We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Oliver Pierce a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Oliver, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

If I could be doing anything else and be happy I would be doing that instead.

I love performing, I love creating something out of nothing, I love entertaining, and I’ve tried to bring all of these loves into every normal job I’ve ever had. There are flashes of happiness amid the imposter syndrome, ego, and sacrifice. I love chasing the happiness.

I started as a stage actor doing musical theatre and it was the first thing I was ever good at. School, sports, religion; nothing worked for me in a way that scratched a weird itch. When I found myself on stage and taking on the life of a character it was like a messed up kind of therapy. Being someone else for an hour and a half made me feel more like me afterwards.

Translating this onto a stage with a band has been a long journey. I love music because you are in control of your own destiny. You decide what you say, how you say it, and when it is said.

If I could do literally anything else in the world and be happy, I would do it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We’re Jive Talk. Described as ‘indie retro supreme motherf*ckers’. Our sound is nostalgic yet futuristic and our live performance is a nonstop tour de force that is hard to look away from. We make music for the people who were afraid to dance until they saw our show. Free yourself, be who you want, and forget the rest <3

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Pay them

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Promoting yourself on social media! It’s so unnatural to all of us personally and so trying to capture content in a way that feels authentic yet appealing to a wide audience is so very tricky.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jivetalk

Image Credits
Photos 1, 5, and 6 Omar Miranda Photos 2, 3, 4 Kate Lamendola