Olivia Willhite is a 17-year-old singer and songwriter who radiates all things chill and beachy, local to Ventura, California. Her music makes you feel like you’re sitting in a cozy coffee shop overlooking the ocean. On Sunday, Nov. 28, she performed at Bombay Bar and Grill, featuring her own music and spins on popular songs that perfectly match her vibe. 

A large mix of people, including listeners of all ages, came to watch her and enjoy her music. She played both the ukulele and guitar while she sang to accommodate her voice. Along with performing both released and unreleased original songs, like “Feelings Are Cliche” (which has racked up a number of streams on music platforms), she played covers, adding her unique touch. My personal favorites were her spin on “Beautiful Boy” by John Lennon and “Lovers Rock” by TV girl. 

Sound checks and sound engineers were present to make things more professional so that everything went smoothly and her voice was heard perfectly for everyone. The sound engineers succeeded at making her voice sound flawless and the quality of their work was apparent. For visual effects, Willhite had different colored lights flashing around her, both meshing well with her music and adding to the restaurant’s ambiance. 

The young artist made sure to ask the crowd if they had a preference in the songs that she sang, involving listeners just the right amount, so they felt more of a connection to the music. Her overall performance was strong, and her voice is well-shaped, coinciding with her look and genre of music wonderfully.

You can find some of her songs on streaming platforms such as Spotify, in which she has over 30,000 monthly listeners and her first single, “Runaway Man”, is currently holding over 5 million streams. Her music falls under the indie beach rock category, perfect for road trips, the beginning of summer and vacations to Hawaii. 

I would recommend anyone try out her music as it comes across as universally enjoyable. The songs may just make it into one of your new playlists. Also, try to check her out live to hear more of her music if you feel like transporting right into a beach chair with a glass of lemonade in your hand.