Photos by Lauren Kim
Singer-songwriter Olivia Austin, known onstage as Operelly, makes music for the tenderhearted. Her eclectic lyricism and quirky arrangements have forged a pop sound that feels familiar yet experimental, a delicate balance that music platform Nina Protocol has referred to as “matured nursery rhymes.”
Operelly’s sound is not to be siloed. Her music is both electronic and acoustic, and entirely heartfelt. Austin has previously named Stereolab and The Magnetic Fields as sonic influences. Her music reminds me of other twee-revival electronic artists, like ear or Worldpeace DMT, with notes reminiscent of Clairo’s bedroom pop days– but trying to put your finger on exact genres will leave you mystified.
Operelly’s sold-out Los Angeles show started off with an opening set from Ella Woolsey. The indie folk artist offered a set adjacent to the headliner: with her acoustic guitar and crooning vocals, Woolsey explored themes of love, loss, and melancholy. I spotted Woolsey’s boyfriend—fellow artist Nate Sib—and his friend Rommulas among the throng of girls attentively watching her set.
A blanket of silence fell over the chattering crowd the moment Operelly stepped onstage. Her presence, just like her music, seems reserved at first— but so alluring that you’ll be tempted to pry. The crowd leaned in as Austin stood in front of a baby pink harmonium, which obediently bellowed the opening chords. As she sang, Austin stamped her ballet flats to the beat; fittingly, Operelly refers to her musical identity as “tiptoe music.”
“When I tell my man I write all my songs about him he doesn’t seem very flattered…”
“Tell my man” is the first track in Operelly’s latest release, *FLUTTERS AWAY*. The EP offers listeners a glimpse into Operelly’s world, with five self-written and produced tracks. Each song offers a wonderfully elaborate soundscape, from the layered acoustics to Operelly’s drawled lyrics and the band’s breathy supporting vocals.
The crowd jostled, recognizing the clicking percussion that underscores “You Don’t Have One Hope.” I shared their excitement– the track is my favorite off Operelly’s debut EP, Handwriting Practice No. 1. Operelly performs “You Don’t Have One Hope” with earnestness. As she sings, she strums the guitar upside down, strumming with her left hand – a quirk that amplifies her eccentric charm.
The lyrics, which mention pajamas, glitter glue, and exam chairs conjure memories of primary school playdates and fuzzy daydreams. Beneath the childlike imagery, the performance felt like a full-circle moment. Operelly had first submitted the lyrics of “You Don’t Have One Hope” as a poem for her UC Application essays. Four years later and freshly graduated from Berkeley, she performs the song in front of a crowd that danced and belted every lyric alongside her:
“You failed me, but not in the way that I failed you /
I hope it’s okay to scrapbook you with glitter glue /
You don’t have one hope for now”
That same sense of wonder carried seamlessly into her rendition of “Rainbow Connection”, a cover that perfectly encapsulated Austin’s signature playfulness. As she approached the chorus, a devotion to the lovers and dreamers, Operelly transformed El Cid into a collective memory. As the banjo strummed, Austin guided us towards a reunion with our childhood imaginations.
Operelly ended the night with “My Bell Rings,” one of Austin’s earliest and most popular songs. Using samples from Stereolab and Oneohtrix Point Never, the song paints a dreamscape that defines Operelly’s music. As the instrumental break swam through El Cid, Operelly danced with the crowd, shaking her hair and waving her hands with grace. Time suspended as the audience swayed in unison, enveloping us in a blissful haze.
Olivia Austin is a musician that quietly defies expectations. She’s signed with Deadair Records, an outlier amongst their roster of hyperpop and noisy rap acts like Jane Remover, Kuru, and Underscores. Her presence is subdued, but her charm compels crowds to shout her lyrics. As she wraps up her tour and teases her next project, I look forward to supporting Operelly as she assuredly leaps, not tiptoes, into a blossoming career.
Listen to *FLUTTERS AWAY* below!
