Keep an eye, or ear, out for up-and-comer signer/songwriter poutyface. The soon-to-be 21-year-old (Zodiac: Taurus) hails from San Diego, CA and she will captivate your senses with her singsongy, spoken word rhymes, and rhythms that blur between sweet and soft to hard and edgy.
Arch City Media caught up with her in St. Louis at The Pageant shortly after her successful debut performance to an already packed house opening for Yungblud and Palaye Royale on Feb. 22, 2022.
Composed, present, and personable, Olivia Howard, aka poutyface easily chatted with us and you couldn’t tell she had just performed in front of a large, live audience for the first time.
ACM: So how does it feel after your first performance?
OH: Surreal. Part of me isn’t sure it even happened.
ACM: What about before the show, what did you expect?
OH: I didn’t know what to expect. My crew and I decided just to go out and have fun.
ACM: What type of music is on your playlist right now?
OH: Right now mostly instrumental — sonic space type of music.
ACM: Switching gears – what did you want to be when you grew up?
OH: A cowgirl. Or an astronaut. I don’t know why.
ACM: When did you start writing/recording music?
OH: I was 13. I was actually a competitive dancer. But the thing I really connected to was the music part of it. And I loved dancing but everyone my age was far ahead of me so I decided to try something else. I asked my mom to buy me a guitar when I was 13 and I started writing songs on the guitar.
poutyface in concert at The Pageant
poutyface’s manager, Edgel Groves, Jr. interjected at one point that she’s a prolific writer and has hundreds of songs already written and everything he’s heard is good; and as a former A&R rep for SoundCloud, he’s got an ear for talent.
ACM: Is the song Pretty Boy about anyone in particular?
OH: No. It’s not about anyone specific. It’s more about something I’ve come to enjoy in people. I think I’m attracted to people who have an interesting mix of masculine and feminine energy. I think there’s some of that in me as well.
ACM: When did you find out you were going to be on this tour?
OH: In November. I was in a CVS getting my second vaccination.
ACM: And?
OH: I had to temper myself in the store.
Yes, there was a little jumping up and down and some squealing.
And she’ll be on the rest of this leg of the tour and then Europe as well.
ACM: Who else is on stage with you?
OH: Mark is my guitarist. He is also my music instructor and I’ve known him since I was 17. And Josh is a drummer based out of Nashville who we found through Facebook. We all rehearsed in Nashville for about two weeks before this.
ACM: Do you have a goal for what’s next?
OH: Not right now. I’m just so happy and grateful to be doing what I’m doing. I’m less goal-oriented now than I’ve ever been in my life. This is my job!
OH: St. Louis was very cool. I’m going to have to come back. I heard the barbecue is really good.
Edgel shared that poutyface will have a new single coming out March 4 and another one prior to the European leg of Yungblud’s Life on Mars Tour and that an EP is in the works.
Check out two of her singles here:
Pretty boy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Wb6BshsrU
FBoys Anonymous: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5BWhd2ngbs
And find more photos here: https://bit.ly/Yungblud22cz
