Five Minutes With: Toronto Indie-Pop Artist Oleyada

Oleyada is an indie-pop artist working out of her bedroom studio in Mississauga. As a second-generation Canadian with parents from Uruguay, she pays homage to her cultural background by writing and performing in both English and Spanish. Oleyada’s music has a retro quality but is undeniably fresh and unique. Through lush instrumental arrangement and shimmery vocals, Oleyada creates dreamy soundscapes to complement her storytelling. Her lyricism is playful but also conveys a depth and complexity that keeps the listener engaged. These qualities have made Oleyada a hot commodity in Canadian synch, landing two placements in CBC’s ‘Strays’, CityTV’s ‘Hudson and Rex’, Amazon Prime’s ‘The Lake’, and the immensely popular ‘Workin’ Moms’. Having travelled to Spain, Paris and LA to collaborate with renowned artists, songwriters, and producers, Oleyada continues to expand her musical horizons as she readies herself for her FACTOR-supported 2024 EP release.

Oleyada
Photo by: Joanna Roselli

Name:

Oleyada

Genre:

Indie-Pop/Alt-R&B/Latin

Founded:

2020

# of Albums:

1 upcoming EP!

Latest Single:

Por siempre

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

Miley Cyrus, Lily Allen, Marina & The Diamonds, Fiona Apple

Favourite musician now:

The Marias

Guilty pleasure song:

Mayonesa – Chocolate

Live show ritual:

Chugging a cider

Favourite local musician:

The Free Label

EP or LP?

EP

Early bird or night owl?

Night Owl

Road or studio?

Studio

Any shows or albums coming up?

Late Night Jam – July 19 (EP)

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify

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Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Lazros Greek Grills

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

Main St in Streetsville. I have so many fond memories there. I took guitar lessons at the Strings Attached, would go for ice cream (still do) at Murphy’s Ice Cream Parlour, and performed in Streetsville Village Square last summer!

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

Kariya Park because Cherry Blossoms! It’s little but the ambiance is unmatched. I did a live performance video there for my songs Pick Up the Phone and Dig Yourself a couple years back – all the little noises in the background, birds chirping and kids playing, created the perfect vibe.

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

Mississauga Celebration Square holds a lot of great events, I would love the opportunity to play there.

What is your favourite music store in your city?

I have spent a lot of money at the Long & McQuade on Rathburn.

 

About Emilea Semancik 129 Articles
Emilea Semancik was born in North Vancouver. Emilea has always always wanted to freelance her own pieces and currently writes for the Vancouver Guardian. She is also a recipe author working towards publishing her own series of recipe books. You can find her recipes on Instagram. @ancestral.foods