Kaitlyn Olson is a singer-songwriter born and raised in Los Angeles. After years of writing dance-pop and KPOP hits for other artists, Olson is returning to her roots with her debut EP, After The Rain, perfectly encompassing who the artist is and offering a mid-tempo, soulful sound that embodies her personality. The four-track, bedroom pop release is focused around themes of love and heartbreak, capturing raw emotion and vulnerability with every song and drawing listeners into a deeply personal journey of self-discovery and resilience.
Entering with “Everytime,” an unrushed confession that arrives as the antidote to the cool girl era we’re in. “Everytime” oozes with open-hearted sensuality over a hypnotic bassline and introspective synths. “This is just a straight up love song because we need more love in this world, especially right now!” shares Olson. Embracing her vulnerability, Olson finds strength in being unapologetically open about her desires and needs.
The title-track, “After The Rain” was created one day over some simple chords Olson wrote on the piano in a session with friends Tyler Shamy and Palmer Reed. The inspiration behind the song began when Olson was woken up on the morning of the session by a call from an ex-boyfriend that had broken her heart that she had begun talking to again. He randomly Facetimed her to show off his family’s extensive heirloom collection of fine jewelry that he had taken out of the safe and put on display for Olson. The songwriter explains, “The visual was so striking to me as I was half asleep, because I couldn’t believe that the same guy I was crying on the floor over years ago was now chasing me down dangling jewelry!” She ultimately decided he wasn’t for her.
“After The Rain” then morphed into an empowering anthem for her best friend who was going through a horrible break up at the time. Olson shares, “I was so inspired by my wake up call that day, that I wanted to write a song for her to let her know that everything was going to be okay! The song is for anyone with a broken heart who’s hoping to have the last laugh over someone who wasn’t worth their tears in the first place, because “After the rain, roses sprout out of the ground.” The message in the song, however, is more about finding self-love than anything, which is always a place I try to write from, as embodied in the lyric, “You find light you never found, even when no one’s around.”
Produced by acclaimed rapper and singer RMR, After The Rain, incorporates lofi beats, with subtle R&B elements that lay the foundations for Olson’s emotion-fuelled vocals and sultry synths. The artist shares, “In a way, this EP is an amalgamation of all the friends I’ve made over the years that I love working with.”
While attending college in New York at Barnard of Columbia University, Olson recorded a country pop album with legendary music producer Richard Perry and sang backup vocals for Rod Stewart’s standards album. Olson has since written hundreds of songs, with placements in TV, film, and major JPOP, KPOP, and Chinese artists, including a lead single for Yuri of Girls Generation’s album that debuted at #2 in South Korea. Olson’s songs can be heard on the L Word, 90210, Selling Sunset, and the Perfect Match, among many others. She has collaborated with producers Jerry Wonda, Jason Hill and Charlie Handsome, as well as collaborated with members of the Voidz, the Killers, Seal and Stacy Barthe. Her first independent releases “Mood” and “Just Take It” debuted on Spotify’s New Music Friday. Shortly after, she signed as an artist to Desiree Perez at Roc Nation Distro.