Liverpool singer Olivia Diaferia has spoken about how "struggling in social situations" has shaped her path with her band XL Poncho, which is gaining popularity in the local music scene despite not yet releasing an album.
The 22-year-old lead singer has built a following on TikTok over the past year, where her upbeat, extroverted personality is on display through videos documenting her social life and offering glimpses of the band's music. Away from that on-screen persona, she said she has "struggled" to fit in over the years.
Olivia told the ECHO: "I do struggle in social situations, sometimes I don't know what to say, or sometimes I say too much. I get overwhelmed very very easily."
Finding clarity through music
She explained that nights out are partly a way to find mental clarity. "I think that's why I love going on nights out, people think that I'm a huge party animal, but it's partly because when I'm listening to music and on the dance floor, I can just think clearly, and I can bring the energy and be bubbly. I feel like when you've only got the beat, the rhythm, and the instruments to listen to, it's easier to feel more like myself."
Her love of music only grew fairly recently, sparked by a school music lesson. She recalled: "I was in a music lesson in school, and I was on the computers, and I was definitely not doing the work I was supposed to be doing, I was on YouTube listening to music. And the song Green Eyes by Erykah Badu came on. It's like a 10-minute-long song, and I listened to it in full, and I was just like, 'Oh my goodness, like this is absolutely amazing.' I think my mind was blown, because I was just so used to indie music."
From solo career to band formation
That interest led her to study at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. She said: "I always wanted to be in a band, but I just didn't know how to get it to materialise. So that's why I was like, 'Right, I'm doing music in uni because I need to find some musicians.'"
By her second year, she had started a solo career, but frustrations grew as she travelled to London to meet "industry people" who advised her to change genre and started working with producers, leaving her feeling out of her "depth and out of control".
A conversation on the bus home with her friend Matty Price-Jones changed things. She said: "It wasn't until I was getting the bus back with my friend Matty, and we were kind of both experiencing the same struggles, and we thought 'You know what? Why don't we write some music together?' I hadn't even thought about it, because Matty had been in bands for years, in rock bands, and he loves progressive rock and really heavy stuff."
She added: "That was completely the opposite of what I'm into, but somehow, it just worked really, and we met over the summer to write some stuff, and it was just an instant connection. I think it's crazy having that musical chemistry with someone, because I've definitely had writing sessions before where I've tried to write with other people, and as standalones, but together it just doesn't work. But with me and Matty, it's just great."
Rise in Liverpool and TikTok presence
Since forming the band a year ago, Matty and Olivia have added Mathew Kuelemans on bass and Sam Reynolds on drums. The band has played gigs at Sound City Festival, Rough Trade in Liverpool and Band on the Wall in Manchester, as well as other venues across the city.
Their social media presence, which pre-dates the band, has been a significant factor in their rise. Olivia said: "At first I was doing singing videos [on TikTok], but it's really difficult to maintain consistency with that, and I know TikTok likes you to post so many times a day. So I just thought, 'Oh, I'll showcase a bit of my personality and see what sticks really.'"
She acknowledged the downsides of the platform: "Sometimes it's a bit bittersweet because people will leave nasty comments and be like, 'Oh, you know, she's on TikTok. She thinks she can be a musician now,' like as if TikTok came first, but it was always music. I'm grateful to social media, without it I would not have have the platform that I've got, and I would not have people wanting to come to gigs and wanting to hear our music."
Looking ahead, Olivia said the band could soon reach a major milestone. She said: "I struggle to think about the future, I'm like, 'What's happening right now?' So I think we're all just getting our ducks in a row and trying to figure out how we're going to get some tunes out. We're doing this all independently without a record label or any help, so that's been a lot of hard work. But I think once our music does get on the the DSPs [Digital Streaming Platforms], everyone will feel super relieved and super proud."
