Olivia Dean started making her own music as a teenager, beginning to write songs around the age of 16 and teaching herself guitar and piano, then moving into professional work at 17 as a backing singer for Rudimental and performing live.

Quick Scoop: When did Olivia Dean start making music?

Early songwriting years

  • She began writing her own songs at about 16, while still in school.
  • Around this time she also taught herself guitar and piano so she could compose and perform her material.

First steps into the music industry

  • At 17, she started busking on London’s South Bank, doing street performances that were effectively her first public shows.
  • Also at 17, she landed work as a backing vocalist for the band Rudimental, marking her entry into the professional music world.
  • A key early moment was performing with Rudimental at the Sziget Festival, which helped give her the confidence to pursue a solo career.

Releasing her own music

  • She released her debut single “Reason to Stay” in 2018, which was her first widely noticed solo release.
  • Her first EP “OK Love You Bye” followed in 2019 and is often seen as the official start of her recorded solo career.

So, in simple terms: she started making music and writing songs around 16, stepped into the professional scene at 17, and began releasing her own records from 2018–2019.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.