PI3RCE on Influencers, LA, and Instagram
Wild; fantastic; unapologetically pink. These are just some words to describe PI3RCE.
Née Olivia Pierce, the bubblegum goth pop singer grew up in the LA Valley, she’s the first to admit that “the whole Kardashian scene of the LA valley heavily influenced [my new album Influencers], both sonically and lyrically. A lot of the songs are very bubblegum pop, and I wanted my listeners to be able to pretend they were riding down the 101 in a pink convertible with the top down.”
With tracks titled “Famous” and “Like Kylie,” an Instagram filled with photoshoots of her in pastel pink platform heels and tiaras, and brand deals with a variety of beauty products - notably fake eyelashes and fake nails, it’s easy to roll your eyes… until that double take when you realize that she’s playing everyone.
“Being in LA turned me into a super cynical sarcastic anti-hero among Malibu Barbies. The whole Hollywood culture of fame and status is pretty much what the album is about, and I think that's why I was able to write about it so personally. I'm a bit of a rebel so I'll always lash out at my surroundings.”
Before taking the plunge into music, PI3RCE was a successful fashion blogger - this was where she learnt the importance of visual branding, and how to communicate with companies. “I loved being a part of the blogging community on the ground floor, coming up with such amazing icons like @luanna, @iindiefoxx, @flashesofstyle, and @weworewhat. There was such an amazing girl gang online back then where truly successful boss babes would support each other in creating our own visually curated spaces online. Since now the internet is so overrun by influencers, I don't think we'll ever get that special moment back when independent style icons and artists ruled the fashion-sphere online, and I am so grateful to have been a part of that unique point in our recent fashion history.”
Having a platform heel in both worlds, I asked her to break it down…
What lessons can influencers learn from musicians?
“I definitely think authenticity is important for both influencers and musicians. And that doesn't just mean having a no makeup selfie or wearing sweatpants sometimes. That means literally saying what you mean and speaking from your heart. Being bold in your discovery of truth and being vulnerable as you search for what's right in this world.”
What lessons can musicians learn from influencers?
“Probably marketing! The business side is usually the hardest part for musicians, which is why it drives me crazy when I see people who go viral getting record deals immediately. There are so many musicians who are true visionaries who never get the right opportunities because they're not a Tik Tok star. It's a weird world we are in but I definitely think combining talent with business prowess is the only way to succeed in it.”
“I'm so excited about my new EP Influencers out on all platforms because it truly does speak on all of the surrounding issues that social media has presented us in modern society. I want the record to be kind of a time capsule to capture what it's like living in the social media era right now, because it's either going to completely integrate with our society in the future, or fall apart. I have a super big love hate relationship with social media which has recently become toxic and I've had to shut it off. But I definitely think there's a lot of good and bad consequences of it that we won't understand till things unfold.”
Olivia describes her PI3RCE persona as “the cartoon version of me, like in Lizzie McGuire! Since I have two personas, glam girl and goth girl, it's nice to be able to retreat into a shell when I'm not in front of the camera and just be my little spooky self with no one to judge. Then I'm recharged enough to go out and be a puffball of pink. I actually designed that system since I saw so many amazing artists just disintegrate under the pressure. I figured that the first thing they lose is their soul - which is their true self or essence, so if mine isn't even in the game, no one can take it from me.”