Olivia Lunny currently calls Los Angeles home, but her musical career began in Winnipeg.

“Music has always been something that I’ve been around and been immersed in,” Lunny recalled.

Lunny largely credits her father for introducing her to music. He first played music around their home on Sunday mornings, and as she grew older, he began taking her to concerts.

When Lunny was in middle school, her passion for music developed, writing songs and learning guitar from her father. By high school, she took part in the Winnipeg Folk Festival and busked at The Forks. During her last two years of high school, she released a song on SoundCloud and she decided to pursue music full-time.

“It’s obviously an ambitious thing to try to chase a career in the arts, but I told my parents, ‘this is what I’m going to do,’ so I’m very lucky that they were very supportive,” said Lunny.

At 18 years old, Lunny was scouted to compete on an episode of CTV’s The Launch, a television show aimed at finding new Canadian talent. In each episode, five musicians competed for the chance to record and release an original song. The judging panel was headed by record producer Scott Borchetta, best known for launching Taylor Swift’s career. Ultimately, Lunny won her episode  and had the opportunity to record the original song “I Got You.”

“I think through that experience, my biggest takeaway was that being your authentic self is actually the biggest strength you have,” Lunny reflected. “[The Launch] was a test and an opportunity for me to really dive into my authentic self, and I’m really grateful for that opportunity, because it opened so many other doors and has led me to where I am today.”

Since appearing on The Launch, Lunny has performed with some of her idols, such as Ellie Goulding and Lionel Richie. With Goulding, she toured across Europe and expressed pride in being able to write music and share it with people commercially.

Lunny’s music style was first influenced by artists such as Fleetwood Mac and Dolly Parton. As her career progressed, she incorporated a wider range of influences and adopted a more “poppy” sound but said that acoustic and folk music remains at the core of it. Her upcoming album will be a return to those acoustic roots.

“Next year [2025], I’m releasing an album, and that sound is a comeback to that original ‘Olivia Lunny’ sound, it’s a bit more acoustic and songwriter based,” she shared.

The album, which remains unnamed, was primarily written in an acoustic environment. Lunny revealed that the name, which she did not disclose, came from a journal entry she wrote at 17 years old.

“I actually re-found that idea and that album name from when I was 17, and that became the album name […] so it’s kind of like a full circle moment,” she said.

Lunny’s latest single, “City of Angels,” is an ode to her new home of L.A., where she moved over a year ago. She described it as a literal interpretation of things that she has seen in the city, describing the highs and lows.

“It’s about the duality of this city, and the duality of my life coming from a place like Winnipeg and moving to L.A.,” Lunny explained. “With the amazing opportunity that comes here, and the sunshine everyday […], there’s definitely moments of loneliness or people with different motives […] I think this song is just about with every dream you chase in life, there also is a bit of sacrifice.”

While Lunny now resides in L.A., she declares herself proud to be a Winnipegger and represent her hometown on the larger music stage. She still enjoys returning home to visit family and friends.

“Everyone [in Winnipeg] is so lovely and amazing, and I think the culture it breeds is just incredible,” Lunny said. “I’m really proud and honoured to represent Winnipeg out here in this big world, and Winnipeg really does have such an amazing music scene, which not everyone even knows […] it’s an incredible space for people to grow.”

While she had a desire when she was younger to get out of Winnipeg and move to Toronto or L.A., she said that she is now grateful to have roots in Winnipeg. She believes they have helped her remain authentic as a female pop artist.

In the future, Lunny hopes to perform on a late-night television show in the U.S. and tour throughout the country.

Lunny has simple words of advice for other aspiring Winnipeg musicians.

“Have your vision and have your goal, dream as big as you can and hold that on a pedestal, and just make the commitment to it […] don’t let that vision change,” she said.