Following on from the upbeat single ’Runnin’ Wild’, Olivier St.Louis returns to First Word with a brand new track – ‘Confliction’ featuring fellow DC alumni, Oddisee.

This one is on more of a downbeat alternative-soul tip than the previous track, accompanied by Oddisee’s low-slung boom bap beats and bars.

Olivier says of the track “my identity was forged in conflict; From language and spirituality to race, from animism to catholicism. From West African languages to French, from black to white. With each disruption came acceptance, adaptation and rebirth. Change comes for us all. No one is exempt. What will you do when it’s your turn?”

Olivier was born in Washington DC of Haitian and Cameroon heritage, but spent his teens studying in the UK. As a teenager, his CD and tape collection would encompass a wide range of genres, from hip hop and r&b to garage and British alternative rock. A bio-science student, Olivier couldn’t suppress his true passion for music. After graduating, he took on a “Jekyll and Hyde” lifestyle; working as a scientist in the day, and a musician at night.

His work as a recording artist eventually led to his debut release in 2011, ‘The Mr. Saint Louis EP’, released under the moniker Olivier Daysoul and also produced by longtime collaborator, Oddisee.

From here on, Olivier began laying down vocals, collaborating and touring with a wide-range of artists over the following years, including Hudson Mohawke, C2C, Laura Mvula and German rockers, AnnenMayKantereit.

After taking a hiatus from feature work, Olivier decided to concentrate on nurturing his own sound. Embracing a newfound love for blues, rock and funk, a series of late night sessions saw him engulfed in new soundscapes, and reverting back to his birth name, Olivier St.Louis. This saw him release two critically-acclaimed EPs with Berlin-based label, Jakarta, and the release of ‘The Serious EP’ with Bibio on Warp Records.

Following world tours with many of the afore-mentioned, in 2020 Olivier has been working on all-new material for Worldwide Award-winning London label, First Word Records.

When asked his thoughts on his artistry, Olivier St. Louis simply states “no punches pulled, no compromises, just me”.