Premiere: New York Singer-Songwriter Olivia Castriota’s Emphatic Pop Ballad ‘Fixed’

The phrases “Is she okay?” or “Oh my god, that’s exactly how I feel too” are amongst the aimed responses that New York City-based singer-songwriter Olivia Castriota has with her emotional new electronic-pop single “Fixed.” She adds with a laugh as a side note that “Is she okay?” is a personal favorite quote that her family likes to ask her after “almost every release.”

The song is Castriota’s vehicle to pull herself out of an unstable state of mind and hopes that the song evokes more relatable responses in solidarity than anything else. Produced by Los Angeles-based Sean Hamilton (whose previous credits include R&B rising star H.E.R.), “Fixed” is part of Castriota’s upcoming second album I Need A Minute, out on November 6th. Recorded in March 2019 in Los Angeles with Hamilton and a team of songwriters including Juliet Piper, Chris Jackson and John Gonzalez, Castriota had also worked on demos with go-to songwriter friend Regan McCroskey in New York. She says about the experience, “I was ready to put myself in the most terrifying, challenging and uncomfortable situation to see if I would sink or swim… and I swam baby!”

Castriota’s previous album All At Once was the start of her full-time music career in 2015 and it was produced by jazz-fusion guitar whiz Shubh Saran. While I Need A Minute showcases an electronic sound, the artist originally started out with a big band pop sound, buoyed by her raspy growl.

In 2020, however, there’s definitely more storytelling, conviction and a bent towards visual aesthetics. In the video for “Fixed,” Castriota goes through a range of emotions with a partner. She says about the video directed by Azur Mele McHugh and Dina Vibes, “As far as acting goes, sometimes it can be difficult but lyrically these songs are the truest representation of my life experiences so it makes it a bit easier.”

With the album coming up in November and still no end in sight for the coronavirus pandemic, Castriota tells us a few venues have opened up in New York City, but the safest way to promote a release right now is from home. “We are nearing the end of 2020 and it still feels like there’s no right time to release music. I think we have to look at new music right now as a way to either momentarily distract us, remind us we’re not alone or help us navigate these extremely stressful times. The only way out is through and I think music and art are tools we can use to keep us sane right now,” she says.

Watch the video for “Fixed” below. Stream on more platforms here. ‘I Need A Minute’ is out on November 9th.