Short Bio
Olivia Rafferty is a songwriter hailing from North-East Scotland. Her debut EP Hurricane saw her featured on BBC Radio Scotland and Folk Radio UK, as well as a tour spearheaded by a showcase at Inverness’ Eden Court.
Pulling inspiration from Regina Spektor and Phoebe Bridgers, her songs hum with Americana warmth, yet playfully sparkle with unlikely subject matter.
Her debut album covers subjects such as volcanoes, nostalgia and cretaceous fossils, and comes out in 2025.
Long Bio
“Olivia's songs are Wes Andersonia for the ears.” - Findlay Napier
“There is a maturity in both her voice and her writing” - Folking.com
Olivia Rafferty is a songwriter hailing from North-East Scotland. Her debut EP Hurricane saw her featured on BBC Radio Scotland and Folk Radio UK, as well as a tour spearheaded by a showcase at Inverness’ Eden Court.
Her last name may be familiar to some, as Olivia shares her family tree with ‘Baker Street’ songwriter Gerry Rafferty. Growing up on a diet of power-pop and Americana, she started songwriting under the influence of troubadours such as Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen, although her sound came into focus through the indie-folk catalog of her 2000’s iTunes library, with artists such as Regina Spektor played on repeat. What results are songs that hum with an Americana warmth, yet playfully sparkle with unlikely subject matter and the occasional Casio keyboard cameo.
A compelling storyteller, Olivia has performed in coffee shops, natural history museums, independent bookstores, art galleries, and one very cold garage in Canada. Her debut album has been funded by the Geologists Association, and covers subjects such as volcanoes, nostalgia and cretaceous fossils. Titled Typical Forever, the project has already given Olivia the opportunity to connect with audiences as support for acclaimed Scottish songwriter Findlay Napier, and in more unusual spaces, such as Whitby Museum and Oxford’s Natural History Museum. The album comes out in 2025, with the first single dropping in summer 2024.
for all enquiries, please email oliviarafferty [at] mac [dot] com