Status: Updates every Sunday and Wednesday!
We're Not Listening
And My Heart Takes a Leap to the Lights - Olli Lolli, pt. 5
The years 2007 to 2009 were a blur for Olli Lolli. They didn’t release their second album until 2009, but in the meantime, they toured every summer and made damn sure they kept their creativity flowing. The summer of 2007 saw their first tour across the US, supporting their hesitant friends Fire Motion, despite the vast differences in each band’s musical styles. They won over some folks, and then others didn’t take too kindly.
Put simply, a few homophobic slurs were thrown onstage at one of the first shows until Justin ran up and took Olli’s mic, demanding that the person who said those things be thrown out of the venue after going on a rant about those kinds of morons. The crowd cheered for Justin, and Olli had never been more thankful for his existence, even though he broke down crying after the show just from the sheer shock – it was 2007, for Christ’s sake. How backwards could some people still be?
It was a minor road bump, though, and the band kept chugging along. When 2008 came around, so did a bunch of senior rites of passage, including prom, where Olli and Joshie made out in Joshie’s car and vowed to never speak of it again. They took their final exams, and all of them ended up passing the IB program; Olli passed with flying colors, while Gabriel did decently, and Joshie cut it a little too close for comfort. Graduation came and went, and a few familiar faces showed up at the ceremony – Rai, Brianna, Winter, CJ, Justin, and Gunner, to name a few.
A tough decision was made about midway through the band’s senior year regarding college. Though they had cash to spare and wanted to spend it on a college education that could be a good buffer, how would it interact with their budding music career? Eventually, they pulled a Brianna and decided on going to the University of Miami, each of them studying something in music.
It proved to be a little too much, and eventually in 2010 the trio put further education on hold as their career took off even further. Summer and winter breaks were spent either touring or recording, and eventually, the finishing touches were put on their album in late 2009. It took a while since everybody was still in school, preoccupied with other endeavors, but “Sophomore to Love” was released just in time for Christmas.
Packed full of pop-rock and synthesizers that hooked listeners from their first EPs, it was a big step up from their first album that was littered with teenage songs about hearts and happiness. At its root, though, it was cheery and vivid – just like the people who made the music.
Though Olli was born in Ocala, Joshie hailed from Michigan, and Gabriel moved from Seattle at a young age, they seem to radiate the Miami sun. It’s rare when they have a photoshoot that doesn’t involve them smiling like idiots, and really, they pass it on to whoever is willing to listen.
Just like the members themselves, their future is bright, and they can only learn more – it’s always nice to learn things you want to know.
Put simply, a few homophobic slurs were thrown onstage at one of the first shows until Justin ran up and took Olli’s mic, demanding that the person who said those things be thrown out of the venue after going on a rant about those kinds of morons. The crowd cheered for Justin, and Olli had never been more thankful for his existence, even though he broke down crying after the show just from the sheer shock – it was 2007, for Christ’s sake. How backwards could some people still be?
It was a minor road bump, though, and the band kept chugging along. When 2008 came around, so did a bunch of senior rites of passage, including prom, where Olli and Joshie made out in Joshie’s car and vowed to never speak of it again. They took their final exams, and all of them ended up passing the IB program; Olli passed with flying colors, while Gabriel did decently, and Joshie cut it a little too close for comfort. Graduation came and went, and a few familiar faces showed up at the ceremony – Rai, Brianna, Winter, CJ, Justin, and Gunner, to name a few.
A tough decision was made about midway through the band’s senior year regarding college. Though they had cash to spare and wanted to spend it on a college education that could be a good buffer, how would it interact with their budding music career? Eventually, they pulled a Brianna and decided on going to the University of Miami, each of them studying something in music.
It proved to be a little too much, and eventually in 2010 the trio put further education on hold as their career took off even further. Summer and winter breaks were spent either touring or recording, and eventually, the finishing touches were put on their album in late 2009. It took a while since everybody was still in school, preoccupied with other endeavors, but “Sophomore to Love” was released just in time for Christmas.
Packed full of pop-rock and synthesizers that hooked listeners from their first EPs, it was a big step up from their first album that was littered with teenage songs about hearts and happiness. At its root, though, it was cheery and vivid – just like the people who made the music.
Though Olli was born in Ocala, Joshie hailed from Michigan, and Gabriel moved from Seattle at a young age, they seem to radiate the Miami sun. It’s rare when they have a photoshoot that doesn’t involve them smiling like idiots, and really, they pass it on to whoever is willing to listen.
Just like the members themselves, their future is bright, and they can only learn more – it’s always nice to learn things you want to know.
♠ ♠ ♠
Alright, that's the end of Olli's story in this novella, and next up is Put'emup, Put'emup! If you read my long-ass story Generation Why Bother, that name should sound familiar. ;D (If you can believe it, that story's even cornier than this one, haha!):D