Rising Stars: Meet Victoria “Tori” Oliphant of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria “Tori” Oliphant.

Hi Victoria “Tori”, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was old enough to dream of my future, I always knew I wanted to be an artist. As the daughter of rocker parents, their stories captivated me – playing the Ventura Boulevard strip, outdoor shows in the Valley heat, and MTV appearances. My parents’ band, Exhibit A, was born during a time when rock ‘n’ roll and punk rock were still new, fresh, and exciting. They met while in bands; their love story grew within music, and they got married while still performing, pregnant with my older sister, while chasing their dreams of being rock stars. Music is a part of my DNA. My grandpa was a celebrated jazz musician who learned how to play the trumpet in two days to avoid getting sent into the battlefield of World War II. Playing big band jazz overseas, it’s family legend that he even performed in front of John Lennon in Liverpool, England. Surrounded by all of these stories, music was constantly the byline that kept the plot pushing forward.

If being raised by a family of musicians is what sparked my passion, the San Fernando Valley is what nurtured it and let the fire grow. Throughout middle and high school, I played clarinet in orchestra, joined choirs, and surrounded myself, however I could, with musically inclined people. The Valley has a huge culture around the live music scene – Friday night backyard shows, tiny gritty venues, $5 entrance fees, and AMAZING live acts. I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of. When I was 16, five of my closest friends and I started our first band, Kosher Green. Me on the mic, William Carwardine on lead guitar and keys, Luke Bianchey on rhythm, David Porras on bass, Jessie Jamgotchian (my best friend) on saxophone, and Bradley Larsen on drums. A mix of all of our favorite genres (surf rock, blues, alternative), we called ourselves a psych rock band. For the next three years, we were off, playing countless backyard shows and tiny, gritty venues, making the best memories I will cherish forever. This is where I discovered my love of performing, but even more than that, it was the camaraderie of playing music that got me. Looking to the left or right and seeing your best friends, all working toward the same goal, all with the same fire in their hearts. We released a self-titled album, Kosher Green, and continued to grow, performing at The Smell and hosting our own 100+ attendee release show.

As is to be expected of a group of teenagers, we all grew up, had different trajectories, and Kosher Green disbanded in 2019. But I knew I didn’t want to stop making music. Even more than performing, songwriting became my true passion. I started making little beats and melodies on GarageBand on my iPhone. Working with some super talented producers, I was able to turn those demos into my first three singles: Mon Chéri, Saturday, and Burn.

Figuring out my identity and sound more, I worked tirelessly to release my most recent single, Seashell. Working with my best friends, we produced our own music videos and gained some traction on YouTube, especially after I was featured on Jubilee’s YouTube channel in a video titled “Speed Dating 11 Women Through Their Music,” which garnered over 5M views.

Now, six years later, I’ve graduated from UCLA, where I minored in music industry. My artistry has taken me to many unbelievable and surprising places. Last year, I toured with Sympathy of All Things, performing my independent music all up and down the West Coast. Currently, I’m working on my first EP, where I hope to show the world what I’ve been working on all these years. Music is a huge part of who I am, and I’m so excited to share that side of myself more and more.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been all but smooth. Music, more than any other industry, is extremely difficult and grueling. It can break your heart at times with little to no payback. One of the largest hurdles came right when I released my most recent single: COVID. Right as I was planning my first single-release show, with a lineup of bands I was genuinely excited to perform with, COVID struck and left no space for live performance, camaraderie, and all the things I had based my career on. COVID left me in a state of pause, scared to make a move and scared to grow. Hindsight is 20/20, and though I now know all the ways I could have turned things around and pivoted, at the time it felt like a death sentence, as it did for many of us. I waited and waited for things to change, with two whole years passing, and I didn’t make a move, which in turn made much of the anticipation and excitement around my music die out. As the culture shifted away from live performance, networking, and connection and into the online world, I struggled to keep up. Even now, six years later, I struggle to build that same excitement around my music. I am not an influencer, nor do I align myself with much of social media’s values and what it profits off of. So, trying to meet the many expectations of the music industry- to be a brand within yourself rather than stand behind your music, to promote yourself as an individual and let the music follow- I struggle to keep up. That being said, the obstacles and challenges are what make the road and the story interesting, and without them, there would be no payoff for the hard work every day. I’m learning how I want to put myself out there, in ways that feel aligned with my artistry, and I’m not afraid to keep trying.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Titles and labels can only go so far, but they do not tell the whole story. I am a multimedia artist and musician based in Los Angeles who has let my creativity take me down many different avenues. I graduated at the top of my class with a 4.0 from UCLA’s Design Media Arts program, where I minored in music industry. UCLA is where I discovered the paths in which I excel and all the ways in which my creativity can manifest. I love to make things. In addition to music, I am a designer. I love to make books, videos, animations, websites, and even video games. I code, I draw, I paint, I write music: anything that allows me to see a creative project from beginning to end. I have been a part of a few galleries where I have displayed my multimedia works, ranging from generative code to installation art. My work ALWAYS involves music, and any visual work I have created usually has a song or musical arrangement to be paired with it. Conceptually, my work tends to be based around themes of the spirit, life or death, and infinity (the afterlife).

I am proud of my academic successes. I am proud of all the projects I have been a part of. I am proud to still be making music while supporting myself as a creative. I am proud that I haven’t let society change my motivations or what I enjoy. I am proud to create. What sets me apart is that I am myself; there is only one of me. Whether it be music, the visual arts, technology, or making connections, I have always been the common denominator. I’m never afraid to branch out and do something different, and above all, I love to make things.

After graduating, my career has taken me to many unexpected places. I’ve worked in corporate, I’ve worked within the music industry in sync and licensing, I’ve worked on theater productions, and I’ve worked in AI. I am always freelancing, using my skills, and I’m always eager for another creative project. Right now, I work at a music studio, Room Key Studios, in Westwood, LA, where I get to integrate my love and knowledge of music with my capabilities for visual design. Room Key Studios is an amazing creative community & such an inspiring place, and I am super grateful to be there.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am always in search of musical collaborators, specifically producers. I am constantly making demo snippets and song ideas, and working through them with someone who understands the production side of music-making has always been helpful for me. I am also always open to collaborating with other songwriters, any way to get my music out there. If you want to support me, stream my music, follow me on socials, and watch out for my next release. I’m hoping to build more anticipation for my next EP, and I’ll be eternally grateful to anyone who is along for the ride.

I am also always available for my next freelance creative project, whether that be graphic design, video, coding, or installation work. I’ve built a huge portfolio of my freelance work, available to be viewed at oliphant.work (my website). Shoot me an email if you’re interested in getting to work on a new creative project!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://oliphant.work
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torinater/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tori.oliphant/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-oliphant-05baa2177/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@oliphant149
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/691P30pXUMBqjeukBYIMap?si=RbRjvSPxQsu8ccICKiMUXg

Image Credits
Lucas Dauer