The Recap: Olivia Marsh Gifts “Meanwhile: in Asia” to Taipei Fans
“We’re living care free / I’ll give you the key,” singer-songwriter Olivia Marsh croons in “Backseat” on top of sassy horns and piano notes.
This live-in-the-moment, carefree feeling bleeds into her “Meanwhile: in Asia” fan concerts. On March 17, the Australian-Korean artist landed in Taipei, Taiwan. The next evening, the 24-year-old was at Warner Music Taiwan’s office sharing songs from her debut EP, Meanwhile, with her Taiwanese fans for the first time. A candid and intimate event reserved only for 50 fans, the Taipei stop of Olivia’s “Meanwhile: in Asia” event was one to remember. From teasing unreleased tracks to reacting to classic Taiwanese snacks, EnVi recaps the highlights from this special night.
WELCOME TO TAIPEI
Before the main event in the evening, Warner Music Taiwan held a small and cozy media roundtable. Situated in the vibrant Xinyi District of the capital, the office of Olivia’s music label has a stunning view of Taipei 101 rising above the trees outside. Laughter, curious questions, and warmth created a familiar environment as the selected press chatted openly with Olivia.
As soon as the star of the show entered the room, she just embodied the emojis she has in her Instagram bio: ✨🍃🍓🦆 (we would also throw in 🎀 🤍 for good measure). There is a buoyancy to Olivia Marsh, who broke into a wide smile when she saw us. But there is also a groundedness to her personality, which was particularly on display when she spoke about her EP.
Meanwhile, according to Olivia, is a “diary of the past two to three years.” Inspired by her time living in Australia for college (her family was living in Korea at the time), she “unexpectedly” started songwriting. But where did it all start? Olivia’s eyes lit up when she was asked if she remembers her first performance. Five-year-old Olivia was absolutely terrified, 24-year-old Olivia recalled. It was a piano performance at a nursing home, she added. Although she was nervous then, she wouldn’t change a thing about how it all started. According to now-Olivia, she needed that “terrifying moment” (she even still has the film tape of it).
As Olivia chatted about her debut, books and movies that inspire her, and the food she tried in Taiwan (so far, it included boba, shabu shabu, and beef noodle soup), her lilting Aussie accent and bright facial expressions radiated warmth. A proud INFJ, Olivia prefers a comfortable night-in, but she also shared her range of creative pursuits beyond songwriting. In the past, she has dove into making jewelry, woodworking, and, mostly recently, pottery. During the fan concert portion of the day, in fact, Olivia shared some before-and-after photos to admiring “oohs” from the crowd. All of these little moments helped Olivia’s fans (and the press) understand her better as a songwriter — and as a person.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
Waterworks: Olivia kicked off the night with this upbeat-tempo B-side. Dressed in a slightly sheer white lace dress with white jeans underneath and a spark of red heels, the singer was ready to bring her stories to Taiwanese fans. Although Olivia wrote “Waterworks” at a low moment in her life, you could never tell. The live guitar and drums kept her floaty falsetto notes grounded as she sang, “You treated me like I was never there / And I’m leaving all the words up in the air.” While tears would only emerge at that time because of Olivia’s gentle yet strong voice, the audience also knew that if they were feeling sad, they could turn to “Waterworks” for comfort.
Piña Colada: Named after the cocktail, Olivia channeled her longing to travel when she wrote this track. The production is atmospheric, full of sultry notes, and a lazy swing that inspires your body to rock back-and-forth, too. “We got plenty of time / Just relax and unwind, oh-oh-oh-oh / Never had a flavor quite like you,” she teases in the song. Since Olivia was now living out that traveling dream — having performed in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Taipei in the past month — the lyrics have an even brighter feeling to them.
Heaven: Released as a single last November, “Heaven” is the only track Olivia performed that is not on her EP. However, it was such a treat to hear live. Jumping into her falsetto during the chorus, it truly did feel like we had reached heaven: “Heaven, make mе feel like heaven / Sworе that I was falling from above / Just to be close to us.”
42: As Olivia mentioned during the media roundtable earlier in the day, “42” has a special place in her heart. Focused on her childhood home in Newcastle, Australia, the track is Olivia in song form. Part classical music, part lullaby, and part soft pop, “42” mixes together all the feels with lines such as “Meet at forty-two / Unbeknown, something’s leading you home / When all the petals fall, I’ll care for you.” The music video amplifies the nostalgia, as it consists of early 2000s home videos from the Marsh family. It is no wonder why the singer-songwriter decided to debut last October with this track — it is a homecoming for her.
HIGH NOTES
If you believe there are times when a live band is not needed, think again. A live band is always needed. The drummer and guitarists added a new energy to the “Meanwhile: in Asia” set. In “Strategy,” a track full of ‘70/’80s pop nostalgia and a twinge of R&B, the live band added even more liveliness to the song. Then the drums transitioned immediately to Olivia’s second lead single, “Backseat.” A sultry, upbeat track with a jazz twinge, “Backseat” tells a story of taking it easy and letting life take its course.
Taipei fans received even more treats in the hour-and-a-half event. Olivia performed two unreleased songs, including “Dancing on the Grave” and “Lucky Me.” The former is a bit of a darker rock side with an impactful bassline. Starting the track with “Welcome to my funeral,” Olivia sang of leaving the past behind and moving forward. Meanwhile, “Lucky Me” leaned into the singer’s folky sound.
The veteran songwriter also gifted fans special covers like “Ditto,” where the audience happily supplied Olivia the “Ra-ta-ta-ta” in the chorus. In addition, she was visiting Taiwan, Olivia covered Karencici’s viral track “愛你但說不出口.” (EnVi named the Taiwan-based artist one to watch in 2025.) Although Mandarin is a new language to the Korean-Australian singer, she made sure to take extra care while singing by reading the lyrics printed on the back of her event poster.
A casual interview with an MC (and questions from fans) rounded out the night. Focused mostly on getting to know Olivia Marsh as a person, the questions revolved around her hobbies and — of course — food. She even prepared photos showing off this range of hobbies, including woodworking and pottery. As the MC joked at one point, they were covering all five senses. And since Olivia was in Taiwan, then you naturally had to talk more about food. Although she was only going to be in Taipei for less than 48 hours, she had already tried boba. After she shared this, the wave of “oooh” radiated from the crowd, making laughs burst out, too. Because, after all, have you really gone to Taiwan if you didn’t at least try some bubble tea?
ENERGY LEVELS
Before “Meanwhile: in Asia” officially began, quiet yet bubbling excitement filled the space. However, as the room got more crowded, the anticipation grew as fans looked through their signed albums and Olivia’s hand-painted stickers in the goodie bags. If you haven’t realized by now, Taiwan has a very food-centered culture, so, naturally, Warner Music could not let fans go hungry. Alongside the gifted stickers and album, the event staff also handed out Taiwanese round cakes filled with either potato and cheese flavor or red bean flavor.
The more restrained energy from the beginning of the night transitioned into one of fans held rapt with attention while Olivia sang the tracks from her EP. The peak energy emerged, however, when the conversation turned to the topic of food (are we surprised?). Olivia shared that Wollamssam is one of her favorite foods to make with her family. Although she said the name in Korean, the audience need not have any fear: one of Olivia’s fans became an unexpected in-house Korean translator, eliciting laughter every time she called out the Mandarin counterpart.
A taste test of Taiwanese snacks captured the peak energy of the night. Olivia had already eaten beef noodle soup earlier in her trip, but the Warner Music staff gave her Taiwanese fried chicken and sweet potato balls, spring rolls, and a dessert with grass jelly to try. With the plastic and paper bags holding the goods rustling around — a classic sound of Taiwan — Olivia’s fans waited in anticipation to see how she would react to each bite.
But laughter erupted when one fan recommended “uánn-kué (碗粿),” especially when the MC paused for a beat after turning to Olivia to try and describe it. A savory rice pudding hiding pieces of meat and shrimp (plus often eaten with garlic sauce), uánn-kué can be found at traditional Taiwanese markets. Although the MC was stumped on how to explain it to the singer-songwriter, don’t worry, Olivia. The next time you’re in town, EnVi can take you on a Taiwanese food tour :).
FOR FANS OF
Juliet Ivy — Known for her honest lyricism and her inner child work (especially in her recent EP, tiny but scary), Juliet Ivy is like the acoustic cousin of Olivia Marsh.
If you like Juliet Ivy’s “4 foot 2,” listen to Olivia’s “42.”
Dena — This Taiwanese singer-songwriter has a girl-next-door vibe, underscored by the vulnerable stories she tells through her songs. Both songstresses also have awe-worthy control over their upper ranges, making for angelic listening experiences.
If you like Dena’s “What If I,” try Olivia’s “Heaven.”
NJZ – Besides the fact that Olivia is Danielle’s older sister, both artists have a freshness found in their discography and play around with genre.
If you like NJZ’s “Attention,” try Olivia’s “Strategy.”
VERDICT
You better get on this (in a non-threatening way, of course). The only thing I regret is not adding Olivia Marsh to EnVi’s “25 Artists to Look Out For in 2025” — it should be 26 artists. Even if you are just curious about her because she is the older sister of Danielle from NJZ, at least sway along to “Backseat,” have some fun with “Strategy” (especially the tennis-themed music video), and get in your feels with “42.”
Although Olivia only debuted last year at SXSW in Sydney, she is an all-rounder worth keeping an eye on. From tapping into personal stories about relationships, emotions, and memories from her childhood home, Olivia Marsh is carving her own path. And if the two tracks she teased at this Taipei event are any indication, she has a lot more to show.
*Writer’s Note: Media roundtable translations by Lizzie Teng.
Keep up with Olivia Marsh and her music on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X.
Want more recaps of your favorite concerts? Check out EnVi’s breakdown of NCT 127’s show here!
