October 27, 2025 |
There’s something enchanting about Olympia Vitalis. Perhaps it’s her voice, tinged by her West London upbringing and the same delicious brassiness that coloured the notes of the late, great Amy Winehouse. Or maybe it’s her aptitude for penning a gut-wrenching lyric, the type that pangs with hard-hitting relatability. Either way, Vitalis, and everything she touches, is dusted with a star power that only comes about once in a while.
Tying together threads of neo-soul and jazz, Vitalis’ new EP People Watching, released earlier this summer, is a must-listen for any music fans with their finger on the pulse of London’s sonic scene. An impressive showcase of her distinctive vocals, the five-track offering is a rich exploration of themes not every artist knows how to broach. Substance abuse, complex familial dynamics and self-empowerment all inform Vitalis’ vulnerable and honest lyrics, establishing her as an artist unafraid to bear her soul. Here, we chat with Vitalis ahead of her headline show at Ellen’s, House of Koko, tonight about her favourite thing about performing live, the musician she would most want to collab with and her perfect Sunday.
1. What’s your favourite thing about performing live?
Seeing how my music is received; watching people listen to the stories in real time. This music spends so much time being listened to by a small number of people, my team, me and my producers so watching people hear it live is so special for me. People coming up to me after my set and saying that they needed to hear a particular story or thanking me for actualising how they feel is so amazing.
2. What’s one song you’ll never get tired of singing live?
Probably Painted Smiles at the moment, I love how it pushes my vocals, it’s a pretty hard track to sing live, I kind of go all over the shop.
3. If you had to save one track off of People Watching from a burning building, which would it be?
Probably Angel Patience, definitely the most personal on the project.
4. If you could collaborate with any other musician, dead or alive, who would it be?
Donny Hathaway, I love everything about his music.
5. If you could take one record to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Giving Up by Donny Hathaway. I put that on in any mood – the brass, the strings, the piano, Donny! Perfect.
6. What’s one memory from performing live that has stuck with you?
I played Latitude last summer and performed a song that hasn’t been released. It’s about struggling with weight and body image and a man probably in his 60s-ish came up to me after the set and thanked me for that song, saying his daughter was struggling with an eating disorder and that really struck me; the stories don’t necessarily just affect people going through something similar but also everyone around them.
7. What’s a perfect Sunday for Olympia Vitalis?
Bit of a lie in, make a nice breakfast, play some guitar, go for a run. I’m a simple lady.
8. What’s your go-to cure for writer’s block?
Leave the country lol, I did that earlier this year and went to see my dad in St Lucia. But if I don’t have any cash to do that, then I’ll just go for a run lol.
9. After a show are you heading out or heading back home?
Depends what day it is… if it’s a weekend I’m off out, weekday and I’ve got a session or something the day after, I’m going to try and head home.
10. What is coming up for you that you’re excited about?
My next project, I’m so excited, I’ve levelled up a lot. It feels so much more like me and I’m incredibly proud of it.
Photography courtesy of Olympia Vitalis.
