Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Suárez.
Hi Olivia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My musical journey is for sure a whirlwind, but an amazing one at that. For starters, I’ve been singing almost all of my life. My earliest music memory is singing No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak” and Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” when I was three years old. My dad likes to say that I would sing my own songs a little before then, so the songwriting started early too.
My love for singing really grew when I was in elementary and middle school. I often participated in talent shows, performing songs by Hilary Duff, Vanessa Carlton, and Michelle Branch. I was in choir for about six years, often serving as a soprano section leader.
After my freshman year of high school, I left choir to pursue other interests, one of them being journalism, which I later studied at The University of Texas at Austin. I couldn’t tell you exactly why I decided to leave, but I know a lot of it stemmed from untreated anxiety and the pressures/questions that often surface when you’re an adolescent. It was one of the hardest decisions I made, but it later turned out to be such a crucial part of my story.
My relationship with music really evolved once I went to college. I served as a praise and worship leader for Sigma Phi Lambda, UT’s Christian sorority. I collaborated with three other women and each week, we compiled a setlist to perform for our chapter meetings and events. I couldn’t play guitar just yet, but I had gained a reputation for having a strong voice.
When I studied in Los Angeles for my final semester, as part of UT’s Semester in Los Angeles Program, I enrolled in a course called “Inside the Music Industry.” My professors, Drew and Steven, both had distinguished music careers, and it was through their class that I learned about artist development, how record companies operated, and what made a hit song. I remember we had this group project that required us to write and perform a song. My friends and I got together and wrote “Isn’t It Pretty To Think So,” which was inspired by a melody that popped into my head around that time and a heartbreak I was dealing with. I loved every part of that creative process and couldn’t stop smiling after we performed it in front of our class. That experience made me really confident about becoming a singer-songwriter. I had always had writing talents, and I knew I could sing, so why not dive deeper?
After I graduated, I moved back to my parents’ house in San Antonio, discouraged about where my journalism career was headed. I couldn’t land a job in LA like I had hoped, so I picked up acoustic guitar as a way to distract me from job hunting. I had no idea this would be one of the pivotal moments of my life.
I moved back to Austin in 2016, and after experiencing frustrations with a man I was dating at the time, I picked up my guitar and wrote my first official song, “Take The Lead.” I got such a rush from writing it that I continued to write songs. Of course no one ever really heard them, that is until after I met Marty Schwartz (from YouTube’s Marty Music) at SXSW in 2017. I attended a panel he spoke at, and when I told him I only sang my own songs in my bedroom, he encouraged me to share them with the world. That gave me the push I needed to move forward as an aspiring artist.
In 2018 I joined Girl Guitar, one of Austin’s female-led music organizations that encourages women to really pursue their love of music. I started performing my own songs at Girl Guitar showcases. In 2019, I became a part of Femme Rock and The Jam Room, two similar organizations that allowed me to play in both cover and original song bands. Throughout my time in each of these groups, I’ve connected with incredible female musicians and have really grown in my craft as a lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and especially as a songwriter. I started writing more songs about love, heartbreak, identity, growth, and empowerment. It was also during this time that I came up with my musical moniker, “Petite Powerhouse” because although I am 5′ 2″, my voice is much bigger than you’d think.
In late 2019, my friend and fellow music producer Angelo Boni and I released our first single, “More Than You’ll Ever Know,” on major streaming services. When the pandemic hit in 2020, a few friends and I formed an original song band through Femme Rock and released four of my original songs: “Something Greater”; “Resilient”; “Big Picture”; and “Someone Better.”
If you had told me six years ago I’d be songwriting and performing throughout the city, befriending fellow musicians who’ve since become good friends, I would be in disbelief. But here I am, and I couldn’t be happier.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh, definitely not. One of the biggest roadblocks I’ve dealt with is imposter syndrome. Throughout my time strengthening my guitar skills and writing and releasing my songs, sometimes I would start doubting my own abilities. I would find myself comparing my journey to other artists and feel a bit left behind, and that can really be discouraging.
Thankfully through therapy, I’ve been able to really examine why I feel the way that I do, and I realize that it comes from this drive to succeed, something I’ve always had since I was a kid. Not that wanting to be successful is a bad thing, but when you make it the only thing that matters, you lose sight of why you’re on this journey to begin with. To this day, whenever I start questioning if what I produce really matters and impacts people or whether or not I’m far behind from my peers, I change my mindset. I remember how far I’ve come since that day I decided to pick up my dad’s old acoustic guitar in 2016. I remember how much time and effort went into writing my songs and the courage it took to sing those songs in front of people for the first time. I think about when I performed in a band for the first time and how seeing friends, family, and strangers cheer me on made me feel alive. And I have to say, reflecting on all of these accomplishments and remembering that the stage is my favorite place to be, I’m able to shake off any doubts.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I come from a TV news/PR/social media background, professionally speaking. I am currently a marketing coordinator for a nonprofit that promotes gender equity in the workplace. I’ve been working there for about half a year, and I love promoting female empowerment — especially because that is the cornerstone of a lot of my original songs.
Many of the marketing and promotional skills I incorporate during my daytime job, like content creation and social media engagement, I’m able to apply to my music brand. I know how to promote my song releases with people who’ve been following my journey. Sometimes that comes in the form of posting a photo with a long caption or uploading behind-the-scenes video of me songwriting/recording new music. It’s easy for me to be personable with longtime supporters, as well as new fans. Nowadays, a musician’s branding is just as important as the music they release, and thanks to social media, fans are able to feel more connected with artists they follow, and I like to think that my professional experience gives me an advantage.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Patience is key. I know that’s a lesson we’ve all heard, but it rings true for a reason. We live in a society that demands instant gratification, and when we don’t reap the success we desire right away – whether it be the number of song downloads, albums released, or YouTube subscribers – we start getting discouraged. This goes back to the point I brought up earlier about imposter syndrome – whenever I start comparing myself to more-experienced musicians, I remind myself that everyone’s journey is different. Comparing my “Chapter 6” to someone’s “Chapter 20” seems a bit silly when I think about it. In fact, I have a lot of respect for musicians who are more advanced than me because it tells me that they were in my shoes once, and they’ve probably experienced similar highs and lows I’ve had. Following their music careers only encourages me to continue my own. I also know that when I take the time to pursue my passion, I’m inspiring others who are watching my artistic journey to keep going after their own dreams.
Patience is such a valuable and highly underrated gift. I look back at the early days when holding down guitar strings made my fingers hurt, and on top of that, I couldn’t play a note to save my life! Now I can move up and down the guitar neck and write my own solos. Those abilities didn’t just happen overnight, it took a lot of time, effort, and reassurance that I could one day be a proficient guitarist. Patience, when you allow it to fully develop, allows you to really admire the growth you’ve undergone after a certain length of time.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@oliviasuarez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviamsuarez/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliviasuarezmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliviamsuarez
Image Credits
Early Days of Learning Guitar – Olivia Suárez Early Days of Songwriting – Olivia Suárez First Girl Guitar Showcase – Ed Suárez Femme Rock 90s Pop Rock Band – Ed Suárez Vulcan Gas Company – Ed Suárez Femme Rock Guilty Pleasures Band – Chris Arellano/Chris Arellano Photography Femme Rock Someone Better Video Shoot – Brittany Leaning & Reece Herrera/Femme Rock Recording Studio – K. Chambers Petite Powerhouse – Stefany Ruiz/Stefany.io Visuals
