Q&A: Josie Oliver Finds Freedom From Overthinking on ‘animal’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY PATRICK ZAVORSKAS ☆
GROWING UP MEANS EXPERIENCING NEW THINGS, FEELING THINGS MORE DEEPLY AND SOMETIMES FINDING YOURSELF WITH A LOT MORE TO OVERTHINK—For Josie Oliver, stepping into a new chapter of her music has meant embracing those feelings while finding new ways to express them. Her latest single, “animal,” captures that evolution, pairing the intimacy of a journal entry with the energy of the dance floor to create something both deeply personal and liberating.
Released on September 18, “animal” explores the struggle of getting lost in your own thoughts, offering a reminder that it’s okay to let go and embrace a little lightness. Following Oliver’s previous single, “killing flies,” the track transforms the chaos of an overactive mind into something playful and euphoric, finding moments of freedom amid the noise. As Oliver explains, the song “was definitely one of those songs that I needed to write for myself. It’s a reminder that nothing is ever as big as it seems in your own head, and there’s something quite cathartic about the moment you realize it’s not completely catastrophic…that sense of freedom you feel once you realize you don’t have to spiral about every thought.”
That sense of freedom runs throughout “animal,” found running through its infectious pop production to the more vulnerable thoughts tucked between the melodies. For Oliver, songwriting naturally becomes a way to sit with difficult emotions while also discovering new ways to move through them. The result is a song that doesn’t demand listeners to stop overthinking altogether, but instead offers a chance to break free from the pressure to have everything figured out—whether that means letting yourself feel what you need to feel or turning up the music and dancing around the kitchen.
In conversation with Luna, Josie Oliver discusses the process of turning overthinking into vibrant pop, embracing the contrast between introspective songwriting and upbeat production, finding moments of lightness amid the chaos of an overactive mind and her experience opening for Sam Smith at the London Coliseum.
LUNA: First of all, how did everything go with the Sam Smith show at the London Coliseum? What was that experience like for you, especially coming off the back of your own sold-out show at The Lower Third?
OLIVER: Oh my gosh, honestly, it was an incredible experience! My show at The Lower Third felt like quite a big moment already for me because, honestly, I was expecting no one to show up, but they did! And then, a few weeks later, getting to play an amazing venue like the London Coliseum, supporting such an amazing artist, was pretty surreal. In a way, coming off the back of a moment that already felt like quite a big milestone made it more special! I was super nervous, but I was also just really buzzing the whole day. I got to chat to Sam after I’d played, and they told me they were listening to my set whilst getting ready, which is pretty mad. I respect them so much for giving unsigned, unmanaged artists a platform to share their music! Every night since, I’ve been wishing I was on that stage again. I hope I get to play more stages like that soon.
LUNA: You’ve had so many exciting things happening around the release of “animal.” Now that the song is out in the world, how are you feeling about it? Has anything about the response surprised you?
OLIVER: I’m so happy “animal” is finally out. Genuinely, from the moment I left the studio on the day we wrote it, I’ve been waiting to release it. I’m a pop girl at heart, and this song just really makes that part of me happy. I hope it does the same for people when they listen to it. I actually got a message from someone saying, “As a recovering over-thinker, I LOVE ;animal!’” And that makes me smile. A lot of the music I release is for crying and having a little reflective moment, so it’s nice to have a song for moments when you maybe don’t want to cry, and want to feel a bit lighter. That’s what this song has become for me.
LUNA: You’ve described this as a new era for your music, with your songs sitting somewhere between journal entries and the dance floor. What does this chapter feel like for you, and how has your songwriting evolved to get here?
OLIVER: These new releases definitely feel like I’m stepping into a new era of my music. When I first started releasing music, I was writing songs as a late teen, and now I’m in my twenties, so naturally, a lot more life has happened, and I’ve experienced a lot more feelings! Including my first proper heartbreak (so I hope everyone’s ready). And even though, in some ways, the new music sounds much bigger and more band-driven than before, what I’m singing about is probably the most intimate and raw it’s ever been, and I love that contrast. We also recorded it all in a studio in the countryside (which was literally my happy place; I love it there), and I think that really helped create a world around the songs. It’s really nice to have all of the songs feeling so cohesive, and I’m just so buzzing to finally share it all.
LUNA: You’ve described “animal” as a song you needed to write for yourself, exploring the tendency to ruminate and catastrophize. Do you remember what was happening when you first started writing it, and what drew you to exploring those thought patterns through music?
OLIVER: I wrote “animal” during quite an anxious period of my life, and I had the lyric “at the root of it all, I’m just an animal” floating around for a bit. I just wanted to write something to say, “None of us really know what we’re doing; it’s okay!” But the rest of the ideas I was coming up with were quite mellow, and I think, without realising it at the time, this song just needed to have energy and feel a little lighter. Writing it with Jules really helped with that direction. We turned these really introspective thoughts I was having into something a bit more playful and optimistic.
I actually remember the day we wrote “animal” so well, too, because I was meeting with my friends right after the session. I stood on the side of the road with them afterwards and played them the demo because I was buzzing about it, and it was nice getting to play them something that wasn’t so heartbreaking for once, because I was writing a lot of sad songs at that time (laughs). I think that’s why I love “animal”—it was made during quite a difficult time, but writing it made me feel really good.
LUNA: You’ve said that “animal” feels like you’re literally confessing the way your brain works. Was there something particularly freeing about being so honest about those thought patterns in your songwriting?
OLIVER: To be honest, when I’m writing, I don’t really think too much about how vulnerable and honest I’m being. “animal” really does feel like I’m just letting everyone into these little corners of my brain, which, now that I’m talking about it, actually does feel quite scary! But I hope people connect with it and maybe feel less alone if they’re experiencing similar things.
LUNA: I love your description of wanting “animal” to be for those moments when you step out of your own head and into the kitchen to spin around. What is it about music, or dancing in particular, that can help you break out of that kind of mental spiral?
OLIVER: Thanks, yeah! There is something about dancing around a kitchen, specifically with really loud music, that feels great. It’s definitely a serotonin booster for me. I guess it feels like you’re in your own little world, and you can snap out of your own head for a moment, and that’s what “animal” is about. I hope it can be one of those songs for people.
LUNA: The bridge introduces this really tender shift, moving from the experience of spiraling toward needing comfort and wondering who’s going to save you. There’s something really human about the idea that we’re all a little helpless sometimes, even the people we look to for comfort. What made you want to bring that perspective into the song, and how did you want it to sit alongside its more playful energy?
OLIVER: The bridge was actually the only section of the song I changed from the writing demo, and I went back and forth on a few different versions of it before it felt right. The chorus is definitely a little more playful and has this optimism to it, and I hear the bridge as almost a shift back to that overthinking, catastrophizing part of my brain. Sometimes, it’s just not as easy as telling yourself, “It’s not that deep,” and it can be really easy to think everyone around you has it together when, actually, we’re all just human and a little helpless sometimes. I think there is something comforting about that.
LUNA: In your “killing flies” behind-the-track video, you talked about how important it was to write that song on your own, and how the contrast between the beautiful piano and guitars and the glitchier sounds helped capture conflicting feelings. Did you approach “animal” with a similar need to capture something personal, or did it come together differently?
OLIVER: I think “animal” came out a little more unexpectedly than “killing flies” did. It came together really quickly, whereas writing “killing flies” felt more intentional. I was experiencing so many feelings and needed to do something with them. I would just lock myself in my room and stew over what I wanted to say, processing how I was actually feeling as I wrote it. I think it’s important to have songs like those, where I can sit alone with those feelings for as long as I need. I love writing songs with other people, too, though. Being able to throw ideas out loud into the room, I think, allows me to channel a bit of a different energy.
LUNA: Looking back at “killing flies” and “animal,” do you feel like there’s been an evolution in how you approach songwriting or process your emotions, or do the two songs represent different sides of your creative process?
OLIVER: I never really think about my creative process too much; writing songs is just something that happens. But I guess these two songs do represent different sides of my creative process. I sat with “killing flies” for a lot longer, and it really helped me understand what I was actually feeling. “animal” was much more instinctive. It was written really quickly, and by the end of the day, we pretty much had the finished song.
LUNA: “animal” pairs deeply personal lyrics with glossy synths, punchy drums and infectious vocal hooks. How did you approach translating something so internal and emotionally intense into a track that feels so vibrant and energetic?
OLIVER: We actually started building the production of “animal” a little before going in on the lyrics, and I think that definitely helped set the direction for the song. I was singing melodies over a drum loop and some synths, and that made me want to lean into the contrast between the upbeat energy of it and what I’m actually saying. I didn’t want it to be a super heavy song, but something a little more freeing and almost euphoric.
LUNA: The song was recorded between the Oxfordshire countryside and East London with Jamie Biles and Jules Konieczny. How did working with them shape the track, and was there a particular moment in the production process when you felt it had become the song you wanted it to be?
OLIVER: Honestly, at the end of that first day writing “animal,” I already had a good feeling about what it was going to become. Jules and I had a few more sessions to build the production, and Jamie came in later, while we were recording the rest of the EP, to layer in more sounds and record live drums, but it stayed very much within the same world. I feel very lucky to work with people who get what I’m trying to create. Sometimes, I literally just make noises at Jamie in the hope that he’ll get what synth I’m hearing and trying to describe (laughs). I’d say eight out of ten times, he gets it.
LUNA: Lastly, if someone listens to “animal” during a moment when they’re really caught up in their own head, what do you hope they take away from it?
OLIVER: I have songs that I know are going to make me feel better if I blast them in the car with my friends or spin around the kitchen to, and I really hope “animal” can be that song for people! It’s about acknowledging those negative thoughts and feelings but not letting them completely consume you. I hope it helps someone feel a little less alone in whatever they’re going through.
Want to explore more of Josie Oliver’s world? Here is a playlist curated by her to help:
How to Live - Del Water Gap
Juno - Sabrina Carpenter
Stay for Something - CMAT
It’s Not Living If It’s Not With You - 1975
Green Light - Lorde
