Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another edition
of Skip Happens.
My name is Ski Clark, of course,and your host, and welcome to a
special uh pop-up episode ofSkip Happens.
Every now and then we get thechance to sit down with someone
whose story is built on grit,heart, and uh Western spirit.
You're gonna love this.
(00:21):
Uh, country music was founded onall of that, and tonight is one
of those nights.
Our guest has competed, correctme if I'm wrong, on national
television.
She's been honored by Cowgirlmagazine.
She has carried the traditionsof Western life into every
single song that she sits downand writes.
(00:42):
And uh her journey is full ofchallenges, victories, and a
whole lot of fame.
And her music reflects all ofit.
She's the real deal.
And uh, we're gonna get rightinto it.
Uh, please welcome singer,songwriter, Olivia Harms to the
Skip Happens Podcast.
Olivia, it's so good to have youhere tonight.
How are you?
SPEAKER_01 (01:00):
Oh my gosh, I'm good.
Skip, thank you so much forhaving me.
This is gonna be so fun.
SPEAKER_00 (01:04):
We're gonna have a we're gonna have a good time.
First of all, right off the top,where are you?
SPEAKER_01 (01:08):
I am actually in my home.
I just got home uh just a coupledays ago, but I'm in northern
California.
SPEAKER_00 (01:13):
Oh, holy crap!
SPEAKER_01 (01:15):
I know, I'm like worlds away from you.
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
You're like, what's that, three hours?
So it's I think so.
SPEAKER_01 (01:20):
Yeah, it's only five here.
SPEAKER_00 (01:21):
We got all night ahead of us, and we're on the
east coast, so it's eighto'clock here.
SPEAKER_01 (01:25):
So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:26):
Now I get I thought, oh, maybe she's in Nashville,
maybe she's in Texas, you know,one or two hours behind.
I had no idea that you wereactually in California.
SPEAKER_01 (01:35):
So I know I'm a West Coast girl, man.
And uh, even though I do love myNashville and I love my Texas,
I'm a West Coast girl.
SPEAKER_00 (01:43):
There you go.
Well, when you say West Coast,what's the name of the town?
Where are you?
SPEAKER_01 (01:47):
Um, we are in a tiny town.
So uh I moved to Californiabecause of my husband.
I got myself a Californiacowboy, and our town is called
Vina.
I'm sure you never heard of itbecause it's about 175 people.
Uh it's small, it's small.
There's way more cows than thereare people in our town, Skip.
SPEAKER_00 (02:07):
So that Olivia, let me ask you this before we get
into the heart of this wholepodcast here.
If I was to, you know, to driveinto your town, what's the first
thing I'm gonna see?
Is there uh even a Chick-fil-Aor is there a Buckeys or
anything?
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
I ain't no Chick-fil-A, but you know, like
any good cowboy small town, wedo have a steakhouse.
Okay.
Uh, and so we could get you agood steak, and then um to
another one of my favoritethings, we have a winery.
So we've got a steakhouse, awinery, and then a little
convenience shop and a postoffice, and that pretty much
sums up our town.
Yeah, that's it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
That's all you need.
Well, I mean, you gotta have alittle uh you gotta have a
grocery store.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
Yeah, we get the convenience.
I wouldn't say that if you needanything other than maybe like
the limited essentials, I thinkthen you should probably try to
drive into like Chico or or RedBluff, and those are each like
20-30 minutes away.
SPEAKER_00 (02:57):
I was gonna ask which way, probably in each
direction, depending on what youfeel like doing.
SPEAKER_01 (03:01):
That's right, wherever you want to point the
rig.
SPEAKER_00 (03:03):
Yeah, for anyone discovering you uh for the first
time, how would you describe whoOlivia Harms is?
SPEAKER_01 (03:10):
Well, you know, I grew up on a ranch in Oregon, so
that's where I'm originallyfrom.
The ranch has been in my familysince 1872, so 150 years.
So all my ancestors, you know,everybody that I grew up with,
we all have uh this deepranching in our veins because
it's what we've done forevercow, calf, beef, cattle, you
know, we make the steaks.
And uh I grew up like that.
(03:32):
My mom is a wonderful musician,so I grew up with like the
ranching and the music, and thenno wonder I turned into a
country western musician myself.
So I think you take all of thatand you mix it with the fact
that I lived in Nashville forthree years.
I pursued songwriting and themusic business in Nashville, and
COVID shut me down there, so Iwent back to the ranch, and then
I got tired of sitting in Oregonbecause love the West Coast, but
(03:55):
they weren't the first to recoupafter COVID and open their
doors.
So then I said, Well, heck withthat, I'll go down to Texas, and
so then I lived in Fort Worth,Texas for uh four or five years.
Yep, big town, big town.
They love real honky tonk musicthere.
Um, and then you know, now I'min California, so you mix the
honky tonk, the cowboys, alittle bit of like the West
(04:16):
Coast Bakersfield and Nashvilletogether, and you get Olivia
Harms.
SPEAKER_00 (04:19):
So, where did you meet your uh California cowboy?
SPEAKER_01 (04:23):
I met him at a music festival.
You know, where else does themusician meet her husband?
SPEAKER_00 (04:27):
I guess I I mean, does he have anything to do with
your band or his anything likethat?
No, not at all.
SPEAKER_01 (04:33):
He is he's as man as they come.
He's uh he's a cowboy himself,so we have uh a ranching
operation here in NorthernCalifornia, and then he has a
welding business, so he buildsflatbeds and bumpers, and yep,
he's all boy.
SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
I love that.
So your mom is that is it Joni?
Joni, Joni, and she's in thecountry music hall of fame.
She is how cool is that?
SPEAKER_01 (04:56):
It's so cool.
I mean, I'm really lucky to havehad her, she's been such an
inspiration, and a lot of timespeople will say, Well, how was
that?
Well, did you feel a lot ofpressure with having a very
successful musical mama, or didshe push you into it, or you
know, I'll get questions likethat, and it's it's totally the
opposite.
I've been so fortunate to haveher and have like a sounding
board whenever I have new musicor need advice, or even when
(05:17):
I've been going through thingsin my career, whether they're
good or bad, she really knowsexactly what I'm going through
because she'd been there.
SPEAKER_00 (05:25):
And how that it's gonna make it so easy, you know
what I mean?
Just to have somebody to fallback on like that, that can at
least maybe point you in theright direction or give you some
good advice, especiallyabsolutely, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:36):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, she's not only my mom,she's like, you know, the
greatest advice, like you say.
Because if you're saying, Mom,what am I gonna do?
Am I gonna where do I choose toto invest my money next since
I'm an independent artist?
Or or what do I do, you know,with this song?
Maybe I I feel like it needs togo somewhere.
She really gets it, she trulydoes because she's lived it.
SPEAKER_00 (05:58):
Absolutely.
Um, Olivia, when was the momentthat you knew music wasn't just
something you loved, butsomething you had to go after?
SPEAKER_01 (06:06):
You know, I wish I had a great memory of that
because my very first show wasactually two days old.
Uh, my mom was playing at thePortland Speedway, and she was
supposed to share the stage withClint Black, Ricky Skags, Laurie
Morgan, all these great countrymusic artists.
And uh, she was due with me, andI hadn't arrived yet.
So she goes into her doctor,who's luckily a country music
(06:27):
fan, and she said, Look, doc, Igotta have this kid so I don't
miss the gig.
And sure enough, that's what hesaid, all right, you come in,
we'll induce labor.
You get the kid on the ground,and my two days later.
Yeah, two days later.
She's like, Look what I did theother day.
So that's crazy.
Yeah, I mean, I wish I had likea distinct memory of knowing
that this is what I was put onearth to do, but I really just
(06:49):
grew up around it.
I went on the road with her.
I remember singing I Wanna Be aCowboy Sweetheart, probably at
like three or four years old.
I just loved it.
And I always like saw how happyshe was able to make people and
have people say, Joni, my one ofmy family members just passed
and sing you here tonight orthis song that you wrote, you've
helped me through such a hardtime, and you know, see them
(07:12):
just connect with music and itbrings them joy.
And I thought, boy, the world'sa hard enough place as it is.
If I can make someone happy,then I'll that's what I want to
do.
SPEAKER_00 (07:20):
There you go.
And I mean, do you have picturesof uh does your mom have like a
photo album and and there she isholding you on stage?
And look, say, look what poppedout of me two days ago, and here
I am on the stage.
SPEAKER_01 (07:31):
Straight out of the shoot, yeah.
She does.
She's she's like, Yeah, you wereyou didn't have a choice, you
just wrong with me.
SPEAKER_00 (07:37):
So awesome.
I didn't know that.
That is so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (07:40):
She's she's a tough cookie, if you will.
I love it.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (07:45):
Do you um do you get back to Nashville very often?
SPEAKER_01 (07:49):
I do.
I try to spend a lot of timethere.
You know, it's been a little bitsparse over the last couple
years, but in 2025, I've beenable to spend a bunch of time
there.
I've already got a trip plannedfor 2026 in January.
Um, so there's there's still alot of things that I go to
Nashville for.
Some of the best songwriters arethere, the best recording
producers, all of that, andthat's really where the industry
(08:10):
is.
So, you know, I've never had themindset that I don't want to be
involved in Nashville.
It's just you got to get there,and my life hasn't allowed to be
a good idea.
SPEAKER_00 (08:17):
No, I totally get it.
I totally get that.
SPEAKER_01 (08:19):
Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (08:20):
Have you been to CRS at all?
The country radio seminar.
See, that's in March.
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
I know.
I it's on my bucket list.
So I've really should go.
SPEAKER_00 (08:29):
But uh, you know, you you're already a step ahead
from uh a lot of others.
Of course, you've been doingthis for a little bit as well,
but uh definitely it would be toyour advantage to go.
SPEAKER_01 (08:39):
I mean, it's on my bucket list.
I'd I'd love to go, so maybeI'll have to make that happen
this year.
SPEAKER_00 (08:44):
Yeah, tell me about uh the television, uh national
TV.
That that's that's a massivestage.
And uh crazy.
What was going through your headthe very first time you stepped
on that?
SPEAKER_01 (08:56):
Uh I couldn't I couldn't believe it was real,
you know, like it was such ashock, anyways.
Uh, I did an audition for it.
I didn't know that the show waseven a thing.
So then to basically get a coldcall from Taylor Sheridan is
what happened to me and say, Doyou think you'd be interested in
a show I'm putting together withBlake Shelton?
(09:18):
I'd like to get you in touchwith my casting producers.
And so one thing led to another.
And sure, then you know I'm onthis stage with 11 amazing
country musicians and openingfor Keith Urban.
And I mean, just pinching myselfreally and counting my blessings
that I somehow was able to getrecruited and cast because, like
I said, it wasn't an auditionprocess.
(09:38):
They sought out 12 out of theUnited States and said, We think
you're all right.
You want to come be on the show?
I know.
SPEAKER_00 (09:44):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:45):
Like, I don't know.
I'm eventually gonna wake upfrom this dream and realize you
don't want to wake up.
SPEAKER_00 (09:50):
No, you're not gonna wake up.
Just keep it going, baby.
You know, um, has television uhdid it teach you any lessons
about uh, you know, the rest ofthe industry can't, you know, TV
does certain things, and beingon that side of it, has that
taught you any lessons?
SPEAKER_01 (10:06):
You know, I think that I was very authentic the
whole time that I I was on TVor, you know, while they were
filming, and that was my biggestgoal was to just be totally
authentic and who I am, and youknow, unapologetically so.
And so I think the best thing Ilearned from it is that I'm glad
I did that.
I'm glad and I think I need todo more of that because I think
watching it back, watching whatthe producers and you know the
(10:30):
film crew were able to capture.
I think some of the moments thatthat fans have connected to the
most have been the ones where Ikind of was like, oh, I can't
believe I said that, or oh,that, you know, that might have
been a little bit um just tooreal because sometimes in this
industry you feel like you needto put on a show or you know,
just be put together or be theentertainer all the time and
(10:51):
maybe not show weakness or youknow, the the parts of us that
are a little quirky.
And uh it was really neat to seethat I think people relate to
real, authentic, you know, notnot always put together, not TV
ready more than than we imagine.
SPEAKER_00 (11:07):
This is a skip happens and it happens.
So it totally does the more realthat you can be, the more people
are gonna love it, and they'regonna get just like me.
She's just well, you know what Imean?
SPEAKER_01 (11:20):
I think I think the best thing that I ended up
saying on TV was uh, you know,Blake Shalton was asking me
about ranching, and I said, Yes,I I still do, you know,
production egg, and you know, westill raise beef cattle.
And then he said, Do you workthe cows or do you just live
there?
And I said, No, I work, and youknow, when we do brandings or
we're processing or whatever, Iusually have a job and most of
(11:42):
the time I'm on the vaccine gun.
Um, but once in a while they doput me to work and I have done
other things, and you know, Igot to talking and eventually it
slipped out that I said, I doknow how to castrate.
And of course, that's what theychose to put on national TV.
The first clip of Olivia beinglike, I can castorate if you
need me to.
SPEAKER_00 (12:02):
But but you know what?
That that'll get everybody'sattention, and that's what you
want, that's what it's about.
SPEAKER_01 (12:07):
That's right, that's right.
If that doesn't get attention,then boy, I don't know what
would you know.
SPEAKER_00 (12:12):
It's kind of led into what I was gonna ask, which
kind of explained it rightthere, that you know, when
people watch that on TV, for thefor the most part, uh they're
getting a polished version.
But uh, this is like, yeah, thatwent on TV.
But there's a lot of things thatgo on behind the scenes that
people uh would never believe.
SPEAKER_01 (12:29):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, I mean, there's there'sdefinitely parts of you know the
process where they they filmedit and then no one ever gets to
see it.
Uh, like our our firstperformance, there was uh we
each did a cover song, and thatgot totally cut out of you know
the finished product.
Nobody saw the the first episodecover songs.
(12:50):
Um, there was also some likegatherings and just little
things.
I know that they get a lack oftime that they can, you know,
crank out.
If you get 90 minutes, you gotto be really careful what you
put in the 90 minutes, andsomething's gonna have to go.
But it was interesting to seewhat they they picked from all
the footage that they got.
SPEAKER_00 (13:07):
Wow.
Interesting.
Yeah, it's it's crazy.
Why did why do you think?
Oh, they must have cut that outbecause of time.
SPEAKER_01 (13:14):
I think so.
I think that they just said, youknow, you each did two songs,
they started with 12.
Um, so that's 24 songs, and eachsong was really like put down
into a condensed version.
Uh, I think we were only onstage opening for keys maybe
three minutes because each song,our original and our cover had
been condensed to a minute 30each.
So that's about three minutes,and then you have 12
(13:37):
entertainers.
So I mean, that's still eventhough the songs are shortened,
it's still a pretty lengthy bitof time.
SPEAKER_00 (13:44):
So you're working on the ranch, and you have working
on the ranch.
And you have the cattle.
Are they you did you say theywere beef cattle?
SPEAKER_01 (13:51):
Beef cattle.
unknown (13:52):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (13:52):
Do you ever get attached to some of the cattle?
I mean, the little ones they'rethey're so adorable.
SPEAKER_01 (13:59):
They are pretty adorable.
I I got attached when wheneverwe have like bottle calves or
leppy calves, we'll call themsometimes, you know, the ones
where their moms don't want themor something awful happens, and
then it's on you to bottle feedthem and be the mama.
And those are pretty cute whenthey get excited to see you
every day.
And those ones are really hardto let go of.
So you always hope that it's aheifer or you know, a girl so
(14:22):
that then you can, you know, ithas a purpose going forward.
Sometimes you can't always keepthe the boys, but um, you know,
with it it is hard.
I think you just try really hardnot to think about it and then
know like you know your big partin the world, feeding the world,
and try to focus focus on thepot to be around on shipping day
(14:45):
most of the time.
Okay, I'll go around air friendsin town or something.
SPEAKER_00 (14:48):
I wouldn't want to be there.
It's just uh you know, I loveanimals.
And even even even with thecattle, you know, we know it's a
way of life and the beef cattle,and I'm a steak eater.
I totally get that, but uh I Idon't know, I still find it
hard.
Still find it hard.
SPEAKER_01 (15:02):
It is hard.
It is good to see where the comefrom, though.
I think that's a reallyridiculous is when you look out
there and you see that they havelike humane, perfect life.
They're happy out there, they'rehappy, all those things coming
into your body is a happy,healthy if if we didn't browse
(15:24):
and we wouldn't have steak.
So it's kind of reassuring to belike this is how it was meant to
be.
They have a really good life,and and then we get something
good to eat at dinner time.
SPEAKER_00 (15:33):
Yeah.
Any horses?
SPEAKER_01 (15:35):
We do have a couple horses, yes.
And you know, that's that'salways so fun.
We have a couple horses, we havethree cow dogs between the the
two of us, my husband and I.
Uh, I came with two cow dogs,and he came with one, and so now
we're a blended family, and Ihave to go like three miles a
day to to just to keep thesedogs worn out because they're
such high-energy creatures, butyeah, but we've got it.
SPEAKER_00 (15:57):
You call them.
I mean, I know we're off themusic.
I told you we'd go down a road.
Um I love it, and but we're offthe subject of the music for
just a few minutes.
But uh, cow dogs?
What cow dogs, so yeah, are isthat their breed?
They're called cow dogs.
SPEAKER_01 (16:12):
They all the we have three different breeds, but
they're all of like the cow dogvariety.
So we have one red bordercollie, uh, and then I have uh a
blue healer Australian shepherdcross.
Oh wow, and then I've got a uhborder collie catahula cross.
So they're all really good forfor herding cows and moving
cows, uh, but they all have alittle something different in
(16:33):
them.
SPEAKER_00 (16:34):
What are their names?
SPEAKER_01 (16:35):
Uh mine are Luna and Elmer, and then my husband
brought in Sam.
So Sam.
So now we've got Luna, Elmer,and Sam.
Sam.
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (16:45):
Sam.
I did a thing on air today.
I was talking about the I thinkit was the top 10 pet names uh
for dogs.
I mean, Ariba and Whalen and uhNashville was on there.
I mean names like that.
Yeah, I thought that wasinteresting.
That's why I asked you, youknow, what their names were.
I was just kind of curious.
SPEAKER_01 (17:02):
Yeah, you hear some really unique ones.
And then there's you know,there's lots of buddies, and I
mean, you know, all those onesthat are so common, but but tell
me about oh, I'm sorry.
No, no, we have a good time withthem.
SPEAKER_00 (17:15):
Awesome.
Tell me, tell me about uh, youknow, when you were recognized
by Cowgirl magazine, uh that's ahuge, big time nod to who you
are in the Western culture.
Yeah.
And what did that uh honor meanto you?
SPEAKER_01 (17:30):
I I got uh no uh notified was gonna be last, I
think, up to 2021 to 22.
So this is a couple years back,and it's incredible because they
hosted it in the bank ceremony.
Uh they had it as a drover, sothat there's folks familiar
whoever is the pretty moviehotel, and you just feel like
(17:54):
amazing to be 29 women who arereally movers and shakers in the
Western area that are reallymaking things happen.
You have a musician, uh to thefemale veterinarians, females
that are in markets, uh, thatare you know in the Houston
(18:15):
rodeo, you have all sorts of umagricultural cultural farmers
from the Middle East that aredoing that.
And uh really, really neat tosee the the the diversity and
then be able to meet all thesenew sisters and and have
throughout the cowgirl industryfor sure.
SPEAKER_00 (18:32):
Yeah, you know, cowgirl a magazine, of course, a
type of magazine that definitelycelebrates strong, authentic
women.
Um who in that world inspiresyou, by the way?
SPEAKER_01 (18:45):
Oh man, there's there's so many.
Yeah, it is a tough questionbecause there's so many.
You know, the the instinctanswer is my mom.
Uh but a second one for me is uhmy hat sponsor.
Her name is Shorty, and she's inthe Cowgirl Hall of Fame, which
is you know next level becausethey're they're just uh Cowgirl
30 under 30 on steroids.
(19:06):
You look at those women andyou're like, wow, they have
really made a difference in theworld.
And uh she started out makinghats in Oklahoma and really just
kind of started with nothing.
She bought a hat shop from anold guy and just a little tiny
small town, and now she makesthe best hats in the world and
they're highly sought after.
And all of the the big horsepeople want to have one of hers.
(19:28):
And so to see what she's madeout of herself is something that
I really strive to to do.
SPEAKER_00 (19:34):
I got it.
What was um off the top of myhead?
I'm just thinking of a certainquestion here.
Um what was the very first songyou ever you ever wrote?
SPEAKER_01 (19:45):
First song I ever wrote.
Uh, it was probably about myhometown.
I remember coming home fromschool, and you know, I knew
ever since I was a little kidthat I this is what I wanted to
do.
And I thought I'm gonna have tohave a song about where I'm from
because if people are gonna bekind enough to listen to me,
they probably want to know whatmy story is or want to know who
the heck is Olivia Harms.
(20:07):
So I'm lucky, not you can't dothis with every small town, but
can be organ, uh, you can kindof turn that into a hook and say
you can be whatever you want tobe, and can be, you know, that
was my my little idea from myearly songwriting brain.
And I went up and I worked on ita couple days after school and
you know, kind of thought I hadmaybe made a good song.
And I remember going downstairsto my mom's office and knocking
(20:30):
on the door and saying, Wouldyou happen to have a couple
minutes to listen to this newsong I wrote?
And of course, she sits down andis all excited, and I get
through it.
And uh she just I was nervous,right?
I was like, here's my mom, she'sso good, and she's gonna have
some sort of critique or oradvice on what I should change.
And instead, I got to the endand she just said, That's a
really good hook.
(20:50):
I wish I would have thought ofthat myself.
SPEAKER_00 (20:52):
That that that's you know, it's in the family.
You were your brain was alreadyin that mode.
How old?
Can I ask approximately how oldwere you?
SPEAKER_01 (21:02):
I think I was 10, 10 or 11.
SPEAKER_00 (21:04):
Okay, all right.
Do you still play that song?
SPEAKER_01 (21:07):
Oh, yeah, I still have people that come up and
request it, and it just ticklesme because they'll be like, Do
you still play that Cambi song?
Uh yeah, I'm you know, stillproud to be have Cambi be my
hometown.
So oh my god, I love that.
SPEAKER_00 (21:22):
I love that.
You know, I talk to a lot ofartists, and when I ask that
question, they'll go, Oh, yeah,yeah, I wrote this song, and
I'll go, Do you remember it?
And they'll go, Yeah, but Idon't want to, you know, or
they're like, It was so bad.
But that's yeah, you know, butwow, that that's pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (21:36):
You definitely progress, you know, you should,
right?
Like you shouldn't just bestagnant in your songwriting.
So now that I'm have been in itfor over 15, 20 years, I guess.
Oh, yeah.
Um, I'm glad that I've gotten alittle bit better.
But for a first song, I don't, Istill not too bad.
It's got all the little piecesand parts, and it's catchy.
People sing along, so it can'tbe that bad if it's catchy.
SPEAKER_00 (21:58):
Now, what would be your latest project right now?
SPEAKER_01 (22:01):
Yeah, I've been doing uh a ton of writing this
fall.
You know, it's been really goodto get back into it and just
feel re-inspired after, youknow, the show and being a part
of the road.
And so I've got quite a few newsongs that I'm taking to
Nashville in 2026 and puttingtogether my third album, which
is crazy to think about, butvery exciting.
Um, so you know, definitely somegreat new tunes.
(22:23):
The most recent one I finisheduh was kind of like uh a
reinvented Ghostwriters in theSky.
I used to love that song.
Oh, yeah.
And uh, you know, there's notanother one like it.
I felt like it needed anotherchapter or like a uh, you know,
a story from the woman's pointof view that maybe dated one of
the ghostwriters.
And and so that's what we'vebeen working on.
SPEAKER_00 (22:43):
I love that.
So what I've seen and heard,your songwriting is both uh
personal and cinematic.
What inspires your writing thesedays?
SPEAKER_01 (22:51):
It all has to come from uh at least a little bit of
a true story or a true place,whether I'm taking it from one
of my friends or you know,something that I've seen while
I've been traveling or a realexperience.
And uh, like for one of mysongs, example is Hey There
Cowboy.
I used to take a bunch of mygirlfriends with me when I'd go
play at the beer gardens afterrodeos and they'd go wander
(23:13):
around and have fun, and I'd beup there with the band working,
and and then I'd get done andthey'd come over and they'd say,
Oh my gosh, we've heard some ofjust the most ridiculous pickup
lines tonight, and you wouldn'tbelieve it.
And I would always say, Yeah,these guys, they gotta learn.
That's not that's not working sowell for them.
How did it did it hurt when youfell?
No.
SPEAKER_00 (23:33):
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (23:34):
Uh so finally I was just cruising through Nashville
and uh I was like on the end ofa really long riding day, and I
was just thinking, I better, youknow, just play around with this
idea about what would I say orwhat would my friends and I say
if a boy came up to us and heythere, cowboy, what's your name?
You know, I'm not into playingany games.
And so I took a little video ofit and sent it to my girlfriends
(23:54):
and was like, ah, here's a jokefor you, and you know, listen to
this one.
And they said, You gotta finishthat, Liv.
Like you, you have to finish it.
And so I'm really, I'm reallythankful that uh I went on and
took their advice because thatsong's done pretty good for me.
SPEAKER_00 (24:09):
I was listening to that just a just a little bit
ago.
I was just looking on my phonehere to see if I still had it
up, but I didn't have it up.
I was gonna play a little uhlittle clip of it.
So, but uh definitely goodstuff.
That was like uh I think thevideo was five years ago.
SPEAKER_01 (24:23):
I know, yeah.
Time flies, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (24:26):
Time does crazy.
Time does fly.
SPEAKER_01 (24:28):
Oh, and then sometimes trying to juggle
everything as an independentartist, you know, it does get to
be tricky, and that's why I'vebeen really excited to get back
into songwriting just this lastfall.
Uh, because you get so busy withtrying to stay up on social
media, you get busy with tryingto book your own gigs, be the
planner, be the manager, youknow, make sure you have merch,
yeah, be all the things.
(24:48):
And then before you know it,you're out of time and you're
trying to figure out what youshould do next.
SPEAKER_00 (24:52):
All that being said, though, are you very happy being
an independent artist?
Because if you weren't, youweren't independent and you were
signed with a major label, you'dhave other people doing a lot of
that for you.
But then again, there's a lot ofuh financial responsibilities
that come with that, that it'snot cheap.
SPEAKER_01 (25:11):
So yeah.
You know, I think I'm I'm soblessed that I've been able to
do something for a living that Ilove so much and I'm able to
make a very good living at it.
Um, but I wouldn't be upset toto let go of the reins a little
bit one day and have somebodyhelp me out if it was the right
match and if I found the right,you know, the right label or
(25:31):
somebody that really got thekind of music that I make and
they were willing to help me.
Uh, I would be really happy tomaybe just let go of a little
bit, let somebody else do mostof the booking and stress about
that, maybe have somebody elsewith a little bit of, you know,
label with some funding so Icould make more music and put it
out quicker and get to radiostations.
Because even just to promote asingle uh in Texas as an
(25:53):
independent artist, it's usuallyabout four to five grand a cut,
and that's just independently.
SPEAKER_00 (25:58):
So a lot of people don't realize that.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (26:01):
No, and I mean the single runs for I mean, maybe 30
weeks if you're lucky, and thenthen you're gonna have to do
another one.
So, and then you gotta stay upwith the the recording, and
usually each time that yourecord a side, that's at least
four to five grand again persingle.
If you want to get it recordedproperly and sound good, and so
it's just kind of like thisnever-ending amount of where do
(26:24):
you put your money and whatshould you invest it in?
SPEAKER_00 (26:26):
Who do you trust for sure?
You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (26:30):
So, and nobody is gonna work as hard as you.
That's the one thing I'velearned.
SPEAKER_00 (26:34):
It's kind of where I was going because that would be
the you know, it'll it has to beyou.
SPEAKER_01 (26:38):
It does, you have to be, yeah, whether you like it or
not.
I know I had to it is, but it'sworth it if you get to, you
know, have success and everylittle nugget that you you kind
of latch on to, and you say,Wow, all of this hard work that
I've put in.
Uh, and I guess it was worth itbecause I I got to this level,
and then you look ahead and yousay, Wow, I gotta get up here.
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
Yeah, but you're getting there, you're going.
SPEAKER_01 (27:03):
That's right.
Step by step.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:05):
Step by step, one fan at a time.
You just keep keep buildingthat, baby.
Just keep doing that.
That's right.
SPEAKER_01 (27:12):
You just keep going.
SPEAKER_00 (27:13):
I've been watching it and I've been in radio for
quite a while, and I see a lotof artists like you.
Um, you know, and I see that.
And I always say it's it's onefan at a time.
It's it's just a step at a time.
Don't try to do too much tooquick, you know.
Just build it.
You've been doing it for awhile.
I get that.
But and you also got thebackground, you get the family
background, which is all prettycool.
A lot of people do not, uh, butuh, you know, you're very lucky
(27:37):
with that.
And of course, knowing your momand who she is, that's that's
pretty awesome.
That's pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (27:42):
So, you know, it's not been a bad life so far, so I
can't complain.
We hope to get up here, but it'sbeen pretty good so far.
SPEAKER_00 (27:48):
I get it.
Well, uh so in California,what's the weather like right
now?
SPEAKER_01 (27:53):
Yeah, it was kind of chilly today.
We had a lot of fog.
I took the dogs on my you knowthree mile adventure like I do
every day, and uh it was kind ofchilly, and we had to put the
coat on, and you know, but itwas all right, all right.
SPEAKER_00 (28:04):
Hold on, Olivia.
When you say chilly, what do youmean by temperature?
SPEAKER_01 (28:08):
I think with like the fog and the moisture in the
air, I think it was around like45.
SPEAKER_00 (28:13):
Oh, yeah.
All right, never mind.
I thought it was like a littlebit warmer because that's
basically what it was here inthe northeast today.
But we're talking, but we'retalking about snow right after
Thanksgiving, and we're talkinganywhere from three inches to a
couple feet, depending on whereyou are.
SPEAKER_01 (28:28):
Oh my gosh, are you ready for that?
SPEAKER_00 (28:31):
I've lived here all my life.
SPEAKER_01 (28:33):
Yeah, it gets old news.
I don't even know what to do.
SPEAKER_00 (28:36):
I don't know if you know this or not, but we have
what they call lake effect.
Lake effect, yeah, it's wherethe cold air blows across the
lake, and in my neck of thewoods, it's Lake Ontario.
So when the uh the cold aircomes across the warmer waters,
it just it snows, and we'll geta foot of snow in one night.
And I'll still hear the schoolbuses going by in the morning.
I mean, we you know, we're we'vegot the equipment around here to
(28:59):
handle it, the men and womenthat go out and do what they
gotta do, and you know, otherplaces like Nashville, for
example, they get a dusting ofsnow, it's closed.
SPEAKER_01 (29:07):
Oh my gosh, isn't that so true?
Even in Oregon, a lot of places,yeah, yeah, they'll just panic
out and say we're done.
SPEAKER_00 (29:14):
Yeah, or Oregon, Oregon or Oregon, or Oregon,
like what you got in your body,Oregon.
Oregon, Oregon, where you from,Oregon.
SPEAKER_01 (29:24):
Yeah, how about um what's the other ones that
always gets folks?
Uh salmon.
SPEAKER_00 (29:28):
Salmon.
The salmon.
We have the salmon river.
SPEAKER_01 (29:32):
Yeah, so you guys got it.
I've heard salmon a lot oftimes.
SPEAKER_00 (29:36):
Salmon.
SPEAKER_01 (29:37):
Salmon.
And that one always gives you alittle bit of a I get it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:42):
I get it.
No, I guess you know, we saySyracuse because obviously
that's where I am in Syracuse.
SPEAKER_01 (29:48):
Syracuse.
SPEAKER_00 (29:49):
That that was good.
That was good.
SPEAKER_01 (29:51):
I have been told that I have like a mix of, I
don't know if it's an organthing, but I have been told I
have a mix of like up north andthen.
Like southern accent, and Idon't know how that works
together or where it comes from,but I that's what I've been
told.
SPEAKER_00 (30:07):
I think it sounds pretty good.
I I don't hear the southernaccent, maybe a little bit,
very, very little.
SPEAKER_01 (30:12):
But uh maybe it depends on what region I'm in
and how different they think Iam.
SPEAKER_00 (30:17):
It could be, right?
Tell me, uh, tell me a littlebit about your band.
Are they still what theRoadrunners?
SPEAKER_01 (30:22):
The Roadrunners.
SPEAKER_00 (30:24):
Yes.
So this is the same bunch ofguys that you play with right
along.
SPEAKER_01 (30:28):
Oh man, yeah, I've been with the Roadrunners for a
while, and I got so lucky and sofortunate to find them.
Uh, you'll have to listen tothis.
This is I found two brothers,and one of them plays fiddle and
one of them plays steel guitar.
So two of the most, you know,unique instruments, and they
both play, and they're bothextremely talented, and they're
good boys.
(30:48):
Uh, I'm not rolling them out ofbed at eight in the morning when
we're hitting the road to thenext place.
They they stay clean, they'regood boys, and we all look out
for each other, and and so I'mreally lucky.
Um, they'll they'll go with meto Vegas, and that's that's our
next little run.
SPEAKER_00 (31:02):
Oh, you're doing the Vegas run.
SPEAKER_01 (31:04):
We are all right.
SPEAKER_00 (31:06):
Where we're about to go.
Are you gonna see any showswhile you're there?
For example, are you gonna go tothe sphere?
SPEAKER_01 (31:10):
And uh we don't know.
I've heard about the sphere.
I don't know if I'm gonna havetime to go, but I have seen it
looks incredible.
SPEAKER_00 (31:18):
From what I've seen, it looks incredible.
SPEAKER_01 (31:20):
Yeah, yeah.
We're going for uh the NationalFinals rodeo.
SPEAKER_00 (31:24):
Um, mention the rodeo.
SPEAKER_01 (31:26):
Yeah, I mean, lots of folks know what it is, but
just in case there's somelisteners that don't know, it's
like the Super Bowl of rodeo,and it happens for 10 nights,
and that's where uh the top 15from each event, you know, bull
bull riding, steer wrestling,barrel racing, all of it, the
top 15 from all year long, theycompete for the number one spot
(31:47):
in each event.
SPEAKER_00 (31:47):
And uh, or are you going are you a big fan as well
as will you be performing?
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Both.
So I am a big, I'm a big rodeogirl that goes hand in hand with
you know ranching and rodeo,cowgirl stuff.
Yeah, I know.
Yeah, it doesn't take ascientist to figure that one
out, but uh I also am playing.
I'm playing a couple nights atthe Westgate Hotel and Casino,
which is where they have a lotof watch parties that they'll
call them as you know, noteverybody can go to the Thomas
(32:16):
and Mac and and get theirtickets to watch live every
night, but they do a lot ofwatch parties and live streams.
So I'm playing at that.
Um playing at a big event forMontana Silversmiths, uh playing
at like a pre-party at Thomasand Mac.
So there's all sorts of stuffgoing on.
SPEAKER_00 (32:30):
Just going on nonstop, back to back to back.
I know are you driving becauseit's not it's really not a bad
drive from California today.
SPEAKER_01 (32:39):
Yeah, it wouldn't be a terrible drive, but I think it
would still probably take abouteight or nine hours from where
we're at.
And so I think since myhusband's gonna come with me,
and you know, we're gonna I canput a bunch of my stuff in his
bag, I'm sure he'll love that.
We'll fly down and it'll it'llbe a little bit more.
SPEAKER_00 (32:56):
You got the backpack, you got the two
suitcases.
SPEAKER_01 (32:58):
That's exactly right, I know how that goes.
You must know how that is.
SPEAKER_00 (33:02):
I know exactly how that is.
I can fit, I can stay for a weekuh and live out of my backpack
as long as I have underwear,socks, a couple pairs of jeans,
some t-shirts, I'm good to go.
My deodorant, my toothbrush, I'mgood.
I'm good.
SPEAKER_01 (33:14):
You're good.
SPEAKER_00 (33:14):
You know what I mean?
I'm good.
SPEAKER_01 (33:16):
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (33:16):
Now, my wife, on the other hand, you know, four or
five pairs of shoes to say theleast, the makeup bag alone.
Right, you got, you know, I cango on and on and on.
SPEAKER_01 (33:25):
You know, well, she sounds like she's got it figured
out.
We'd be pressed.
SPEAKER_00 (33:27):
She does.
She does.
She's a good, she's a goodwoman.
She's got it all figured out.
Um, let's talk about uh, youknow, you've talked openly about
your faith and about stayinggrounded.
How has your faith guided youthrough moments in this
industry?
And especially you as anindependent, and you know it's
tough.
You were telling me how tough itcan be, but how has that guided
(33:48):
you?
SPEAKER_01 (33:49):
You know, I think especially in either time, lows
or highs, because this industry,as rewarding as it can be, it
really is, is filled with lotsof mountains and lots of
valleys.
Where as soon as you get up hereand you know, maybe you get a
call that you're gonna be on theroad.
Like as soon as I got that call,uh, that they were even remotely
interested in me, I remember Iwent to my knees and I was just
(34:10):
thanking the Lord that, youknow, if I got this opportunity
that I would try to shine hislight and do him proud and let
other people know how wonderfulhe is.
And uh then you get through it,and then you have to wait and
you have to sign the NDA, or youknow, I got sent home.
And I, of course, because I'm adream chaser, wanted to stay on
the show longer.
And you wonder, like, why didn'tit happen?
(34:31):
How come I didn't, how come, youknow, I got all built up down
here, and then it was time toget sent home.
And and you know, I think yourfaith really does help you get
through those things because youknow in your heart and you can
trust in God that He's got abigger plan for you.
And if something doesn't workout, then He's got something
better in the future.
And that has happened to me somany times where I'll say, Why
(34:54):
didn't this come to fruition?
And then, you know, just downthe pipe a little ways after
you've kind of been upset or sador bummed or whatever your
emotion was that one thingdidn't work out, you really see
in God's time that what he hadplanned was way better than what
you could have ever imagined.
SPEAKER_00 (35:11):
It kind of uh the question I was gonna ask, and
you just kind of answered it,was uh, you know, when there was
was there a time, was there atime that when you thought maybe
this isn't going to work?
And then faith family fans keptyou going.
I know you're just talking aboutfaith, you know, what you
believe in, and you know he'sthere, and if that didn't work,
(35:33):
something else is going to work.
I mean, that's the whole reason.
SPEAKER_01 (35:35):
Absolutely, yeah.
I mean, there's there's beenmany times, especially in music
business.
I think anytime that you go offthe beaten path and you pursue a
career that isn't maybe uhnormal in today's society, I
don't think it's just music.
I think there's lots of peoplethat could relate to this.
Um, you know, it's it's justharder.
I'm responsible for my myincome.
(35:57):
There's nobody out there that isgonna pay me from nine to five
because I show up.
Like I've had months where whenI was living in Texas, the
electric bill is crazy becausethey don't have well insulation
there, and you're trying to staywarm, and then next thing you
know, you're saying, Holy cow,how am I gonna afford this bill?
And you're trying to piecetogether some work because you
(36:19):
know, sometimes there's slowmonths in music, not everybody's
willing to go out, and and italways comes through, but I I
think that you know, anybodythat's self-employed or
struggling with that, you reallyhave to have faith because it
would be really difficult tojust trust that what you're
doing is is the right thing ifyou if you didn't like have God
(36:39):
to consult that with.
And I've so many times beenlike, is this what you want me
to do?
I feel like it is.
I feel like, you know, wheneverI pray that, then a couple of
days later or a week or twolater, someone will come up to
me and they'll just say, Thankyou.
You you really made my evening,or you there you go, you know,
save me.
And that's all you really needto then just keep on going.
SPEAKER_00 (36:59):
Exactly.
It's gonna, you know, they'llsay, Yeah, you're doing the
right thing.
Yeah, yes, absolutely.
What does um you're chasing yourdream?
You've been doing this for alittle bit.
Your dream of uh being incountry music, and you're
putting out, man, I'll tell thatI love the traditional sound, I
love all that, and by the way,all that is coming back.
I mean, when you listen to yourZach Topps, when you listen to
(37:21):
uh other artists along thoselines, uh Drake Milligan is
another one that likes to do therockabilly or send it back to
some of those days.
Um, you know, like AlanJackson's Chattahoochee, I love
that song.
And I just think that is themusic, and all that is coming
back.
So, what you're doing with moreon the traditional side, of my
opinion, I could be wrong.
(37:42):
I hope I'm not.
But I think it's all it's justgoing full circle.
SPEAKER_01 (37:45):
So it's it's you're right on the I sure hope so.
I hope so.
You know, I um I try not to, youknow, let that get to me uh
because I know there's been lotsof people who have been doing it
a long time, and just because Ihave been, you know, doing it
ever since I was two days olddoesn't mean that I love that
really doing it since I was twodays old.
(38:06):
Um, you know, and and I have tohumble myself once in a while
too, and say there was a daywhere all I wanted to do was
just be able to afford a nicelifestyle through my music.
And, you know, employ a band allsummer or all year just by
playing music.
And you slowly get those.
And I think all too often we'llreach a step and then we just
(38:28):
think about the next step, andwe never take a second to look
back and be like, wow, Iactually I actually was able to
do that.
So I have conquered some dreams.
You know, if you just take asecond and be like, actually, I
have made quite a few dreamscome true.
We just have a whole bunch thatare up here still that we're
working towards.
SPEAKER_00 (38:47):
You'll get to them.
You'll get to them.
SPEAKER_01 (38:49):
Well, we're hoping.
We're not slowing down, Skip.
SPEAKER_00 (38:51):
It's within your reach.
What does it really look for youday to day?
You know, what what what peopledon't see?
What is it really, you know,chasing your dream?
What does that look, you know,day by day?
SPEAKER_01 (39:02):
Yeah, people ask that.
And I mean, man, I just I feellike I do it all.
You know, there's it's always amix between emails and catching
up on text messages and andsocial media messages and trying
to create content and then makesure that you're posting the
content and editing it all, andthat takes a bunch of time, let
alone like the driving.
I just got done with a road tripto Texas, and then you're
(39:23):
driving all day and you get homeand you gotta unpack or repack
for the next trip.
And you know, I I'm so fortunateand I love being a wife now, but
then that means I have to dolaundry and you know, go to the
grocery store or fill orderswhen they come through.
Somebody wants some merch, sothen you gotta go and and fill
that or plan the tour, go bookthe gigs.
It never ends, so never endsevery day is is different, and I
(39:45):
usually don't sit down until theend unless I've been doing some
emails and stuff.
But I like to be busy, so I'mI'm I'm grateful.
SPEAKER_00 (39:53):
I was just gonna say, but you love it.
SPEAKER_01 (39:55):
I do, I do.
I I you love it, I think it isway too hard and way too much to
do if uh I didn't absolutelylove what I do.
SPEAKER_00 (40:05):
Absolutely.
You've played so many differentkinds of shows.
So we're talking about therodeo, uh the fairs, you've been
in listening rooms.
What's your favorite environmentto play in?
SPEAKER_01 (40:17):
Anywhere where they're listening and they care,
you know, that can be fivepeople in the living room, or it
can be one of the most iconicvenues, like Green Hall or the
Bluebird, or you know, anywonderful venues like that.
If you have a crowd and you canjust feel that you've got them
in the palm there of your handand and they're listening and
(40:38):
they care about the music you'remaking and they care about your
little stories that you'retelling and where the music came
from, that's that's all thatmatters.
SPEAKER_00 (40:46):
You know what bothers me is if I go to uh go
to see somebody play, whetherit's here, Nashville, wherever,
when I go and people justcontinue to talk, they're on
their phones, you hear the beephere, beep there, text message,
phone rings, people and theartist is trying to play, you
just want to go.
Well, you shut up and listen.
Yeah, that is so rude, you know.
(41:08):
So I I hear you, you want peopleto hear.
SPEAKER_01 (41:11):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (41:11):
That's all it's about.
SPEAKER_01 (41:13):
I understand.
Sometimes people go out, youknow.
If I'm playing in a winery or abrewery, or you know, we I've
played it all.
So then you understand that ifsomebody is coming to unwind or
or have a you know dinner orsomething, of course they're
gonna be visiting and chatting,and that's not always so bad.
It's just uh I've played acouple times where they'll have
(41:33):
a stage right next to like achildren's playground, and then
I love kids, I love them, but tohave them just screaming on and
off the stage and in front ofyou, and it just even gets a
little bit hard to be like, Whyam I here?
Or what am I singing?
Like, what am I doing here?
SPEAKER_00 (41:53):
Yeah, I look at it, you know, you deserve the
respect.
That's you know what it's about.
Give me a uh Olivia.
Do you have any good roadstories?
I mean, maybe something that waschaotic, funny, embarrassing.
What comes to mind when I askedyou?
SPEAKER_01 (42:06):
We we've got them all.
Uh, let's see.
Well, when I was uh driving toTexas, so for a period of my
life I lived in a travel trailerbecause right after COVID, uh
the West Coast was all shutdown, you know, like they were
not the first ones to open up.
And I decided that I wanted togo to Texas and play music where
they were open, and I thought,well, people like honky tonks
(42:27):
there, they like traditionalcountry.
Maybe I've got a shot in Texas.
So I decided that I would buy atravel trailer and hook it up to
my little F-150 pickup, load upmy two cow dogs, and uh off I
went, driving, you know, outinto the middle of nowhere.
And I was like, I'm gonna makeit to Texas, and and I did, and
it was a wonderful trip.
But uh on my way back, uh,inevitably I got a flat tire.
(42:50):
And uh I remember I was outthere.
I mean, I went through all sortsof weird weather, but I was I
got the tire changed, and then Igot back on the road, and then I
hit like a whiteout, and it wasanother one of those moments
where it was like definitely aGod thing because I was truly
panicking, and you can't whenyou can't see anything on the
road.
I'm sure you guys have have beenup there where it's totally
(43:11):
white.
And I'm not just being like aCalifornia girl saying it was
like snowing lightly, like Icouldn't see.
And uh I remember just beinglike, follow the semi, you know,
I can't slow down or get off theroad because I I would get stuck
if I got off the road and Iwouldn't be able to get back on
or someone would see me.
And I was really praying my waythrough it when it started to
(43:32):
let up a little bit, and then mymom called.
And uh I was she's like, I don'tknow.
I just felt like I just feltlike God was tapping me on the
shoulder and telling me that Ineeded to call you.
And you know, after kind of arough day of the tire and the
snow and everything else, I waslike, All right, here I am.
That still didn't stop me.
Uh even still here I am, stillgoing on.
SPEAKER_00 (43:54):
Isn't that amazing how that works?
It is seriously, that's amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (43:58):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (43:59):
The mom knew something told her she goes, I
better call Olivia.
SPEAKER_01 (44:03):
Yep.
And I was like, you know, thewater works kick in when you
when you hear from mama.
SPEAKER_00 (44:08):
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
What um what's always in yourguitar case?
Anything good?
I mean, besides guitar, ofcourse.
SPEAKER_01 (44:15):
Oh, of course, the guitar.
Um, I usually have some old setlists or spare set lists just in
case I ever need one of those.
Uh spare strings, spare capoepicks.
Um, but probably a unique thingis I always keep chapstick in
there.
I am a big sucker for uh Bert'sbeeswax chapstick, and uh I
don't know why that's my brand,but it is, and so I always have
some of that in there and maybesome snacks.
(44:36):
Uh, you know, you gotta you knowwhen you need a snack.
SPEAKER_00 (44:39):
What's one thing you won't travel without?
SPEAKER_01 (44:42):
Oh man, um, probably it's probably turned into my
hat, honestly, is I I've used tohate that.
I used to hate watching my momstruggle with, you know, a hat
and a guitar and her carry-on.
And sometimes when you're dogtired and you're getting up at 2
a.m.
to catch a flight, you don'twant to put a hat on.
And so you kind of try to likeput it in a bag or something,
(45:04):
but then you don't and you don'twant it to get squished.
And uh I used to just be like,mom, this is such a pain in the
rear.
Like, why are you bringing this?
And um, now I've you know I'vegone and turned into my mom, and
now I always bring my hat withme anywhere I go for a show.
SPEAKER_00 (45:19):
Well, you know, that's part of you, seriously.
It is the hat is part of you,and I've made a lot of different
country audiences gotta havetheir hat.
SPEAKER_01 (45:27):
Oh, absolutely.
And you would be surprised howmany times I go to a sound check
and someone will come up to meand they'll be like, Are you are
are you Olivia?
And I'm like, Yeah, oh, I wouldyou just don't look the same.
You're you're not wearing yourhat.
I think I don't sleep in it, Ihave to take it off sometimes.
SPEAKER_00 (45:45):
Oh my god.
But see, that's what I mean.
That it's a part of you, that'show they know you.
SPEAKER_01 (45:49):
It is, it's turned into a whole branding.
SPEAKER_00 (45:52):
Yeah, you've um you obviously have checked off a lot
of uh big milestones, andthere's more to come.
Uh, but what do you think?
What's next?
And what are you excited aboutin this next year?
SPEAKER_01 (46:04):
Definitely new music.
I'm really excited to get backin the studio and put out my
third album.
It's it's been far too long, youknow.
When I look back and say, wow,how's it already been a couple
years?
Uh, and then just to see whathappens.
The road was a wonderfulopportunity, and I was so proud
to be a part of their very firstseason, and just to see if
that's gonna open any more doorsor if it'll just be a wonderful
(46:24):
memory.
SPEAKER_00 (46:25):
I think it's well, the road is pretty awesome.
So yeah, it's it's definitelygonna open up some doors for
you.
I think it's gonna keep going.
Um it's pretty cool.
So what I wanna I'm just like alot going through my mind right
now.
Um let's go back to COVID alittle bit.
How did you you said you youpacked up you went to Texas to
(46:46):
play some gigs uh or to look forsome gigs and play some gigs and
hopefully make a little bit ofmoney to help pay the bills?
But how did you get throughCOVID besides that?
I mean, when things shut down,how were you able?
I mean, we all have bills topay, we all have things, you
know, along those lines to thatwe need to take care of.
And that had to be so hard as anindependent artist.
SPEAKER_01 (47:09):
It it was definitely tricky.
Uh, you know, I I was reallylucky that I kind of saw COVID
coming down the pipe, and I wasliving in Nashville at the time.
And so when I started hearingthe buzz that the world was
gonna shut down and that itwasn't a joke, like people were
getting really serious about it.
I was like, okay, I'm done withthis.
I'm gonna go home to Oregon.
So if the world does shut down,I've got 150 acres or whatever
(47:33):
that I can run around on andhave some clean air and open
spaces and be with my family andnot just be all by myself.
And so that's how I spent a goodchunk of it.
And um, I I really didn't havetoo much to worry about.
I had one little little housethat I kind of had been renting,
uh, but it was 500 bucks amonth.
SPEAKER_00 (47:52):
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01 (47:54):
Yeah, it was like this little dump of a house that
I doesn't matter, it's only 500bucks a month.
I was like, when I'm not here, Idon't have to worry.
And when I come back to Oregon,I have my own place.
I don't have not that I don'tlove our ranch, but I didn't
have to stay on the place withmy parents.
And so yeah, it was it was likevery a very big blessing.
(48:14):
I didn't really have that muchexpenses that I had to worry
about, and I just kind of waslike, I'm gonna go to Texas.
SPEAKER_00 (48:20):
That's awesome.
Yeah, absolutely.
When you're not playing music,what do you like to do?
SPEAKER_01 (48:25):
Well, when I'm not playing music and I'm not
ranching and you know, likehelping me.
Oh, that's right.
I don't know when you have timeto do anything.
I know, I know.
Uh, I really love cooking.
Uh so when I am home, like Itook a lot of October off and I
got to spend a lot of time home.
And I love trying new recipesand and you know, just nothing
like having a good meal, tryingsomething out, having it turn
(48:46):
out good, and then you know,getting a a thumbs up from my
husband.
Like this is gonna say, what isthis is the keeper?
SPEAKER_00 (48:52):
Uh what would you say is your husband's favorite
meal that you make?
SPEAKER_01 (48:56):
Oh, steak for sure.
That's his favorite.
Yeah, and I mean, I don't knowthat yeah, I don't know that I'm
making this steak so much thatyou know, but yeah, it's kind of
his his forte, but um yeah, wethat's his his deal is steak for
sure.
That would be his favorite, Ithink.
SPEAKER_00 (49:14):
You know, with the holidays coming up too.
I mean, of course, we gotThanksgiving uh right around the
corner and all that.
Uh are you are you hosting anddo you cook a turkey?
What are you what are you doingfor Thanksgiving, I guess?
SPEAKER_01 (49:26):
Yeah, well, it's it's my husband's family's turn
for Thanksgiving this year, anduh I I was gonna host, but then
with like all the busyness andhis mama decided to that she was
gonna host it, and that justworked out perfectly because it
would have been a lot to figureout how to come back and then
you know you can have it allyeah, yeah.
Come on, come on.
But um, we are we're doing themeat because you know we love we
(49:48):
love cooking, so we're doing aprime rub and a turkey, and then
the the sides that go with thatstuffing and gravy, so it'll be
fun.
We'll just spend the day in thekitchen.
Yeah, it's awesome, and the piesand the I'm not doing the pies,
I do love making pies, but thisyear, mama mama pitter is taking
care of that's not on my plate.
SPEAKER_00 (50:07):
Well, I wish you a great Thanksgiving, so you know,
the rest of the holidays thatare coming up, you know.
Um, if somebody wanted to followyou, where can they how can they
get a hold of you?
Where can they look up yourmusic?
Where can they buy your merch?
I mean, it's it's reallyimportant that the viewers or
the listeners go out and buy themerch because it supports the
artist.
So, I mean, where can they doall that?
SPEAKER_01 (50:27):
All the good stuff.
Uh, social media, it's allOlivia Harms music.
So if you want to follow along,see where I'm going, um, see how
cute my dogs are, or you know,my check out what my day-to-day
life is.
That's all social media for you.
And if you wanted to see tourdates or grab some swag, just go
to oliviaharms.com.
I try not to make it too tricky.
I want everybody to be able tofind me.
SPEAKER_00 (50:48):
I love it.
I'm gonna ask you a really crazyquestion.
SPEAKER_01 (50:51):
Okay, love it.
SPEAKER_00 (50:52):
All right, when was the last time you got really
mad?
And what was it about?
SPEAKER_01 (50:57):
Oh man, last time I got really mad.
I try to say pretty even keel.
Uh, but I think the last timethat I might have been shooting
daggers through my eyes is uh Iwas playing a gig in September,
and uh it was like just me andmy guitar, and I was I was home
locally, and I I was playing,and this guy came up to me while
(51:18):
I was on break, and I had beendealing with a lot of really
cute little girls and signingautographs for them, and he just
kept interrupting andinterrupting, and finally I was
like, okay, hang on, you know,hang on, girl.
What is it that this guy wouldlike?
And so I was chatting with him,and all he wanted to do was tell
me how uh the band the nightbefore was so much better than
(51:40):
me, and uh that I have a lot tolearn from them, and it's
probably my dream to be likethem.
And all the while I keptthinking, he doesn't know I'm
gonna be on a TV show, andthat's not his fault, and maybe
he's had a really hard day.
I'm trying so hard to not, but II just like finally was like,
you know what?
If you don't like my music, youcan leave.
SPEAKER_00 (52:02):
You do not have to stay exactly, and you were nice
about it though.
I would have said that you knowwhat, out of here.
SPEAKER_01 (52:09):
Oh man, he just kept going on and he wouldn't let me
go either.
And I was like, All right, we'redone here, and so I think by the
end, you know, I probably had alittle bit of fume rolling out.
I tried to hold it togetherpretty good, but uh that one
kept me fired up for a while.
SPEAKER_00 (52:24):
Yeah, you gotta smile and wave sometimes, but it
it's gotta be so hard, you know.
I just I don't know how you doit.
SPEAKER_01 (52:30):
You know, I keep it all up here, and then then you
know, the the folks close to meget my true emotions and my what
I really wanted to say at theend of the day.
SPEAKER_00 (52:40):
I love this, Olivia.
You know, this has beenincredible.
It's so it's it's just excitingto get to get to know you a
little bit.
I've heard about you, I know whoyour mom is.
Um, it's just exciting to haveyou on.
I know you you being on the roadand uh and all that, the
television show.
Um, yes, how very cool is thatuh, you know, your story, your
drive, your honesty, it allshines through.
(53:03):
And it's exactly why we lovehaving artists like you on skip
happens.
And sometimes skip happens,sometimes it doesn't.
Tonight went button smooth.
So that's what I got.
SPEAKER_01 (53:15):
We skipped right along.
SPEAKER_00 (53:16):
We skipped right along.
I love it.
I love it.
And uh, you know, everybodythat's listening or everybody
that's watching this, whetherit's now or later on, um, you
know, go follow Olivia on allher socials, stream the music,
support the shows.
She's the real deal, as you'veseen here tonight on Skip
Happens.
She is the real deal.
And uh, Olivia, I want to saythank you for taking close, uh,
(53:37):
very close to an hour of yourtime uh to hang out with us here
tonight.
And uh, you know, have a greatholiday season.
I hope I really hope to meet yousometime.
I mean, I go to Nashville acouple times a year, especially
for CRS.
I'm always there for that.
I've done that for the last 20some odd years.
But uh that's the place to goand meet a lot of if you really
want to network for whateverpurpose, I mean, whether it's
(54:00):
radio or labels, that that's theplace you need to be.
And that's coming up in March.
SPEAKER_01 (54:04):
So that's well, we'll make it happen this year
and I'll get to meet you inperson.
SPEAKER_00 (54:08):
That that would be awesome.
Just look for the uh I actuallyhave a bar stool and bar lines,
which is in the Omni.
unknown (54:14):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (54:15):
No, I'm just kidding.
Um, but as always, uh, you know,thank you.
Thank you so much for doing thistonight.
And always thank you to you forwatching and listening.
And uh, of course, my name isSkip Clark.
This is Skip Happens, and uh,you know, can catch us up, uh
you can catch up with us uhweekly right here.
So make sure you subscribe anddo all the good stuff.
But Olivia, I want to say thankyou for joining us here tonight.
(54:38):
Uh it's just a pleasure.
Pleasure to talk to you.
SPEAKER_01 (54:41):
Well, thank you so much for having me, Skip.
I hope you have a blessedholiday season.
SPEAKER_00 (54:45):
You too.
Stay right there.
There we go.
Thanks for watching, everybody.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another edition
of Skip Happens.
My name is Ski Clark, of course,and your host, and welcome to a
special uh pop-up episode ofSkip Happens.
Every now and then we get thechance to sit down with someone
whose story is built on grit,heart, and uh Western spirit.
You're gonna love this.
(00:21):
Uh, country music was founded onall of that, and tonight is one
of those nights.
Our guest has competed, correctme if I'm wrong, on national
television.
She's been honored by Cowgirlmagazine.
She has carried the traditionsof Western life into every
single song that she sits downand writes.
(00:42):
And uh her journey is full ofchallenges, victories, and a
whole lot of fame.
And her music reflects all ofit.
She's the real deal.
And uh, we're gonna get rightinto it.
Uh, please welcome singer,songwriter, Olivia Harms to the
Skip Happens Podcast.
Olivia, it's so good to have youhere tonight.
How are you?
SPEAKER_01 (01:00):
Oh my gosh, I'm good.
Skip, thank you so much forhaving me.
This is gonna be so fun.
SPEAKER_00 (01:04):
We're gonna have a we're gonna have a good time.
First of all, right off the top,where are you?
SPEAKER_01 (01:08):
I am actually in my home.
I just got home uh just a coupledays ago, but I'm in northern
California.
SPEAKER_00 (01:13):
Oh, holy crap!
SPEAKER_01 (01:15):
I know, I'm like worlds away from you.
SPEAKER_00 (01:18):
You're like, what's that, three hours?
So it's I think so.
SPEAKER_01 (01:20):
Yeah, it's only five here.
SPEAKER_00 (01:21):
We got all night ahead of us, and we're on the
east coast, so it's eighto'clock here.
SPEAKER_01 (01:25):
So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (01:26):
Now I get I thought, oh, maybe she's in Nashville,
maybe she's in Texas, you know,one or two hours behind.
I had no idea that you wereactually in California.
SPEAKER_01 (01:35):
So I know I'm a West Coast girl, man.
And uh, even though I do love myNashville and I love my Texas,
I'm a West Coast girl.
SPEAKER_00 (01:43):
There you go.
Well, when you say West Coast,what's the name of the town?
Where are you?
SPEAKER_01 (01:47):
Um, we are in a tiny town.
So uh I moved to Californiabecause of my husband.
I got myself a Californiacowboy, and our town is called
Vina.
I'm sure you never heard of itbecause it's about 175 people.
Uh it's small, it's small.
There's way more cows than thereare people in our town, Skip.
SPEAKER_00 (02:07):
So that Olivia, let me ask you this before we get
into the heart of this wholepodcast here.
If I was to, you know, to driveinto your town, what's the first
thing I'm gonna see?
Is there uh even a Chick-fil-Aor is there a Buckeys or
anything?
SPEAKER_01 (02:20):
I ain't no Chick-fil-A, but you know, like
any good cowboy small town, wedo have a steakhouse.
Okay.
Uh, and so we could get you agood steak, and then um to
another one of my favoritethings, we have a winery.
So we've got a steakhouse, awinery, and then a little
convenience shop and a postoffice, and that pretty much
sums up our town.
Yeah, that's it.
SPEAKER_00 (02:40):
That's all you need.
Well, I mean, you gotta have alittle uh you gotta have a
grocery store.
SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
Yeah, we get the convenience.
I wouldn't say that if you needanything other than maybe like
the limited essentials, I thinkthen you should probably try to
drive into like Chico or or RedBluff, and those are each like
20-30 minutes away.
SPEAKER_00 (02:57):
I was gonna ask which way, probably in each
direction, depending on what youfeel like doing.
SPEAKER_01 (03:01):
That's right, wherever you want to point the
rig.
SPEAKER_00 (03:03):
Yeah, for anyone discovering you uh for the first
time, how would you describe whoOlivia Harms is?
SPEAKER_01 (03:10):
Well, you know, I grew up on a ranch in Oregon, so
that's where I'm originallyfrom.
The ranch has been in my familysince 1872, so 150 years.
So all my ancestors, you know,everybody that I grew up with,
we all have uh this deepranching in our veins because
it's what we've done forevercow, calf, beef, cattle, you
know, we make the steaks.
And uh I grew up like that.
(03:32):
My mom is a wonderful musician,so I grew up with like the
ranching and the music, and thenno wonder I turned into a
country western musician myself.
So I think you take all of thatand you mix it with the fact
that I lived in Nashville forthree years.
I pursued songwriting and themusic business in Nashville, and
COVID shut me down there, so Iwent back to the ranch, and then
I got tired of sitting in Oregonbecause love the West Coast, but
(03:55):
they weren't the first to recoupafter COVID and open their
doors.
So then I said, Well, heck withthat, I'll go down to Texas, and
so then I lived in Fort Worth,Texas for uh four or five years.
Yep, big town, big town.
They love real honky tonk musicthere.
Um, and then you know, now I'min California, so you mix the
honky tonk, the cowboys, alittle bit of like the West
(04:16):
Coast Bakersfield and Nashvilletogether, and you get Olivia
Harms.
SPEAKER_00 (04:19):
So, where did you meet your uh California cowboy?
SPEAKER_01 (04:23):
I met him at a music festival.
You know, where else does themusician meet her husband?
SPEAKER_00 (04:27):
I guess I I mean, does he have anything to do with
your band or his anything likethat?
No, not at all.
SPEAKER_01 (04:33):
He is he's as man as they come.
He's uh he's a cowboy himself,so we have uh a ranching
operation here in NorthernCalifornia, and then he has a
welding business, so he buildsflatbeds and bumpers, and yep,
he's all boy.
SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
I love that.
So your mom is that is it Joni?
Joni, Joni, and she's in thecountry music hall of fame.
She is how cool is that?
SPEAKER_01 (04:56):
It's so cool.
I mean, I'm really lucky to havehad her, she's been such an
inspiration, and a lot of timespeople will say, Well, how was
that?
Well, did you feel a lot ofpressure with having a very
successful musical mama, or didshe push you into it, or you
know, I'll get questions likethat, and it's it's totally the
opposite.
I've been so fortunate to haveher and have like a sounding
board whenever I have new musicor need advice, or even when
(05:17):
I've been going through thingsin my career, whether they're
good or bad, she really knowsexactly what I'm going through
because she'd been there.
SPEAKER_00 (05:25):
And how that it's gonna make it so easy, you know
what I mean?
Just to have somebody to fallback on like that, that can at
least maybe point you in theright direction or give you some
good advice, especiallyabsolutely, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (05:36):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, she's not only my mom,she's like, you know, the
greatest advice, like you say.
Because if you're saying, Mom,what am I gonna do?
Am I gonna where do I choose toto invest my money next since
I'm an independent artist?
Or or what do I do, you know,with this song?
Maybe I I feel like it needs togo somewhere.
She really gets it, she trulydoes because she's lived it.
SPEAKER_00 (05:58):
Absolutely.
Um, Olivia, when was the momentthat you knew music wasn't just
something you loved, butsomething you had to go after?
SPEAKER_01 (06:06):
You know, I wish I had a great memory of that
because my very first show wasactually two days old.
Uh, my mom was playing at thePortland Speedway, and she was
supposed to share the stage withClint Black, Ricky Skags, Laurie
Morgan, all these great countrymusic artists.
And uh, she was due with me, andI hadn't arrived yet.
So she goes into her doctor,who's luckily a country music
(06:27):
fan, and she said, Look, doc, Igotta have this kid so I don't
miss the gig.
And sure enough, that's what hesaid, all right, you come in,
we'll induce labor.
You get the kid on the ground,and my two days later.
Yeah, two days later.
She's like, Look what I did theother day.
So that's crazy.
Yeah, I mean, I wish I had likea distinct memory of knowing
that this is what I was put onearth to do, but I really just
(06:49):
grew up around it.
I went on the road with her.
I remember singing I Wanna Be aCowboy Sweetheart, probably at
like three or four years old.
I just loved it.
And I always like saw how happyshe was able to make people and
have people say, Joni, my one ofmy family members just passed
and sing you here tonight orthis song that you wrote, you've
helped me through such a hardtime, and you know, see them
(07:12):
just connect with music and itbrings them joy.
And I thought, boy, the world'sa hard enough place as it is.
If I can make someone happy,then I'll that's what I want to
do.
SPEAKER_00 (07:20):
There you go.
And I mean, do you have picturesof uh does your mom have like a
photo album and and there she isholding you on stage?
And look, say, look what poppedout of me two days ago, and here
I am on the stage.
SPEAKER_01 (07:31):
Straight out of the shoot, yeah.
She does.
She's she's like, Yeah, you wereyou didn't have a choice, you
just wrong with me.
SPEAKER_00 (07:37):
So awesome.
I didn't know that.
That is so cool.
SPEAKER_01 (07:40):
She's she's a tough cookie, if you will.
I love it.
I don't know.
SPEAKER_00 (07:45):
Do you um do you get back to Nashville very often?
SPEAKER_01 (07:49):
I do.
I try to spend a lot of timethere.
You know, it's been a little bitsparse over the last couple
years, but in 2025, I've beenable to spend a bunch of time
there.
I've already got a trip plannedfor 2026 in January.
Um, so there's there's still alot of things that I go to
Nashville for.
Some of the best songwriters arethere, the best recording
producers, all of that, andthat's really where the industry
(08:10):
is.
So, you know, I've never had themindset that I don't want to be
involved in Nashville.
It's just you got to get there,and my life hasn't allowed to be
a good idea.
SPEAKER_00 (08:17):
No, I totally get it.
I totally get that.
SPEAKER_01 (08:19):
Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (08:20):
Have you been to CRS at all?
The country radio seminar.
See, that's in March.
SPEAKER_01 (08:25):
I know.
I it's on my bucket list.
So I've really should go.
SPEAKER_00 (08:29):
But uh, you know, you you're already a step ahead
from uh a lot of others.
Of course, you've been doingthis for a little bit as well,
but uh definitely it would be toyour advantage to go.
SPEAKER_01 (08:39):
I mean, it's on my bucket list.
I'd I'd love to go, so maybeI'll have to make that happen
this year.
SPEAKER_00 (08:44):
Yeah, tell me about uh the television, uh national
TV.
That that's that's a massivestage.
And uh crazy.
What was going through your headthe very first time you stepped
on that?
SPEAKER_01 (08:56):
Uh I couldn't I couldn't believe it was real,
you know, like it was such ashock, anyways.
Uh, I did an audition for it.
I didn't know that the show waseven a thing.
So then to basically get a coldcall from Taylor Sheridan is
what happened to me and say, Doyou think you'd be interested in
a show I'm putting together withBlake Shelton?
(09:18):
I'd like to get you in touchwith my casting producers.
And so one thing led to another.
And sure, then you know I'm onthis stage with 11 amazing
country musicians and openingfor Keith Urban.
And I mean, just pinching myselfreally and counting my blessings
that I somehow was able to getrecruited and cast because, like
I said, it wasn't an auditionprocess.
(09:38):
They sought out 12 out of theUnited States and said, We think
you're all right.
You want to come be on the show?
I know.
SPEAKER_00 (09:44):
Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (09:45):
Like, I don't know.
I'm eventually gonna wake upfrom this dream and realize you
don't want to wake up.
SPEAKER_00 (09:50):
No, you're not gonna wake up.
Just keep it going, baby.
You know, um, has television uhdid it teach you any lessons
about uh, you know, the rest ofthe industry can't, you know, TV
does certain things, and beingon that side of it, has that
taught you any lessons?
SPEAKER_01 (10:06):
You know, I think that I was very authentic the
whole time that I I was on TVor, you know, while they were
filming, and that was my biggestgoal was to just be totally
authentic and who I am, and youknow, unapologetically so.
And so I think the best thing Ilearned from it is that I'm glad
I did that.
I'm glad and I think I need todo more of that because I think
watching it back, watching whatthe producers and you know the
(10:30):
film crew were able to capture.
I think some of the moments thatthat fans have connected to the
most have been the ones where Ikind of was like, oh, I can't
believe I said that, or oh,that, you know, that might have
been a little bit um just tooreal because sometimes in this
industry you feel like you needto put on a show or you know,
just be put together or be theentertainer all the time and
(10:51):
maybe not show weakness or youknow, the the parts of us that
are a little quirky.
And uh it was really neat to seethat I think people relate to
real, authentic, you know, notnot always put together, not TV
ready more than than we imagine.
SPEAKER_00 (11:07):
This is a skip happens and it happens.
So it totally does the more realthat you can be, the more people
are gonna love it, and they'regonna get just like me.
She's just well, you know what Imean?
SPEAKER_01 (11:20):
I think I think the best thing that I ended up
saying on TV was uh, you know,Blake Shalton was asking me
about ranching, and I said, Yes,I I still do, you know,
production egg, and you know, westill raise beef cattle.
And then he said, Do you workthe cows or do you just live
there?
And I said, No, I work, and youknow, when we do brandings or
we're processing or whatever, Iusually have a job and most of
(11:42):
the time I'm on the vaccine gun.
Um, but once in a while they doput me to work and I have done
other things, and you know, Igot to talking and eventually it
slipped out that I said, I doknow how to castrate.
And of course, that's what theychose to put on national TV.
The first clip of Olivia beinglike, I can castorate if you
need me to.
SPEAKER_00 (12:02):
But but you know what?
That that'll get everybody'sattention, and that's what you
want, that's what it's about.
SPEAKER_01 (12:07):
That's right, that's right.
If that doesn't get attention,then boy, I don't know what
would you know.
SPEAKER_00 (12:12):
It's kind of led into what I was gonna ask, which
kind of explained it rightthere, that you know, when
people watch that on TV, for thefor the most part, uh they're
getting a polished version.
But uh, this is like, yeah, thatwent on TV.
But there's a lot of things thatgo on behind the scenes that
people uh would never believe.
SPEAKER_01 (12:29):
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, I mean, there's there'sdefinitely parts of you know the
process where they they filmedit and then no one ever gets to
see it.
Uh, like our our firstperformance, there was uh we
each did a cover song, and thatgot totally cut out of you know
the finished product.
Nobody saw the the first episodecover songs.
(12:50):
Um, there was also some likegatherings and just little
things.
I know that they get a lack oftime that they can, you know,
crank out.
If you get 90 minutes, you gotto be really careful what you
put in the 90 minutes, andsomething's gonna have to go.
But it was interesting to seewhat they they picked from all
the footage that they got.
SPEAKER_00 (13:07):
Wow.
Interesting.
Yeah, it's it's crazy.
Why did why do you think?
Oh, they must have cut that outbecause of time.
SPEAKER_01 (13:14):
I think so.
I think that they just said, youknow, you each did two songs,
they started with 12.
Um, so that's 24 songs, and eachsong was really like put down
into a condensed version.
Uh, I think we were only onstage opening for keys maybe
three minutes because each song,our original and our cover had
been condensed to a minute 30each.
So that's about three minutes,and then you have 12
(13:37):
entertainers.
So I mean, that's still eventhough the songs are shortened,
it's still a pretty lengthy bitof time.
SPEAKER_00 (13:44):
So you're working on the ranch, and you have working
on the ranch.
And you have the cattle.
Are they you did you say theywere beef cattle?
SPEAKER_01 (13:51):
Beef cattle.
unknown (13:52):
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (13:52):
Do you ever get attached to some of the cattle?
I mean, the little ones they'rethey're so adorable.
SPEAKER_01 (13:59):
They are pretty adorable.
I I got attached when wheneverwe have like bottle calves or
leppy calves, we'll call themsometimes, you know, the ones
where their moms don't want themor something awful happens, and
then it's on you to bottle feedthem and be the mama.
And those are pretty cute whenthey get excited to see you
every day.
And those ones are really hardto let go of.
So you always hope that it's aheifer or you know, a girl so
(14:22):
that then you can, you know, ithas a purpose going forward.
Sometimes you can't always keepthe the boys, but um, you know,
with it it is hard.
I think you just try really hardnot to think about it and then
know like you know your big partin the world, feeding the world,
and try to focus focus on thepot to be around on shipping day
(14:45):
most of the time.
Okay, I'll go around air friendsin town or something.
SPEAKER_00 (14:48):
I wouldn't want to be there.
It's just uh you know, I loveanimals.
And even even even with thecattle, you know, we know it's a
way of life and the beef cattle,and I'm a steak eater.
I totally get that, but uh I Idon't know, I still find it
hard.
Still find it hard.
SPEAKER_01 (15:02):
It is hard.
It is good to see where the comefrom, though.
I think that's a reallyridiculous is when you look out
there and you see that they havelike humane, perfect life.
They're happy out there, they'rehappy, all those things coming
into your body is a happy,healthy if if we didn't browse
(15:24):
and we wouldn't have steak.
So it's kind of reassuring to belike this is how it was meant to
be.
They have a really good life,and and then we get something
good to eat at dinner time.
SPEAKER_00 (15:33):
Yeah.
Any horses?
SPEAKER_01 (15:35):
We do have a couple horses, yes.
And you know, that's that'salways so fun.
We have a couple horses, we havethree cow dogs between the the
two of us, my husband and I.
Uh, I came with two cow dogs,and he came with one, and so now
we're a blended family, and Ihave to go like three miles a
day to to just to keep thesedogs worn out because they're
such high-energy creatures, butyeah, but we've got it.
SPEAKER_00 (15:57):
You call them.
I mean, I know we're off themusic.
I told you we'd go down a road.
Um I love it, and but we're offthe subject of the music for
just a few minutes.
But uh, cow dogs?
What cow dogs, so yeah, are isthat their breed?
They're called cow dogs.
SPEAKER_01 (16:12):
They all the we have three different breeds, but
they're all of like the cow dogvariety.
So we have one red bordercollie, uh, and then I have uh a
blue healer Australian shepherdcross.
Oh wow, and then I've got a uhborder collie catahula cross.
So they're all really good forfor herding cows and moving
cows, uh, but they all have alittle something different in
(16:33):
them.
SPEAKER_00 (16:34):
What are their names?
SPEAKER_01 (16:35):
Uh mine are Luna and Elmer, and then my husband
brought in Sam.
So Sam.
So now we've got Luna, Elmer,and Sam.
Sam.
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (16:45):
Sam.
I did a thing on air today.
I was talking about the I thinkit was the top 10 pet names uh
for dogs.
I mean, Ariba and Whalen and uhNashville was on there.
I mean names like that.
Yeah, I thought that wasinteresting.
That's why I asked you, youknow, what their names were.
I was just kind of curious.
SPEAKER_01 (17:02):
Yeah, you hear some really unique ones.
And then there's you know,there's lots of buddies, and I
mean, you know, all those onesthat are so common, but but tell
me about oh, I'm sorry.
No, no, we have a good time withthem.
SPEAKER_00 (17:15):
Awesome.
Tell me, tell me about uh, youknow, when you were recognized
by Cowgirl magazine, uh that's ahuge, big time nod to who you
are in the Western culture.
Yeah.
And what did that uh honor meanto you?
SPEAKER_01 (17:30):
I I got uh no uh notified was gonna be last, I
think, up to 2021 to 22.
So this is a couple years back,and it's incredible because they
hosted it in the bank ceremony.
Uh they had it as a drover, sothat there's folks familiar
whoever is the pretty moviehotel, and you just feel like
(17:54):
amazing to be 29 women who arereally movers and shakers in the
Western area that are reallymaking things happen.
You have a musician, uh to thefemale veterinarians, females
that are in markets, uh, thatare you know in the Houston
(18:15):
rodeo, you have all sorts of umagricultural cultural farmers
from the Middle East that aredoing that.
And uh really, really neat tosee the the the diversity and
then be able to meet all thesenew sisters and and have
throughout the cowgirl industryfor sure.
SPEAKER_00 (18:32):
Yeah, you know, cowgirl a magazine, of course, a
type of magazine that definitelycelebrates strong, authentic
women.
Um who in that world inspiresyou, by the way?
SPEAKER_01 (18:45):
Oh man, there's there's so many.
Yeah, it is a tough questionbecause there's so many.
You know, the the instinctanswer is my mom.
Uh but a second one for me is uhmy hat sponsor.
Her name is Shorty, and she's inthe Cowgirl Hall of Fame, which
is you know next level becausethey're they're just uh Cowgirl
30 under 30 on steroids.
(19:06):
You look at those women andyou're like, wow, they have
really made a difference in theworld.
And uh she started out makinghats in Oklahoma and really just
kind of started with nothing.
She bought a hat shop from anold guy and just a little tiny
small town, and now she makesthe best hats in the world and
they're highly sought after.
And all of the the big horsepeople want to have one of hers.
(19:28):
And so to see what she's madeout of herself is something that
I really strive to to do.
SPEAKER_00 (19:34):
I got it.
What was um off the top of myhead?
I'm just thinking of a certainquestion here.
Um what was the very first songyou ever you ever wrote?
SPEAKER_01 (19:45):
First song I ever wrote.
Uh, it was probably about myhometown.
I remember coming home fromschool, and you know, I knew
ever since I was a little kidthat I this is what I wanted to
do.
And I thought I'm gonna have tohave a song about where I'm from
because if people are gonna bekind enough to listen to me,
they probably want to know whatmy story is or want to know who
the heck is Olivia Harms.
(20:07):
So I'm lucky, not you can't dothis with every small town, but
can be organ, uh, you can kindof turn that into a hook and say
you can be whatever you want tobe, and can be, you know, that
was my my little idea from myearly songwriting brain.
And I went up and I worked on ita couple days after school and
you know, kind of thought I hadmaybe made a good song.
And I remember going downstairsto my mom's office and knocking
(20:30):
on the door and saying, Wouldyou happen to have a couple
minutes to listen to this newsong I wrote?
And of course, she sits down andis all excited, and I get
through it.
And uh she just I was nervous,right?
I was like, here's my mom, she'sso good, and she's gonna have
some sort of critique or oradvice on what I should change.
And instead, I got to the endand she just said, That's a
really good hook.
(20:50):
I wish I would have thought ofthat myself.
SPEAKER_00 (20:52):
That that that's you know, it's in the family.
You were your brain was alreadyin that mode.
How old?
Can I ask approximately how oldwere you?
SPEAKER_01 (21:02):
I think I was 10, 10 or 11.
SPEAKER_00 (21:04):
Okay, all right.
Do you still play that song?
SPEAKER_01 (21:07):
Oh, yeah, I still have people that come up and
request it, and it just ticklesme because they'll be like, Do
you still play that Cambi song?
Uh yeah, I'm you know, stillproud to be have Cambi be my
hometown.
So oh my god, I love that.
SPEAKER_00 (21:22):
I love that.
You know, I talk to a lot ofartists, and when I ask that
question, they'll go, Oh, yeah,yeah, I wrote this song, and
I'll go, Do you remember it?
And they'll go, Yeah, but Idon't want to, you know, or
they're like, It was so bad.
But that's yeah, you know, butwow, that that's pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (21:36):
You definitely progress, you know, you should,
right?
Like you shouldn't just bestagnant in your songwriting.
So now that I'm have been in itfor over 15, 20 years, I guess.
Oh, yeah.
Um, I'm glad that I've gotten alittle bit better.
But for a first song, I don't, Istill not too bad.
It's got all the little piecesand parts, and it's catchy.
People sing along, so it can'tbe that bad if it's catchy.
SPEAKER_00 (21:58):
Now, what would be your latest project right now?
SPEAKER_01 (22:01):
Yeah, I've been doing uh a ton of writing this
fall.
You know, it's been really goodto get back into it and just
feel re-inspired after, youknow, the show and being a part
of the road.
And so I've got quite a few newsongs that I'm taking to
Nashville in 2026 and puttingtogether my third album, which
is crazy to think about, butvery exciting.
Um, so you know, definitely somegreat new tunes.
(22:23):
The most recent one I finisheduh was kind of like uh a
reinvented Ghostwriters in theSky.
I used to love that song.
Oh, yeah.
And uh, you know, there's notanother one like it.
I felt like it needed anotherchapter or like a uh, you know,
a story from the woman's pointof view that maybe dated one of
the ghostwriters.
And and so that's what we'vebeen working on.
SPEAKER_00 (22:43):
I love that.
So what I've seen and heard,your songwriting is both uh
personal and cinematic.
What inspires your writing thesedays?
SPEAKER_01 (22:51):
It all has to come from uh at least a little bit of
a true story or a true place,whether I'm taking it from one
of my friends or you know,something that I've seen while
I've been traveling or a realexperience.
And uh, like for one of mysongs, example is Hey There
Cowboy.
I used to take a bunch of mygirlfriends with me when I'd go
play at the beer gardens afterrodeos and they'd go wander
(23:13):
around and have fun, and I'd beup there with the band working,
and and then I'd get done andthey'd come over and they'd say,
Oh my gosh, we've heard some ofjust the most ridiculous pickup
lines tonight, and you wouldn'tbelieve it.
And I would always say, Yeah,these guys, they gotta learn.
That's not that's not working sowell for them.
How did it did it hurt when youfell?
No.
SPEAKER_00 (23:33):
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (23:34):
Uh so finally I was just cruising through Nashville
and uh I was like on the end ofa really long riding day, and I
was just thinking, I better, youknow, just play around with this
idea about what would I say orwhat would my friends and I say
if a boy came up to us and heythere, cowboy, what's your name?
You know, I'm not into playingany games.
And so I took a little video ofit and sent it to my girlfriends
(23:54):
and was like, ah, here's a jokefor you, and you know, listen to
this one.
And they said, You gotta finishthat, Liv.
Like you, you have to finish it.
And so I'm really, I'm reallythankful that uh I went on and
took their advice because thatsong's done pretty good for me.
SPEAKER_00 (24:09):
I was listening to that just a just a little bit
ago.
I was just looking on my phonehere to see if I still had it
up, but I didn't have it up.
I was gonna play a little uhlittle clip of it.
So, but uh definitely goodstuff.
That was like uh I think thevideo was five years ago.
SPEAKER_01 (24:23):
I know, yeah.
Time flies, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (24:26):
Time does crazy.
Time does fly.
SPEAKER_01 (24:28):
Oh, and then sometimes trying to juggle
everything as an independentartist, you know, it does get to
be tricky, and that's why I'vebeen really excited to get back
into songwriting just this lastfall.
Uh, because you get so busy withtrying to stay up on social
media, you get busy with tryingto book your own gigs, be the
planner, be the manager, youknow, make sure you have merch,
yeah, be all the things.
(24:48):
And then before you know it,you're out of time and you're
trying to figure out what youshould do next.
SPEAKER_00 (24:52):
All that being said, though, are you very happy being
an independent artist?
Because if you weren't, youweren't independent and you were
signed with a major label, you'dhave other people doing a lot of
that for you.
But then again, there's a lot ofuh financial responsibilities
that come with that, that it'snot cheap.
SPEAKER_01 (25:11):
So yeah.
You know, I think I'm I'm soblessed that I've been able to
do something for a living that Ilove so much and I'm able to
make a very good living at it.
Um, but I wouldn't be upset toto let go of the reins a little
bit one day and have somebodyhelp me out if it was the right
match and if I found the right,you know, the right label or
(25:31):
somebody that really got thekind of music that I make and
they were willing to help me.
Uh, I would be really happy tomaybe just let go of a little
bit, let somebody else do mostof the booking and stress about
that, maybe have somebody elsewith a little bit of, you know,
label with some funding so Icould make more music and put it
out quicker and get to radiostations.
Because even just to promote asingle uh in Texas as an
(25:53):
independent artist, it's usuallyabout four to five grand a cut,
and that's just independently.
SPEAKER_00 (25:58):
So a lot of people don't realize that.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (26:01):
No, and I mean the single runs for I mean, maybe 30
weeks if you're lucky, and thenthen you're gonna have to do
another one.
So, and then you gotta stay upwith the the recording, and
usually each time that yourecord a side, that's at least
four to five grand again persingle.
If you want to get it recordedproperly and sound good, and so
it's just kind of like thisnever-ending amount of where do
(26:24):
you put your money and whatshould you invest it in?
SPEAKER_00 (26:26):
Who do you trust for sure?
You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01 (26:30):
So, and nobody is gonna work as hard as you.
That's the one thing I'velearned.
SPEAKER_00 (26:34):
It's kind of where I was going because that would be
the you know, it'll it has to beyou.
SPEAKER_01 (26:38):
It does, you have to be, yeah, whether you like it or
not.
I know I had to it is, but it'sworth it if you get to, you
know, have success and everylittle nugget that you you kind
of latch on to, and you say,Wow, all of this hard work that
I've put in.
Uh, and I guess it was worth itbecause I I got to this level,
and then you look ahead and yousay, Wow, I gotta get up here.
SPEAKER_00 (27:01):
Yeah, but you're getting there, you're going.
SPEAKER_01 (27:03):
That's right.
Step by step.
That's right.
SPEAKER_00 (27:05):
Step by step, one fan at a time.
You just keep keep buildingthat, baby.
Just keep doing that.
That's right.
SPEAKER_01 (27:12):
You just keep going.
SPEAKER_00 (27:13):
I've been watching it and I've been in radio for
quite a while, and I see a lotof artists like you.
Um, you know, and I see that.
And I always say it's it's onefan at a time.
It's it's just a step at a time.
Don't try to do too much tooquick, you know.
Just build it.
You've been doing it for awhile.
I get that.
But and you also got thebackground, you get the family
background, which is all prettycool.
A lot of people do not, uh, butuh, you know, you're very lucky
(27:37):
with that.
And of course, knowing your momand who she is, that's that's
pretty awesome.
That's pretty awesome.
SPEAKER_01 (27:42):
So, you know, it's not been a bad life so far, so I
can't complain.
We hope to get up here, but it'sbeen pretty good so far.
SPEAKER_00 (27:48):
I get it.
Well, uh so in California,what's the weather like right
now?
SPEAKER_01 (27:53):
Yeah, it was kind of chilly today.
We had a lot of fog.
I took the dogs on my you knowthree mile adventure like I do
every day, and uh it was kind ofchilly, and we had to put the
coat on, and you know, but itwas all right, all right.
SPEAKER_00 (28:04):
Hold on, Olivia.
When you say chilly, what do youmean by temperature?
SPEAKER_01 (28:08):
I think with like the fog and the moisture in the
air, I think it was around like45.
SPEAKER_00 (28:13):
Oh, yeah.
All right, never mind.
I thought it was like a littlebit warmer because that's
basically what it was here inthe northeast today.
But we're talking, but we'retalking about snow right after
Thanksgiving, and we're talkinganywhere from three inches to a
couple feet, depending on whereyou are.
SPEAKER_01 (28:28):
Oh my gosh, are you ready for that?
SPEAKER_00 (28:31):
I've lived here all my life.
SPEAKER_01 (28:33):
Yeah, it gets old news.
I don't even know what to do.
SPEAKER_00 (28:36):
I don't know if you know this or not, but we have
what they call lake effect.
Lake effect, yeah, it's wherethe cold air blows across the
lake, and in my neck of thewoods, it's Lake Ontario.
So when the uh the cold aircomes across the warmer waters,
it just it snows, and we'll geta foot of snow in one night.
And I'll still hear the schoolbuses going by in the morning.
I mean, we you know, we're we'vegot the equipment around here to
(28:59):
handle it, the men and womenthat go out and do what they
gotta do, and you know, otherplaces like Nashville, for
example, they get a dusting ofsnow, it's closed.
SPEAKER_01 (29:07):
Oh my gosh, isn't that so true?
Even in Oregon, a lot of places,yeah, yeah, they'll just panic
out and say we're done.
SPEAKER_00 (29:14):
Yeah, or Oregon, Oregon or Oregon, or Oregon,
like what you got in your body,Oregon.
Oregon, Oregon, where you from,Oregon.
SPEAKER_01 (29:24):
Yeah, how about um what's the other ones that
always gets folks?
Uh salmon.
SPEAKER_00 (29:28):
Salmon.
The salmon.
We have the salmon river.
SPEAKER_01 (29:32):
Yeah, so you guys got it.
I've heard salmon a lot oftimes.
SPEAKER_00 (29:36):
Salmon.
SPEAKER_01 (29:37):
Salmon.
And that one always gives you alittle bit of a I get it.
SPEAKER_00 (29:42):
I get it.
No, I guess you know, we saySyracuse because obviously
that's where I am in Syracuse.
SPEAKER_01 (29:48):
Syracuse.
SPEAKER_00 (29:49):
That that was good.
That was good.
SPEAKER_01 (29:51):
I have been told that I have like a mix of, I
don't know if it's an organthing, but I have been told I
have a mix of like up north andthen.
Like southern accent, and Idon't know how that works
together or where it comes from,but I that's what I've been
told.
SPEAKER_00 (30:07):
I think it sounds pretty good.
I I don't hear the southernaccent, maybe a little bit,
very, very little.
SPEAKER_01 (30:12):
But uh maybe it depends on what region I'm in
and how different they think Iam.
SPEAKER_00 (30:17):
It could be, right?
Tell me, uh, tell me a littlebit about your band.
Are they still what theRoadrunners?
SPEAKER_01 (30:22):
The Roadrunners.
SPEAKER_00 (30:24):
Yes.
So this is the same bunch ofguys that you play with right
along.
SPEAKER_01 (30:28):
Oh man, yeah, I've been with the Roadrunners for a
while, and I got so lucky and sofortunate to find them.
Uh, you'll have to listen tothis.
This is I found two brothers,and one of them plays fiddle and
one of them plays steel guitar.
So two of the most, you know,unique instruments, and they
both play, and they're bothextremely talented, and they're
good boys.
(30:48):
Uh, I'm not rolling them out ofbed at eight in the morning when
we're hitting the road to thenext place.
They they stay clean, they'regood boys, and we all look out
for each other, and and so I'mreally lucky.
Um, they'll they'll go with meto Vegas, and that's that's our
next little run.
SPEAKER_00 (31:02):
Oh, you're doing the Vegas run.
SPEAKER_01 (31:04):
We are all right.
SPEAKER_00 (31:06):
Where we're about to go.
Are you gonna see any showswhile you're there?
For example, are you gonna go tothe sphere?
SPEAKER_01 (31:10):
And uh we don't know.
I've heard about the sphere.
I don't know if I'm gonna havetime to go, but I have seen it
looks incredible.
SPEAKER_00 (31:18):
From what I've seen, it looks incredible.
SPEAKER_01 (31:20):
Yeah, yeah.
We're going for uh the NationalFinals rodeo.
SPEAKER_00 (31:24):
Um, mention the rodeo.
SPEAKER_01 (31:26):
Yeah, I mean, lots of folks know what it is, but
just in case there's somelisteners that don't know, it's
like the Super Bowl of rodeo,and it happens for 10 nights,
and that's where uh the top 15from each event, you know, bull
bull riding, steer wrestling,barrel racing, all of it, the
top 15 from all year long, theycompete for the number one spot
(31:47):
in each event.
SPEAKER_00 (31:47):
And uh, or are you going are you a big fan as well
as will you be performing?
SPEAKER_01 (31:55):
Both.
So I am a big, I'm a big rodeogirl that goes hand in hand with
you know ranching and rodeo,cowgirl stuff.
Yeah, I know.
Yeah, it doesn't take ascientist to figure that one
out, but uh I also am playing.
I'm playing a couple nights atthe Westgate Hotel and Casino,
which is where they have a lotof watch parties that they'll
call them as you know, noteverybody can go to the Thomas
(32:16):
and Mac and and get theirtickets to watch live every
night, but they do a lot ofwatch parties and live streams.
So I'm playing at that.
Um playing at a big event forMontana Silversmiths, uh playing
at like a pre-party at Thomasand Mac.
So there's all sorts of stuffgoing on.
SPEAKER_00 (32:30):
Just going on nonstop, back to back to back.
I know are you driving becauseit's not it's really not a bad
drive from California today.
SPEAKER_01 (32:39):
Yeah, it wouldn't be a terrible drive, but I think it
would still probably take abouteight or nine hours from where
we're at.
And so I think since myhusband's gonna come with me,
and you know, we're gonna I canput a bunch of my stuff in his
bag, I'm sure he'll love that.
We'll fly down and it'll it'llbe a little bit more.
SPEAKER_00 (32:56):
You got the backpack, you got the two
suitcases.
SPEAKER_01 (32:58):
That's exactly right, I know how that goes.
You must know how that is.
SPEAKER_00 (33:02):
I know exactly how that is.
I can fit, I can stay for a weekuh and live out of my backpack
as long as I have underwear,socks, a couple pairs of jeans,
some t-shirts, I'm good to go.
My deodorant, my toothbrush, I'mgood.
I'm good.
SPEAKER_01 (33:14):
You're good.
SPEAKER_00 (33:14):
You know what I mean?
I'm good.
SPEAKER_01 (33:16):
Yep.
SPEAKER_00 (33:16):
Now, my wife, on the other hand, you know, four or
five pairs of shoes to say theleast, the makeup bag alone.
Right, you got, you know, I cango on and on and on.
SPEAKER_01 (33:25):
You know, well, she sounds like she's got it figured
out.
We'd be pressed.
SPEAKER_00 (33:27):
She does.
She does.
She's a good, she's a goodwoman.
She's got it all figured out.
Um, let's talk about uh, youknow, you've talked openly about
your faith and about stayinggrounded.
How has your faith guided youthrough moments in this
industry?
And especially you as anindependent, and you know it's
tough.
You were telling me how tough itcan be, but how has that guided
(33:48):
you?
SPEAKER_01 (33:49):
You know, I think especially in either time, lows
or highs, because this industry,as rewarding as it can be, it
really is, is filled with lotsof mountains and lots of
valleys.
Where as soon as you get up hereand you know, maybe you get a
call that you're gonna be on theroad.
Like as soon as I got that call,uh, that they were even remotely
interested in me, I remember Iwent to my knees and I was just
(34:10):
thanking the Lord that, youknow, if I got this opportunity
that I would try to shine hislight and do him proud and let
other people know how wonderfulhe is.
And uh then you get through it,and then you have to wait and
you have to sign the NDA, or youknow, I got sent home.
And I, of course, because I'm adream chaser, wanted to stay on
the show longer.
And you wonder, like, why didn'tit happen?
(34:31):
How come I didn't, how come, youknow, I got all built up down
here, and then it was time toget sent home.
And and you know, I think yourfaith really does help you get
through those things because youknow in your heart and you can
trust in God that He's got abigger plan for you.
And if something doesn't workout, then He's got something
better in the future.
And that has happened to me somany times where I'll say, Why
(34:54):
didn't this come to fruition?
And then, you know, just downthe pipe a little ways after
you've kind of been upset or sador bummed or whatever your
emotion was that one thingdidn't work out, you really see
in God's time that what he hadplanned was way better than what
you could have ever imagined.
SPEAKER_00 (35:11):
It kind of uh the question I was gonna ask, and
you just kind of answered it,was uh, you know, when there was
was there a time, was there atime that when you thought maybe
this isn't going to work?
And then faith family fans keptyou going.
I know you're just talking aboutfaith, you know, what you
believe in, and you know he'sthere, and if that didn't work,
(35:33):
something else is going to work.
I mean, that's the whole reason.
SPEAKER_01 (35:35):
Absolutely, yeah.
I mean, there's there's beenmany times, especially in music
business.
I think anytime that you go offthe beaten path and you pursue a
career that isn't maybe uhnormal in today's society, I
don't think it's just music.
I think there's lots of peoplethat could relate to this.
Um, you know, it's it's justharder.
I'm responsible for my myincome.
(35:57):
There's nobody out there that isgonna pay me from nine to five
because I show up.
Like I've had months where whenI was living in Texas, the
electric bill is crazy becausethey don't have well insulation
there, and you're trying to staywarm, and then next thing you
know, you're saying, Holy cow,how am I gonna afford this bill?
And you're trying to piecetogether some work because you
(36:19):
know, sometimes there's slowmonths in music, not everybody's
willing to go out, and and italways comes through, but I I
think that you know, anybodythat's self-employed or
struggling with that, you reallyhave to have faith because it
would be really difficult tojust trust that what you're
doing is is the right thing ifyou if you didn't like have God
(36:39):
to consult that with.
And I've so many times beenlike, is this what you want me
to do?
I feel like it is.
I feel like, you know, wheneverI pray that, then a couple of
days later or a week or twolater, someone will come up to
me and they'll just say, Thankyou.
You you really made my evening,or you there you go, you know,
save me.
And that's all you really needto then just keep on going.
SPEAKER_00 (36:59):
Exactly.
It's gonna, you know, they'llsay, Yeah, you're doing the
right thing.
Yeah, yes, absolutely.
What does um you're chasing yourdream?
You've been doing this for alittle bit.
Your dream of uh being incountry music, and you're
putting out, man, I'll tell thatI love the traditional sound, I
love all that, and by the way,all that is coming back.
I mean, when you listen to yourZach Topps, when you listen to
(37:21):
uh other artists along thoselines, uh Drake Milligan is
another one that likes to do therockabilly or send it back to
some of those days.
Um, you know, like AlanJackson's Chattahoochee, I love
that song.
And I just think that is themusic, and all that is coming
back.
So, what you're doing with moreon the traditional side, of my
opinion, I could be wrong.
(37:42):
I hope I'm not.
But I think it's all it's justgoing full circle.
SPEAKER_01 (37:45):
So it's it's you're right on the I sure hope so.
I hope so.
You know, I um I try not to, youknow, let that get to me uh
because I know there's been lotsof people who have been doing it
a long time, and just because Ihave been, you know, doing it
ever since I was two days olddoesn't mean that I love that
really doing it since I was twodays old.
(38:06):
Um, you know, and and I have tohumble myself once in a while
too, and say there was a daywhere all I wanted to do was
just be able to afford a nicelifestyle through my music.
And, you know, employ a band allsummer or all year just by
playing music.
And you slowly get those.
And I think all too often we'llreach a step and then we just
(38:28):
think about the next step, andwe never take a second to look
back and be like, wow, Iactually I actually was able to
do that.
So I have conquered some dreams.
You know, if you just take asecond and be like, actually, I
have made quite a few dreamscome true.
We just have a whole bunch thatare up here still that we're
working towards.
SPEAKER_00 (38:47):
You'll get to them.
You'll get to them.
SPEAKER_01 (38:49):
Well, we're hoping.
We're not slowing down, Skip.
SPEAKER_00 (38:51):
It's within your reach.
What does it really look for youday to day?
You know, what what what peopledon't see?
What is it really, you know,chasing your dream?
What does that look, you know,day by day?
SPEAKER_01 (39:02):
Yeah, people ask that.
And I mean, man, I just I feellike I do it all.
You know, there's it's always amix between emails and catching
up on text messages and andsocial media messages and trying
to create content and then makesure that you're posting the
content and editing it all, andthat takes a bunch of time, let
alone like the driving.
I just got done with a road tripto Texas, and then you're
(39:23):
driving all day and you get homeand you gotta unpack or repack
for the next trip.
And you know, I I'm so fortunateand I love being a wife now, but
then that means I have to dolaundry and you know, go to the
grocery store or fill orderswhen they come through.
Somebody wants some merch, sothen you gotta go and and fill
that or plan the tour, go bookthe gigs.
It never ends, so never endsevery day is is different, and I
(39:45):
usually don't sit down until theend unless I've been doing some
emails and stuff.
But I like to be busy, so I'mI'm I'm grateful.
SPEAKER_00 (39:53):
I was just gonna say, but you love it.
SPEAKER_01 (39:55):
I do, I do.
I I you love it, I think it isway too hard and way too much to
do if uh I didn't absolutelylove what I do.
SPEAKER_00 (40:05):
Absolutely.
You've played so many differentkinds of shows.
So we're talking about therodeo, uh the fairs, you've been
in listening rooms.
What's your favorite environmentto play in?
SPEAKER_01 (40:17):
Anywhere where they're listening and they care,
you know, that can be fivepeople in the living room, or it
can be one of the most iconicvenues, like Green Hall or the
Bluebird, or you know, anywonderful venues like that.
If you have a crowd and you canjust feel that you've got them
in the palm there of your handand and they're listening and
(40:38):
they care about the music you'remaking and they care about your
little stories that you'retelling and where the music came
from, that's that's all thatmatters.
SPEAKER_00 (40:46):
You know what bothers me is if I go to uh go
to see somebody play, whetherit's here, Nashville, wherever,
when I go and people justcontinue to talk, they're on
their phones, you hear the beephere, beep there, text message,
phone rings, people and theartist is trying to play, you
just want to go.
Well, you shut up and listen.
Yeah, that is so rude, you know.
(41:08):
So I I hear you, you want peopleto hear.
SPEAKER_01 (41:11):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (41:11):
That's all it's about.
SPEAKER_01 (41:13):
I understand.
Sometimes people go out, youknow.
If I'm playing in a winery or abrewery, or you know, we I've
played it all.
So then you understand that ifsomebody is coming to unwind or
or have a you know dinner orsomething, of course they're
gonna be visiting and chatting,and that's not always so bad.
It's just uh I've played acouple times where they'll have
(41:33):
a stage right next to like achildren's playground, and then
I love kids, I love them, but tohave them just screaming on and
off the stage and in front ofyou, and it just even gets a
little bit hard to be like, Whyam I here?
Or what am I singing?
Like, what am I doing here?
SPEAKER_00 (41:53):
Yeah, I look at it, you know, you deserve the
respect.
That's you know what it's about.
Give me a uh Olivia.
Do you have any good roadstories?
I mean, maybe something that waschaotic, funny, embarrassing.
What comes to mind when I askedyou?
SPEAKER_01 (42:06):
We we've got them all.
Uh, let's see.
Well, when I was uh driving toTexas, so for a period of my
life I lived in a travel trailerbecause right after COVID, uh
the West Coast was all shutdown, you know, like they were
not the first ones to open up.
And I decided that I wanted togo to Texas and play music where
they were open, and I thought,well, people like honky tonks
(42:27):
there, they like traditionalcountry.
Maybe I've got a shot in Texas.
So I decided that I would buy atravel trailer and hook it up to
my little F-150 pickup, load upmy two cow dogs, and uh off I
went, driving, you know, outinto the middle of nowhere.
And I was like, I'm gonna makeit to Texas, and and I did, and
it was a wonderful trip.
But uh on my way back, uh,inevitably I got a flat tire.
(42:50):
And uh I remember I was outthere.
I mean, I went through all sortsof weird weather, but I was I
got the tire changed, and then Igot back on the road, and then I
hit like a whiteout, and it wasanother one of those moments
where it was like definitely aGod thing because I was truly
panicking, and you can't whenyou can't see anything on the
road.
I'm sure you guys have have beenup there where it's totally
(43:11):
white.
And I'm not just being like aCalifornia girl saying it was
like snowing lightly, like Icouldn't see.
And uh I remember just beinglike, follow the semi, you know,
I can't slow down or get off theroad because I I would get stuck
if I got off the road and Iwouldn't be able to get back on
or someone would see me.
And I was really praying my waythrough it when it started to
(43:32):
let up a little bit, and then mymom called.
And uh I was she's like, I don'tknow.
I just felt like I just feltlike God was tapping me on the
shoulder and telling me that Ineeded to call you.
And you know, after kind of arough day of the tire and the
snow and everything else, I waslike, All right, here I am.
That still didn't stop me.
Uh even still here I am, stillgoing on.
SPEAKER_00 (43:54):
Isn't that amazing how that works?
It is seriously, that's amazing.
SPEAKER_01 (43:58):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00 (43:59):
The mom knew something told her she goes, I
better call Olivia.
SPEAKER_01 (44:03):
Yep.
And I was like, you know, thewater works kick in when you
when you hear from mama.
SPEAKER_00 (44:08):
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
What um what's always in yourguitar case?
Anything good?
I mean, besides guitar, ofcourse.
SPEAKER_01 (44:15):
Oh, of course, the guitar.
Um, I usually have some old setlists or spare set lists just in
case I ever need one of those.
Uh spare strings, spare capoepicks.
Um, but probably a unique thingis I always keep chapstick in
there.
I am a big sucker for uh Bert'sbeeswax chapstick, and uh I
don't know why that's my brand,but it is, and so I always have
some of that in there and maybesome snacks.
(44:36):
Uh, you know, you gotta you knowwhen you need a snack.
SPEAKER_00 (44:39):
What's one thing you won't travel without?
SPEAKER_01 (44:42):
Oh man, um, probably it's probably turned into my
hat, honestly, is I I've used tohate that.
I used to hate watching my momstruggle with, you know, a hat
and a guitar and her carry-on.
And sometimes when you're dogtired and you're getting up at 2
a.m.
to catch a flight, you don'twant to put a hat on.
And so you kind of try to likeput it in a bag or something,
(45:04):
but then you don't and you don'twant it to get squished.
And uh I used to just be like,mom, this is such a pain in the
rear.
Like, why are you bringing this?
And um, now I've you know I'vegone and turned into my mom, and
now I always bring my hat withme anywhere I go for a show.
SPEAKER_00 (45:19):
Well, you know, that's part of you, seriously.
It is the hat is part of you,and I've made a lot of different
country audiences gotta havetheir hat.
SPEAKER_01 (45:27):
Oh, absolutely.
And you would be surprised howmany times I go to a sound check
and someone will come up to meand they'll be like, Are you are
are you Olivia?
And I'm like, Yeah, oh, I wouldyou just don't look the same.
You're you're not wearing yourhat.
I think I don't sleep in it, Ihave to take it off sometimes.
SPEAKER_00 (45:45):
Oh my god.
But see, that's what I mean.
That it's a part of you, that'show they know you.
SPEAKER_01 (45:49):
It is, it's turned into a whole branding.
SPEAKER_00 (45:52):
Yeah, you've um you obviously have checked off a lot
of uh big milestones, andthere's more to come.
Uh, but what do you think?
What's next?
And what are you excited aboutin this next year?
SPEAKER_01 (46:04):
Definitely new music.
I'm really excited to get backin the studio and put out my
third album.
It's it's been far too long, youknow.
When I look back and say, wow,how's it already been a couple
years?
Uh, and then just to see whathappens.
The road was a wonderfulopportunity, and I was so proud
to be a part of their very firstseason, and just to see if
that's gonna open any more doorsor if it'll just be a wonderful
(46:24):
memory.
SPEAKER_00 (46:25):
I think it's well, the road is pretty awesome.
So yeah, it's it's definitelygonna open up some doors for
you.
I think it's gonna keep going.
Um it's pretty cool.
So what I wanna I'm just like alot going through my mind right
now.
Um let's go back to COVID alittle bit.
How did you you said you youpacked up you went to Texas to
(46:46):
play some gigs uh or to look forsome gigs and play some gigs and
hopefully make a little bit ofmoney to help pay the bills?
But how did you get throughCOVID besides that?
I mean, when things shut down,how were you able?
I mean, we all have bills topay, we all have things, you
know, along those lines to thatwe need to take care of.
And that had to be so hard as anindependent artist.
SPEAKER_01 (47:09):
It it was definitely tricky.
Uh, you know, I I was reallylucky that I kind of saw COVID
coming down the pipe, and I wasliving in Nashville at the time.
And so when I started hearingthe buzz that the world was
gonna shut down and that itwasn't a joke, like people were
getting really serious about it.
I was like, okay, I'm done withthis.
I'm gonna go home to Oregon.
So if the world does shut down,I've got 150 acres or whatever
(47:33):
that I can run around on andhave some clean air and open
spaces and be with my family andnot just be all by myself.
And so that's how I spent a goodchunk of it.
And um, I I really didn't havetoo much to worry about.
I had one little little housethat I kind of had been renting,
uh, but it was 500 bucks amonth.
SPEAKER_00 (47:52):
Oh my god.
SPEAKER_01 (47:54):
Yeah, it was like this little dump of a house that
I doesn't matter, it's only 500bucks a month.
I was like, when I'm not here, Idon't have to worry.
And when I come back to Oregon,I have my own place.
I don't have not that I don'tlove our ranch, but I didn't
have to stay on the place withmy parents.
And so yeah, it was it was likevery a very big blessing.
(48:14):
I didn't really have that muchexpenses that I had to worry
about, and I just kind of waslike, I'm gonna go to Texas.
SPEAKER_00 (48:20):
That's awesome.
Yeah, absolutely.
When you're not playing music,what do you like to do?
SPEAKER_01 (48:25):
Well, when I'm not playing music and I'm not
ranching and you know, likehelping me.
Oh, that's right.
I don't know when you have timeto do anything.
I know, I know.
Uh, I really love cooking.
Uh so when I am home, like Itook a lot of October off and I
got to spend a lot of time home.
And I love trying new recipesand and you know, just nothing
like having a good meal, tryingsomething out, having it turn
(48:46):
out good, and then you know,getting a a thumbs up from my
husband.
Like this is gonna say, what isthis is the keeper?
SPEAKER_00 (48:52):
Uh what would you say is your husband's favorite
meal that you make?
SPEAKER_01 (48:56):
Oh, steak for sure.
That's his favorite.
Yeah, and I mean, I don't knowthat yeah, I don't know that I'm
making this steak so much thatyou know, but yeah, it's kind of
his his forte, but um yeah, wethat's his his deal is steak for
sure.
That would be his favorite, Ithink.
SPEAKER_00 (49:14):
You know, with the holidays coming up too.
I mean, of course, we gotThanksgiving uh right around the
corner and all that.
Uh are you are you hosting anddo you cook a turkey?
What are you what are you doingfor Thanksgiving, I guess?
SPEAKER_01 (49:26):
Yeah, well, it's it's my husband's family's turn
for Thanksgiving this year, anduh I I was gonna host, but then
with like all the busyness andhis mama decided to that she was
gonna host it, and that justworked out perfectly because it
would have been a lot to figureout how to come back and then
you know you can have it allyeah, yeah.
Come on, come on.
But um, we are we're doing themeat because you know we love we
(49:48):
love cooking, so we're doing aprime rub and a turkey, and then
the the sides that go with thatstuffing and gravy, so it'll be
fun.
We'll just spend the day in thekitchen.
Yeah, it's awesome, and the piesand the I'm not doing the pies,
I do love making pies, but thisyear, mama mama pitter is taking
care of that's not on my plate.
SPEAKER_00 (50:07):
Well, I wish you a great Thanksgiving, so you know,
the rest of the holidays thatare coming up, you know.
Um, if somebody wanted to followyou, where can they how can they
get a hold of you?
Where can they look up yourmusic?
Where can they buy your merch?
I mean, it's it's reallyimportant that the viewers or
the listeners go out and buy themerch because it supports the
artist.
So, I mean, where can they doall that?
SPEAKER_01 (50:27):
All the good stuff.
Uh, social media, it's allOlivia Harms music.
So if you want to follow along,see where I'm going, um, see how
cute my dogs are, or you know,my check out what my day-to-day
life is.
That's all social media for you.
And if you wanted to see tourdates or grab some swag, just go
to oliviaharms.com.
I try not to make it too tricky.
I want everybody to be able tofind me.
SPEAKER_00 (50:48):
I love it.
I'm gonna ask you a really crazyquestion.
SPEAKER_01 (50:51):
Okay, love it.
SPEAKER_00 (50:52):
All right, when was the last time you got really
mad?
And what was it about?
SPEAKER_01 (50:57):
Oh man, last time I got really mad.
I try to say pretty even keel.
Uh, but I think the last timethat I might have been shooting
daggers through my eyes is uh Iwas playing a gig in September,
and uh it was like just me andmy guitar, and I was I was home
locally, and I I was playing,and this guy came up to me while
(51:18):
I was on break, and I had beendealing with a lot of really
cute little girls and signingautographs for them, and he just
kept interrupting andinterrupting, and finally I was
like, okay, hang on, you know,hang on, girl.
What is it that this guy wouldlike?
And so I was chatting with him,and all he wanted to do was tell
me how uh the band the nightbefore was so much better than
(51:40):
me, and uh that I have a lot tolearn from them, and it's
probably my dream to be likethem.
And all the while I keptthinking, he doesn't know I'm
gonna be on a TV show, andthat's not his fault, and maybe
he's had a really hard day.
I'm trying so hard to not, but II just like finally was like,
you know what?
If you don't like my music, youcan leave.
SPEAKER_00 (52:02):
You do not have to stay exactly, and you were nice
about it though.
I would have said that you knowwhat, out of here.
SPEAKER_01 (52:09):
Oh man, he just kept going on and he wouldn't let me
go either.
And I was like, All right, we'redone here, and so I think by the
end, you know, I probably had alittle bit of fume rolling out.
I tried to hold it togetherpretty good, but uh that one
kept me fired up for a while.
SPEAKER_00 (52:24):
Yeah, you gotta smile and wave sometimes, but it
it's gotta be so hard, you know.
I just I don't know how you doit.
SPEAKER_01 (52:30):
You know, I keep it all up here, and then then you
know, the the folks close to meget my true emotions and my what
I really wanted to say at theend of the day.
SPEAKER_00 (52:40):
I love this, Olivia.
You know, this has beenincredible.
It's so it's it's just excitingto get to get to know you a
little bit.
I've heard about you, I know whoyour mom is.
Um, it's just exciting to haveyou on.
I know you you being on the roadand uh and all that, the
television show.
Um, yes, how very cool is thatuh, you know, your story, your
drive, your honesty, it allshines through.
(53:03):
And it's exactly why we lovehaving artists like you on skip
happens.
And sometimes skip happens,sometimes it doesn't.
Tonight went button smooth.
So that's what I got.
SPEAKER_01 (53:15):
We skipped right along.
SPEAKER_00 (53:16):
We skipped right along.
I love it.
I love it.
And uh, you know, everybodythat's listening or everybody
that's watching this, whetherit's now or later on, um, you
know, go follow Olivia on allher socials, stream the music,
support the shows.
She's the real deal, as you'veseen here tonight on Skip
Happens.
She is the real deal.
And uh, Olivia, I want to saythank you for taking close, uh,
(53:37):
very close to an hour of yourtime uh to hang out with us here
tonight.
And uh, you know, have a greatholiday season.
I hope I really hope to meet yousometime.
I mean, I go to Nashville acouple times a year, especially
for CRS.
I'm always there for that.
I've done that for the last 20some odd years.
But uh that's the place to goand meet a lot of if you really
want to network for whateverpurpose, I mean, whether it's
(54:00):
radio or labels, that that's theplace you need to be.
And that's coming up in March.
SPEAKER_01 (54:04):
So that's well, we'll make it happen this year
and I'll get to meet you inperson.
SPEAKER_00 (54:08):
That that would be awesome.
Just look for the uh I actuallyhave a bar stool and bar lines,
which is in the Omni.
unknown (54:14):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (54:15):
No, I'm just kidding.
Um, but as always, uh, you know,thank you.
Thank you so much for doing thistonight.
And always thank you to you forwatching and listening.
And uh, of course, my name isSkip Clark.
This is Skip Happens, and uh,you know, can catch us up, uh
you can catch up with us uhweekly right here.
So make sure you subscribe anddo all the good stuff.
But Olivia, I want to say thankyou for joining us here tonight.
(54:38):
Uh it's just a pleasure.
Pleasure to talk to you.
SPEAKER_01 (54:41):
Well, thank you so much for having me, Skip.
I hope you have a blessedholiday season.
SPEAKER_00 (54:45):
You too.
Stay right there.
There we go.
Thanks for watching, everybody.
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