Olivia and her father Ritchie Rubini
Mount senior and Delaware native Olivia Rubini released her debut album Silhouettes today—one day after the start of her final semester. The pop singer and songwriter’s lush arrangements touch the highs and lows of a past relationship and deliver an authentic emotional catharsis through 10 original songs. You can easily tune in, zone out—and listen on repeat. Rubini’s melodic journey is filled with soulful reflections that become stronger, clearer and brighter until the shape of her grief is illuminated and eclipsed by a newfound sense of self-assurance. Silhouettes production is anything but suffocating—balancing all-encompassing immersive soundscapes and lyrics that ground emotional depth with a lightness of being.
“I really wanted to do something different with this album,” she said. “I wanted it to be real. I wanted real musicians, real instruments, and blurred genre lines. It still has a dreamy introspective vibe that is in a lot of my other music—but this is more real, more personal.” Every song has its own sound.
Silhouettes was produced by Rubini’s father, Ritchie, who was the drummer for The Caulfields—a 90s rock band who played shows with label mates Gin Blossoms and Blues Traveler and landed on a soundtrack for “Melrose Place.”
“I grew up in a very musical family. I was sitting in guitar cases and watching him play the drums and listening to him make music. That was everything. I’d get picked up after school and go to the studio. That was life,” Olivia explained. “I love my dad and we work well together, which is a blessing.”
At age 15 she asked her dad to help her make music. “I’ve seen you produce everybody else my whole life. I think you should give me a shot; let me do this,” she begged. Knowing the challenges she’d face in a tough industry, the rejections, the stereotypes, she finally got her chance. As a high school sophomore she started singing covers on SoundCloud.
Her first single “Running Out” was released in 2015. “My first single wasn’t by grand design; it was a happy accident,” she said. Her father’s friends wrote the lyrics and she sang the demo. It was well received and was played on the radio. She gave interviews and kept releasing singles like “Headlines” in 2016, “Too Long Since I’ve Seen Ya” and “Down Down” in 2017. Many were collaborative until 2018 when she began writing and singing about her own experiences.
While she is learning remotely this semester, she has been working with her publicist, videographer and photographer. The political science and international relations double major is balancing schoolwork with interviews, updates, and content on her website and social media. “I have to say yes to all the opportunities I have and take advantage of them when they’re available,” she said.
Rubini has a lot of options right now, including law school. “I’ve had a great time at the Mount and I met terrific people,” she said, acknowledging professors like Ed Egan, Maureen Oakley and Mike Miller. She also played many acoustic shows at the Mount for campus entertainment nights.
While she remains tightlipped about the subject of her songs and the once object of her affections, Rubini admits she is single—and maybe even hopeful. The last song on her record “Worth My While” is optimistic about moving on and shaping her own bright future.
Silhouettes is now available on all streaming services. Learn more at oliviarubini.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @oliviarubini.