequent day with a very new perspective. Having that second of remodeling this music I felt was sort of tacky and discovering what it was speculated to be was such a enjoyable second. And once we recorded it, it simply got here out so seamlessly.

That’s such an superior journey! I wished to speak concerning the observe “Ghost of Avalon” subsequent, it was one among my favourite tracks. But it surely begins off with this old skool recording: what’s the story behind it?

Klug: Oh my God, okay, sure! Catalina Island’s primary city is named Avalon. And the individual that I wrote this about has all these footage of them in Avalon posing subsequent to those indicators. […] So I regarded up all of those tourism movies from the city and I discovered one from the 40s. And I had all these loopy moments the place I used to be like we should always incorporate that clip to start with and we should always  movie a music video on Catalina Island and make it look all previous timey! I used to be simply tremendous enthusiastic about that concept. […] All of my inspirations for the manufacturing on [Ghost of Avalon] have been Simon and Garfunkel and Judee Sill, older singer-songwriter stuff and this previous previous timey discovered sound. I simply wished to make it sound like a 70s folks music. And so I used to be like, “If we’re doing a number of classic inspiration, it will be cool to have this different classic soundscape in there.”

I believe it was so superior. And I believe that it aligns with the message of the music, the connection is classic and nostalgic in some senses. You had an identical message with “Do You Consider Us?” as properly. You’re taking such a young outlook on how these relationships impacted you as an individual. What was the method of reckoning with these relationships and making it right into a observe others are listening to and relating?

Klug: It’s nonetheless actually bizarre to write down songs about folks and it’s actually tough typically. The best way that I have a look at issues as an artist is so completely different than how I have a look at issues as an emotional one who has relationships. […] I have a look at the songs from the attitude of an artist and a enterprise individual and I’m like “These are good songs, I did job writing these songs, folks will just like the songs, this matches on the album this fashion.” After which have a very completely different [reaction] as an emotional being who has relationships.

I wish to speak concerning the closing observe, “Taking Up House.” I believe it is such a robust observe to finish the album on and it is by far one among my favorites. I believe so usually, as queer folks, we’re informed to choke down feedback and reduce ourselves. I really like your response to that therapy being “I’m gonna plant each ft on the bottom/ I’m taking it in, I’m letting it go/ I’m taking on house” How is it attending to that therapeutic mindset after which conveying it to different folks?

Klug: Yeah, I believe that attending to that place was actually exhausting. And I don’t at all times really feel like I’m at that place. One in all my favourite lyrics in that music is “I’m choking on the leftovers of the child I was” that was one of many first lyrics [I wrote]. I used to be a extremely shy, awkward child and I wasn’t very assured. I used to be at all times the child that obtained bullied as a result of I’m a really smooth individual. Then once I obtained to center faculty and highschool I attempted to adapt and play that recreation as a result of I used to be afraid of being bullied. So I didn’t actually come into myself till I obtained to school. However nonetheless I struggled to really feel like I deserved to take up house and should be the place I used to be and I’ve imposter’s syndrome, particularly with music. As a result of I don’t actually know music concept. And I didn’t go to Berklee Faculty of Music. So I don’t know a number of that stuff that lots of people who don’t even have as a lot success as me do…

I really feel like I grew up believing all this stuff about myself and attempting to make myself small for different folks. And now that I’m on this place, the place it’s actually required of me to take up house, make selections for my artwork, take movies of my face and say, “Take a look at my face, hearken to my music.” It’s actually exhausting and actually weak. And it’s been so tough for me to be like, “I deserve this. I should be right here. I should take up house on this world.”

The previous yr studying the music trade has been actually exhausting and interacting with all these random 40-year-old males who run the trade has been actually exhausting as a result of I’ve to say myself and my opinions and my music as worthy. It’s so fucking exhausting and it’s actually completely different than something I’ve ever performed… I really feel like a unique individual got here into my physique and wrote the refrain being like, “I’m taking on house, I can do that, eff off I’m believing in myself and I deserve this.” As a result of I believe I’m nonetheless actually working in the direction of that. It’s virtually an aspirational music… it’s nonetheless a course of for positive.

Following the discharge of your album on August eleventh, what else have you ever obtained happening?

Klug: I’m happening a headline tour, which I’m actually enthusiastic about. I’m doing a present in London and Dublin. And I’m doing a present in Cork, Eire, which is a really random city. After which I’m doing a West Coast tour as properly. San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, arising in September. So I’d actually like to see folks there. And I’m bringing a band, which is basically thrilling. I’m simply so excited to journey with my mates. And yeah, y’all ought to come to my exhibits as a result of they’re gonna be actually enjoyable!

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