Olivia Ellen Lloyd will try anything once. From flight attendant school in Dallas to producing
theater in New York and teaching in Guatemala, Lloyd sought adventure but struggled to find a greater sense of purpose––until she found her way back to music. Channeling that restless spirit, she writes songs that dig deep for hope in the face of hardship. Never once to mince words, Lloyd crafts straightforward songs where no word is wasted and every emotion is well-earned.
Lloyd’s debut album, Loose Cannon, has been streamed over 1 million times while Olivia has been crossing the country playing shows, winning songwriting contests (like Kerrville in 2023) and generally eating life down to the rind. In 2025 alone, she was tapped as one of Holler Country’s 25 New Artists for 2025, guested with Amy Helm at the legendary Levon Helm Studios’ long-running Midnight Ramble series in Woodstock, NY, and is set to make her Mountain Stage debut in April.
She has spent the past three years doubling down on her efforts to build community within the alt country and Americana scene, while deepening her working partnership with producer Mike Robinson, known for touring and recording with Sarah Jarosz, Railroad Earth, Teddy Thompson, Iris Dement, Lindsay Lou, Bella White, Zach Bryan, Jobi Riccio, and Ryan Beatty. Together, with massive grassroots support, they have created Lloyd’s upcoming sophomore album, Do It Myself, a record that refuses to be placed in a narrow genre definition, focused instead on building songs that paint a picture of quiet liberation from patriarchy and self-imposed constraints. The album speaks to rage, despair, and ultimately, hope and self-sufficiency in the face of oppressive forces. Do It Myself is set to release March 21, 2025.
Olivia has opened for artists Jim Lauderdale, Melissa Carper, and Kelsey Waldon. She also
works as an in-demand side woman, singing backing vocals for the likes of Lizzie No, Emily
Scott Robinson — and, as a member of the Resistance Revival Chorus, with Reneé Rapp at the 2024 All Things Go festival at Forest Hills Stadium. Raised by a musician and a public school educator, Lloyd is a West Virginia native and proud of it. She is heavily influenced by country, folk, and indie rock. Her sound combines the rooted sounds of her traditional Appalachian upbringing with the fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants nature of
her current life, making music and touring the country. She is inspired by the rich sounds of New York City, the peaceful quiet of her small hometown, and everything in between.
“Masterful work… achingly beautiful violin [and] gritty, Neil Young-like electric guitar leads” — PopMatters
“Burke was a triple-threat on vocal, guitar, and fiddle, showing herself to be the band’s not-so-secret weapon. Her guitar work, echoing and atmospheric on ‘Sister Starling,’ stinging on ‘Hornets,’ was a particular highlight.” — Boston Globe
“As versatile a musician as they come, and a true showwoman who commands the stage and the audience’s attention” — Red Line Roots
“A sharp takedown, riotous and righteous… a radio-gold chorus so catchy it becomes easy to forget that Lula Wiles is singing, as they put it, about the ‘inevitable downfall of capitalism.’” — Rolling Stone
