epk / press
epk / press
OLLELLA
(oh-lel-uh):
cello-forward indie folk from Seattle, WA
Kind words for Antifragile:
“Ollella's vocals sound dreamy and captivating, somehow weaving tapestries of sound as if her voice embodies the very layers she's singing about.”
– Americana Highways on “Mothers & Colors”
“It’s difficult not to be enamored with ‘At Rest.’ Many artists would be happy to achieve this anthemic statement amongst their discography and to think this song is one within a full album. We’re in for a treat with Antifragile.”
– Scummy Water Tower on “At Rest”
“Bending genres and steeping contemporary classical instrumentation in modernity and groove, Seattle’s cello-wielding indie folk artist Ollella speaks on political divides with a uniting undertone…. Riding on an indie-rock beat reminiscent of Beth Orton, Ollella’s vocals deliver the songwriter’s soaring melody. The lyrics offer a timely comment on current social and political divisions without casting doubt on anyone’s humanity.”
– Music Mecca on “Optimist”
"A moody meeting of minds happens in this brand new Ollella tune: optimism versus pragmatism. Ollella encourages empathy between the two, which I see as an act of love. Ollella is an amazing Seattle-based cellist who often loops her voice and cello live, but this track eschews her sometimes classical tendencies for a mellow indie rock sound.”
– Eugene Weekly on “Optimist”
Kind words for Back Back Back:
“…a jazzy, folktronica style that calls to mind Beth Orton”
– KEXP on “Head in the Clouds”
"Ollella’s debut [album] is unlike anything else we’ve heard so far this year and that’s a good thing. Call it indie folk if you like, place it somewhere on the bluegrass spectrum if you must, her innovative live-looping and improvisational vibe keeps the album fresh throughout... with no limits to her musical imagination and organic songwriting"
– Gavin Dahl, KRCL Music Director
“The chaos of many looped layers along with the infectious tom-heavy beat consistent through the whole song really creates a pinnacle moment just before dropping off that will likely leave you searching for more Ollella in the near future”
– Glide Magazine on “Head in the Clouds”
“Warning, this will get stuck in your head, but that’s not a bad thing”
– Sofar Sounds
“Ollella’s vocals are wonderfully expressive, and instantly captivating”
– York Calling
“Really outstanding”
– Bob Boilen, NPR Music
“So tastefully done”
– Michelle Zauner a.k.a. Japanese Breakfast
“It’s just violin, cello, and bass with a little percussion, but it feels rich, full, it feels huge. It’s a really beautiful reminder of how you can do a lot with very little… just absolutely gorgeous”
– Robin Hilton, NPR Music, on “Tea Kettle Tea”
“Really beautiful… Mesmerizing… It’s so human”
– Nabil Ayers, President of Beggars Group US
“I’ve always known [Ollella] to be an exceptional cello player, but the songwriting – wow”
– Cody Lee, KDNK Music Director
“…floating melodies and keys that evoke nostalgic contemplation”
– Devon Williams, “Entries We Love” for the
NPR Tiny Desk Contest
“A wrecking ball of talent that hits right in the emotions every time”
– Ollella fan
“…organic and unstructured folk tunes… ever so emotive and honest”
– Illustrate Magazine
highlights
Twice a finalist in the NPR Tiny Desk Contest:
2024: chosen in the top 45 out of 6,600+ contest entries
2022: chosen in the top 16 out of 4,000+ contest entries
Finalist in the 2024 LEAF NewSong Singer-Songwriter Competition
Finalist for the 2024 Sonic Guild Grant (Seattle Chapter)
Featured on Spotify Editorial playlists “Indie Bluegrass” and “New Grass”
Featured on the Showtime TV show “Couples Therapy”
Featured on the KEXP Song of the Day Podcast
Fiscally sponsored project of the Allied Arts Foundation
Sold out debut album release show at the Triple Door in Seattle, WA in 2023
music
Debut album Back Back Back released in 2023 to critical acclaim
moments of note
PERFORMANCES
2025 - Apashe Philharmonic Orchestra at WAMU Theater (Seattle, WA)
2024 - Sonic Guild’s Summer Strings at Volunteer Park (Seattle, WA)
2024 - Belltown Bloom Festival (Seattle, WA)
2023 - Timber! Outdoor Music Festival (Carnation, WA)
2022 - NPR Tiny Desk Contest on the Road Tour (Seattle, WA)
2022 - Visiting scholar at the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA)
OPENED FOR
Mary Lambert, Rising Appalachia, the Lone Bellow, John Craigie, Shook Twins, Rainbow Girls, the Lowest Pair, Will Kimbrough
VENUES
Seattle, WA - Volunteer Park Amphitheater
Seattle, WA - KEXP Gathering Space
Seattle, WA - The Triple Door
Seattle, WA - The Crocodile at Madame Lou’s
Seattle, WA - Benaroya Hall
Seattle, WA - WAMU Theater
Bremerton, WA - Admiral Theater
Tacoma, WA - Spanish Ballroom
Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo
Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
Portland, OR - The Get Down
San Francisco, CA - Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Basalt, CO - The Arts Campus at Willits
Breckenridge, CO - Riverwalk Center
images
For 300 dpi downloadable images click here.
bio
SHORT
Ellie Barber a.k.a. Ollella’s career as a musician started early, when she sang before she could talk. Trained as a classical cellist since the age of nine, the Seattle indie-folk musician merges her technical string background with authoritative vocals and live-looping. Described as “really outstanding” by NPR Music’s Bob Boilen and “so tastefully done” by Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast), Ollella’s sound is organic with a side of edge, pulling on influences such as Feist, Cat Power, and Sylvan Esso. She is a two-time finalist in the NPR Tiny Desk Contest (2024, 2022), has had music featured in film and TV, and is a frequent collaborator with others. She finds herself drawn to music because it unlocks a particular flavor of humanity – one that fits the type of world she believes in.
LONG
Ollella’s career as a musician started early, when she sang before she could talk. She has since created a life as a multidisciplinary artist as an indie-folk cellist, vocalist, and songwriter.
Ollella (pronounced oh-lel-uh) is the solo moniker for Ellie Barber, who trained as a classical cellist since the age of nine and now merges her technical string background with authoritative vocals and live-looping. Described as “really outstanding” by NPR Music’s Bob Boilen and “so tastefully done” by Michelle Zauner (Japanese Breakfast, Crying in H Mart), her sound is organic with a side of edge, pulling on influences such as Feist, Cat Power, and Sylvan Esso. She is a two-time finalist in the NPR Tiny Desk Contest (2024, 2022), has had music featured in films and TV, and is a frequent collaborator with others.
As the daughter of two parents who exercised both their right and left brains, Barber has always felt a push-and-pull in her life between art and science. Prior to committing to full-time artistry in 2020, she split her time between performing as a musician and working as an information designer at a climate research institute. Her work in climate science has been supported by organizations such as NASA, the Aspen Global Change Institute, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and published in Resources Magazine, Yale Climate Connections, and the Pulitzer Center.
Barber finds herself drawn to music because it unlocks a particular flavor of humanity – one that fits the type of world she believes in. Her work is ever-morphing, like herself.
press
[reverse chronological order]
2025 - Scummy Water Tower, Singles Spotlight: Ollella - “At Rest” – link
2025 - Lakeshore Public Media, Art on the Air Interview – link
2025 - Americana Highways, Video Premiere: “Mothers & Colors” – link
2025 - Americana Highways, Song Premiere: “Mothers & Colors” – link
2024 - Music Mecca, “Year In Review: Top 10 Genre-Bending Artists Of 2024” – link
2024 - Music Mecca, “Ollella Delivers Poignant & Societally Reflective New Single ‘Optimist’ Ahead Of Forthcoming Album” – link
2024 - NPR Weekend Edition, interview: “Tiny Desk Contest finalist Ollella pays homage to her aunt in 'Tea Kettle Tea'” – link
2024 - Planet Bluegrass Songwriter Showcase Competition, Honorable Mention – link
2024 - LEAF Newsong Singer Songwriter Competition, Finalist – link
2024 - NPR Tiny Desk Contest 2024, Finalist – “Tiny Desk Top Shelf” – link
2023 - KRCL, Executive Director Gavin Dahl votes Ollella’s debut album #18 of 2023 – link
2023 - KEXP, Song of the Day Podcast – link
2023 - Sofar Sounds, “New Music Alert: May” – link
2023 - KRCL, “Best of April” – link
2023 - Atwood Magazine, “An Essay by Ollella for Women’s History Month” – link
2023 - Glide Magazine, “Ollella Shows Resonant Cello-Based Creative Chops” – link
2023 - Illustrate Magazine, “Back Back Back by Ollella: Album Review” – link
2022 - NPR Tiny Desk Contest 2022, Finalist – “Tiny Desk Top Shelf” – link
2022 - NPR, “Entries We Love” from the NPR Tiny Desk Contest – link
2022 - KDNK, “Ellie Barber (Ollella) Returns to the KDNK Studio to Talk about Her Upcoming Album” - link
contact
SESSION WORK, GENERAL INQUIRIES
Ellie Barber
ollellamusic@gmail.com
BOOKING
Alex Anderson
Tall Order Booking
alex@tallorderbooking.com
PUBLICITY
Karen Wells Verlander
KWV Creative Communications
karen.wellsverlander@mac.com
When promoting, please note that “Ollella”
has FOUR “L“s in total!
All social handles are @ollellamusic
Ollella is pronounced oh-lel-uh