Olivia Rafferty

Scottish singer-songwriter Olivia Rafferty writes music that turns real moments into something precious, whether it's a 4am taxi ride or furniture custody after a breakup. A mixture of playful and plaintive, her sound blends pop, folk and indie rock, reminiscent of artists such as Phoebe Bridgers and Anais Mitchell.

Her last name will be familiar to those who knew “Baker Street” songwriter Gerry Rafferty — her granddad’s cousin. He was close enough to the family that Olivia felt a connection, but far away enough that she never got to meet him. Nevertheless, it’s always served as a reminder that songwriting is a part of who she is.

After years of choirs and orchestras in school, she picked up a guitar while studying in Edinburgh and started writing. Her songs became like diary entries, detailing lost loves or fresh starts in far away cities. Over the next few years she made music in Scotland and Canada under the moniker INKA, releasing over 10 collections of songs on bandcamp and playing at festivals such as Canadian Music Week.

During 2020 she returned to this form and completed a “tiny song” project, writing 100 under-a-minute songs in 100 days. Other recent projects include Missed Connections, a series of songs based on Craigslist classifieds collaboratively written with Hannah Fredsgaard-Jones, a Danish songwriter Olivia met on Findlay Napier & Boo Hewerdine’s Bird on a Wire songwriting course.

Olivia’s debut EP Hurricane holds up a mirror to the slow and sudden demise of relationships. It was released in 2021 and was featured on BBC Scotland and Folk Radio UK. She is currently writing a concept album on geology.