With not much to do during the COVID outbreak, Vernon singer-songwriter Olivia Penalva began to learn the Zoom meeting application.
For recording artists, there was a lot of original uncertainty around Zoom and what it would look like. As Penalva points out, the in-person element of recording is so important and you can read the feeling and vibes in the studio that you can't really do via a computer or phone screen.
She also decided the pandemic was a good time to write. And write she did. A lot.
"I was writing non-stop. It was a nice way to pass the time," said Penalva, now 24.
She shook off any writing cobwebs and created Spiderwebs, her first full-length album, released May 10 via all streaming options.
Spiderwebs is an engaging collection of 11 songs that takes listeners on an emotive journey through the highs and lows of love and self-discovery with undeniable earworms throughout.
From the aftermath of toxic relationships to the ache of unrequited love and the quest for self-acceptance, each track speaks to the complexities of human connections through Penalva鈥檚 powerful vocals and relatable lyrics.
The album鈥檚 opening title track and standout first single, , is an emotional and melodic pop-dance track that describes losing your sense of identity in a relationship.
"It's a personal song, and one of the later songs I wrote during pandemic but I knew I wanted to share it. I loved it," said Penalva. The problem was, she was working on another project with her former record label at the time of completion, and the song would not be going on that project.
But when the record label dissolved, she took that opportunity to release the song she really wanted to share with the world.
"When I was working with the label I also loved all of the other songs, but Spiderwebs felt truest to what I was going through at that portion of my life and where my music had gone afterwards so I decided to run with that direction," said Penalva.
The 11 songs on Spiderwebs are the results of feelings and experiences she and people close to her went through. There are a lot of darker themes but those reflect her emotions, and the state of the world.
"Life isn't perfect, not all rainbows and butterflies," said Penalva. "Life is hard. There are some complicated feelings we experience, and that was the direction behind this whole project."
She is absolutely delighted with the final product.
The album was produced by Ryan Stewart, a multi-platinum, Juno Award-winning producer/songwriter, mixer, and multi instrumentalist. He has worked with and written and produced numerous No. 1 and top-10 gold and platinum singles and albums with artists like Carly Rae Jepsen, Simple Plan, and Smash Mouth. The album was recorded at Stewart's The WineCellar studio in North Vancouver.
Penalva said Stewart's work "made the project even better."
"He pushes you to stand by your art, or to try something new," she said.
Now, the next step is to get the songs out to the world. And perform again live.
Though she has no current dates booked, Penalva is eager to share her album and her songs as much as possible.
"I'll definitely be nervous to get back to live," she said. "I did a few shows during COVID but I was singing behind plexiglass. I'm really excited to get back to performing, seeing the audience and their reactions, and how they respond to the music."
Since releasing her debut single at the age of 13, Penalva has evolved into a versatile artist and songwriter. Boasting more than 25 million career streams to date and several Top 20 radio hits, she has joined the ranks of Canada鈥檚 rising pop stars.
In 2021, Penalva earned herself a Top-20 spot on Canadian radio for her hit single which then became the No. 2 most-added song at CHR Mediabase. Her following single, also hit the Top-20 on CHR and Hot AC radio in Canada, and was Penalva鈥檚 foray into US radio, earning her a Top-50 slot on mainstream pop radio.
