An Interview with Singer Songwriter, Liv Douglas

Liv Douglas ( @livdouglasmusic ) has loved singing ever since she can remember. It’s easy to tell when listening to her music through her angelic voice and honest lyrics, each one beautifully composed.

With an EP and a full album already released, she has a lot to offer listeners through her songs. They share the stories of how she has navigated loss and heartbreak, and how she has found hope on the other side. We had the chance to chat with her and learn more about this process. Be sure to check out her music, and enjoy the conversation.

Q: This album is beautiful, from start to finish! Tell us a little bit about it, and how it came to be.

A: Gosh, thank you! After releasing my debut EP “Doubter/Friend” in 2019, I wasn’t sure what the next step was. So, I just kept writing. Writing music is my release—the way I process my life. Some seasons, there’s more to say, and others, less. But 2019-2021? A global pandemic, two discipleship schools’ worth of reflections, three years of conversations with God…needless to say, there was a lot to work with. Through all my processing, I began to notice a theme—grief. Various kinds, from grieving my dad’s death, to grieving my childhood, to grieving the homes I’ve had to leave. The songs on “Doubter/Friend” were written to process my relationship with anxiety. The project always felt a little unfinished to me, since it wasn’t telling the whole story of the season—the “why” behind the panic. My dad had died just a few months after the ending of a long-term relationship, and my business, friends, and mental health were hanging in the balance. Grief felt like a new puzzle piece to add to the picture of my life, and similarly to the intention behind the EP, “Good Grief” was compiled to help others who were struggling, too. If I can gift people helpful language through music, it’s worth the work of releasing it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother. When I decided that I had enough songs to work with, it just depended on whittling them down and deciding on a name. I asked God for help, and He highlighted which songs worked together thematically and gave me the name “Good Grief.” I laughed when He said it. It felt perfect. The exacerbation of experiencing grief (“good GRIEF!”) married to the truth that I had been practicing—giving into grief, because it is good. After that, I sent them off to my producer and sound engineer, Glenn Deuel of Deuel Studios. We hopped in the studio in September 2021 and wrapped up recording in February 2022. All in all, start to finish, it was a 10-month endeavor and the hardest (most emotional, mentally taxing, and meaningful) work I’ve ever done. Completely worth it.

Q: What was your favorite part about the production process?

A: Probably tracking vocals. It’s tedious, but trying new textures, dynamics, and techniques was a fun challenge!

Q: What was a hard but valuable lesson that you learned throughout the production process?

A: Two come to mind that go hand-in-hand. One, that feedback exists to make the songs better, not as a personal attack. Two, that my musical opinion is valuable despite my lack of instrumental or theoretical training. Both took vulnerability, trust, and risk to implement in my belief system while we were making musical decisions, and both really benefited my heart posture and endurance throughout the process.

Q: Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations?

A: Musically, I pulled inspiration from MARO’s “it’s OK”, Will Reagan’s “Vacancy,” and Slow Meadow’s whole discography for this album. Vocally, I hear a lot of similar tendencies in my decisions to Sleeping At Last, Penny & Sparrow, and Madison Cunningham. I feel like my writing (both in structure and vocabulary) has been shaped by years of listening to Noah Gundersen, Andy Squyres, Leif Vollebekk, and United Pursuit.

Q: Do you have a favorite song on the album?

A: I am infamously situational with favorites. “Takebacks” is my favorite musically. “Tired” is my favorite lyrically. But if I had to choose an overall favorite, it’s gotta be “Abundance.” That song was written based on a really important conversation I had with God about His nature and intentions toward me and still reminds me that He’s better than I think.

Q: Now that you have an album under your belt, any ideas on what might be next for you in music?

A: Hahaha this is the question of the hour! I have been pondering this practically since the day after the album release. A lot has shifted for me in my heart over the past few years toward doing music professionally. I used to say that live shows didn’t feel like “me,” that I never wanted to tour, and that I’d maybe just do music as a side gig throughout my life to keep the pressure off of it. After some more self-reflection, honest conversations with friends, and prayer, I realized that I’ve just been self-protecting in an attempt to keep myself from being disappointed. Music matters more to me than anything else that I do, and it feels risky to aim higher. But I recently decided that I would. I will dream bigger, say yes to more, and pursue more collaborations. It’s just a bit of a waiting game, open-handed to whatever God wants to do. Right now, I just want to receive the reward of the work I’ve put into “Good Grief” and see what comes.

Q: What does creativity mean to you? And do you have any words of wisdom for fellow artists and creatives as they step out into their endeavors?

A: Creativity feels really difficult to summarize. But if I had to narrow it down, it feels like our original design and mode of function. If we’re made in the image of the Creator Himself, we are innately creative. It’s not limited to art, but spans the spheres of office to business, politics, education, etc. We need it, begin to die (within and potentially physically from the emotional expense) without it, and become both more human and like God with it.

If I had to gift any wisdom to someone embarking on a creative journey, I’d say to keep your priorities straight—don’t exchange art for finished products, unique and risky ideas for conformity, or people for craft. Don’t plow over or use others to reach your goals. Follow the peace of God, but figure out the difference between that and your selfish comforts. Challenge yourself and take risks. Do it afraid—soon, it won’t be so scary. Take yourself less seriously, but believe in the worth of what you have to offer. Invite and accept feedback from others, personal or professional—humility is necessary for longevity in both craft and connection. Arrogance is a red flag that signals you’re insecure, probably about whatever you feel arrogant in. Do normal, everyday life things, as often as you can—it will keep you centered when you’re plowing toward your dream. You’re not invincible—get at least 7 hours of sleep, drink a lot of water, eat healthy food, and make time for connection when you’re busy. I could go on and on about the little inner postures you must assume to stay with Jesus in it all, but the main thing is to reject scarcity and embrace the dream that God is inviting you into, staying sensitive to His correction. If you practice that, you’ll stay in your lane.

Photography by David Keeler