by Saige Hoying

On April 6th, 2012, Olivia Management came to life. Our founder and CEO Erin Anderson began the business as a one-woman operation in her attic apartment. Since then, Olivia Management has grown into a flourishing artist management company built on hard work and dedication, and our team has had the privilege of supporting the careers of many remarkable artists.

In celebration of our 14th anniversary, here are 14 records, listed in no particular order, that we’re honored to have been part of. We hope you’ll give them a listen!

The Secret Sisters - You Don't Own Me Anymore - 2017

Produced by Brandi Carlile, this album is a reflection of what got the Secret Sisters through their hardest moments, focusing on the honesty and healing born from that darkness.

Jill Andrews - The War Inside - 2015

This record showcases Jill Andrews expanding her sound and her spirit, merging new musical textures with the heartfelt sincerity she’s always brought to her craft.

Derek Webb - The Jesus Hypothesis - 2023

Derek Webb’s 12th studio album charts his journey through doubt, community, and reimagined faith, using storytelling to shine light on topics the traditional church often keeps in the dark.

Mary Gauthier - Dark Enough to See the Stars - 2022

This album is a moving testament to loss, healing, and devotion, blending Mary Gauthier’s unmistakable voice with rich, rootsy arrangements to honor the past while embracing the present.

Josh Radnor - Eulogy Vol. I - 2023

In this record, Josh Radnor transforms personal hardships into a beautifully textured album that highlights his expressive vocals and deeply felt songwriting.

Street Corner Symphony - Jukebox - 2022

Street Corner Symphony’s Jukebox is a lively, heartfelt family album that mixes catchy fun with simple truths about bravery, kindness, and connection.

Ruthie Collins - Cold Comfort - 2020

Ruthie Collins uses this album as a way to showcase her authentic songwriting while describing the genuine emotions that come from relationships, romance, heartache, and making amends.

Matthew Perryman Jones - The Waking Hours - 2018

This fifth studio album by Matthew Perryman Jones is a contemplative, folk-rock project focusing on the complexities of how humans process finding and losing love, memories, and their sense of self.

Hush Kids - Hush Kids - 2018

A beautiful collaboration between Jill Andrews and Peter Groenwald, the Hush Kids’ debut album is crafted from melodies, lyrics, and harmonies that tug the heartstrings of listeners everywhere.

Alex Blue - Kin - 2024

Alex Blue describes this album as a “musical memoir” that takes her listeners through her experiences and hardships with grief, family estrangement, queer motherhood, and understanding oneself.

Amanda Shires - My Piece of Land - 2016

Amanda Shires’ My Piece of Land showcases her poetic songwriting and expressive vocal style, bringing together nuanced emotional storytelling with powerful country-Americana production.

Smooth Hound Smith - Dog in a Manger - 2019

Smooth Hound Smith displays their musicality in this record as they mix heartfelt storytelling, delicate acoustic melodies, and pleasing harmonies into a captivating Americana listening experience.

Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes - Kid Tiger - 2014

Daniel Ellsworth and the Great Lakes was the first band signed at Olivia Management and a huge piece of the reason our company was started. Their album Kid Tiger holds a special place in our history and in the hearts of all its listeners.

ZG Smith - Nighttime Animal - 2022

This six-song project from ZG Smith blends soft rock, psychedelic folk, and indie pop to capture the unique and strange feeling of nighttime, with his silky vocals and flowing guitar exploring desire, time, and fleeting moments.

AND A BONUS 15th album because you can't pick just one Jill Andrews' record:

Jill Andrews - Thirties - 2020

Written as a tale of honesty, Jill Andrews’ Thirties pairs thirteen original songs with stories and photos that illuminate the reality of the highs and lows she’s encountered while navigating her thirties.

To listen to all of these songs in one place, click here!

Thank you to everyone who has made these past 14 years so much fun, here’s to all the artists, the songs, and the stories that continue to inspire us every day!

By: Jo MacKenzie

Folk and Americana music has a long tradition of using songs as a form of protest, from Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” to Neil Young’s “Ohio.” With the 4th of July being this past weekend, we’d like to take a minute to spotlight some of our artists’ current and past musical contributions to the conversations about the state of our nation.

Off of Aaron Lee Tasjan’s most recent record Stellar Evolution, Tasjan delivers the protest song “I Love America Better Than You.” In an interview with NPR, he describes this song as his examination of his “country’s complexities, contradictions, and hard truths in a way that’s conversational” (Timmons). The matter-of-fact, accessible lyricism strikes a careful balance between the benign and malignant, mentioning America’s hotdogs and soda pop but also its dirty water, wealth disparity, and insurrectionists. Listen here.

In the title track of Mary Gauthier’s 2005 release Mercy Now, Gauthier writes about the importance of forgiveness in all aspects of life: forgiving oneself, one’s church, and one’s country. In the album’s title track, she sings “My church and my country could use a little mercy now / as they sink into a poisoned pit, it’s going to take forever to climb out.” Although the lyrics cast a tone of despair, they come from a place of love and hope. Gauthier adds later in the song that, “Only the hand of grace can end the race towards another mushroom cloud…I love life and life itself could use some mercy now.” In times of hardship, love, community, and forgiveness can make all the difference. Listen here.

Inspired by the folk legends of the past, Josh Radnor took up his pen to write “Don’t Get Sick This Is America”—the first song off of his most recent record Eulogy, Vol II. In a video on Radnor’s YouTube channel that breaks down the song, he calls it “an old-fashioned Woody Guthrie-esque protest song on the guitar” (Radnor). Radnor takes a satirical approach to this song as a way to highlight the issues he sees: “Quit your whining this is America / You can get by on the minimum wage / Just make sure it’s essential / Do you really need three meals a day?” Listen here.

Music has the incredible power to take complex topics and examine them in infinite ways. Folk and Americana music can shed light on issues as complicated as our country’s history and current state, and we are so proud of our artists for continuing the conversations. We hope you had a safe and fun 4th of July with your family and friends!

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