Annie O Presents: Livia Blanc

“We have a secret weapon at The Standard, and it comes in the form of a French-Moroccan music maven named Annie O. After years in the music industry representing such greats as Lou Reed, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Pearl Jam, and Peter Gabriel, we nabbed her to curate The Annie O Music Series, a regular concert series in the airy Penthouse of The Standard, East Village.

On Monday, January 8th, Annie O brings a fellow Frenchy, Brooklyn-based singer Livia Blanc, to the Penthouse for an intimate night of 1960s nostalgia. In 2017, she grabbed attention with her first music video and singles, and she's poised to have a breakout 2018.  Get to know her before the big night through her interview with Annie O below. “

photo credit @ Jordan Lutes

Tell us about where you grew up and how that influenced your musical style.

Growing up in Tahiti, I was listening to a lot of ukulele and toere, which influenced my music a lot. I love rich drum compositions and elaborate percussion. In French Polynesia, we celebrate the Heiva in July, a festival where many groups of fifty-plus traditional dancers and musicians compete. It’s quite impressive to see them dancing and singing together. It inspires me in every song I write…