Creating the lucid moment in music is the goal of Seattle singer, songwriter and cellist Ollella. The scope and ambition you hear expressed with such musical and lyrical force on Ollella’s second full-length, Antifragile, comes from a fierce commitment to creating modern folk-pop-rock in the grand tradition. Antifragile, available on all streaming platforms, and a special vinyl edition—is the first album the Seattle singer, cellist, guitarist and songwriter has released since her critically and fan-acclaimed 2023 collection Back Back Back. Like her great forebears and influences—think Cat Power, Jesca Hoop, Joni Mitchell, Beth Orton—Ollella is about thriving in a thoroughly modern space that sits in folk music’s larger context.
You hear Ollella—that’s the nom de music of Ellie Barber, who turned to music full time five years ago after working to further public awareness of climate change—utilizing that space to her own ends on Antifragile. As a singing cellist fronting an indie-rock band, Ollella has learned to embrace the innovative nature of her craft that leads to an experimental process showcasing the delicacy of acoustic folk and the flow of post rock.
Ollella wrote half the songs on Antifragile on cello and the other half of four-string electric guitar tuned like a cello. As she says, “The conversation between the cello and tenor guitar felt very fluid to me while writing this album—the cello is earthy, the electric guitar is edgy.” Ollella recorded Antifragile at Sage Arts Recording in Arlington, Washington, with producer-engineer-guitarist Jordan Cunningham. Apart from Ollella’s tenor guitar, Jordan played guitars on the album, ably backed by drummers Sean Lane and Emily Silks and bassist Nate Sharp. Willem de Koch, who also plays trombone and is the co-founder of brass quartet The Westerlies, arranged the horns.
Antifragile ranges from the contemplative single “At Rest,” which is Ollella’s third song to be a finalist in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, following 2022’s “Loop” and “Tea Kettle Tea,” from 2024, to the driving “Mothers & Colors.”
Listen and watch Ollella’s “At Rest” music video and NPR Tiny Desk Contest submission – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XULtuAw1Mkno
About the first single from the album, ‘Optimist,’ released in December 2024, Music Mecca wrote, “Ollella’s redefinition of musical structure creates an anticipation for ‘Antifragile’ that recognizes its own unpredictable beauty… Ollella isn’t the type to conform to conventional musical categories.”
On the second single released from Antifragile, “Mothers & Colors,” the melody rides on a slick, rhythmically deceptive and very grooving track that moves between 7/8 and 6/8 time. It’s a sophisticated take on modern funk and folk that also carries a universal message. Ollella on the song: “Mothers can be deeply sad: blues, purples, and mothers can be considered crazy and described as red and orange. And mothers can be joyful and full of love: yellows.” Ollella’s velvety vocals and incisive cello blend with Erika Cunningham’s backing harmonies, Nate Sharp’s bass and Sean Lane’s drums navigate the song’s tricky time signature moves, while Sprig of That violinist Isabel Dammann sits in on the track. The tension of repeating guitar lines contrast with the calm of Carrie Jennings on flugelhorn.
Ollella shot the video for “Mothers & Colors,” directed by Andrew Ching, at Seattle’s legendary Studio X (other artists who have worked there include Heart, Nirvana and Neil Young), it’s a sonically innovative track that lends itself perfectly to a video treatment. And, as Ollella comments, “The instrumentation is just unusual, which is fun.” Americana Highways premiered “Mothers & Colors” writing: “Ollella’s vocals sound dreamy and captivating, somehow weaving tapestries of sound as if her voice embodies the very layers she is singing about.”
Watch Ollella’s “Mothers & Colors” music video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPMOxm-BouQ
Antifragile is, in many ways, a pop blues record—the arrangement and harmonic build of “Margery” might prove to be addictive. Antifragile’s title speaks to the chaos of our world at this moment, with political noise and volatility testing our collective nerve. The term itself: An antifragile response is one that’s capable, resilient and capable of bouncing forward in times of great stress—a tribute to the durability of human beings.
The album will move you, inform you, and remind you why it’s important to keep pushing to see clearly while expressing the kind of love that everyone needs. The concept behind Antifragile speaks to the chaos of the world in our current times, with political noise and volatility testing our collective nerve. The term itself speaks to our response to stressors: an antifragile response is one that is capable, resilient, and bounces forward instead of solely bouncing back. It’s an optimistic perspective on the durability of human nature to navigate uncertain times.
Among others who have been enlightened by her music, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest has featured her as a finalist in 2022 and 2024, and most recently in 2025, for the new track, “At Rest.” NPR’s Robin Hilton praised Ollella: “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. It’s just absolutely gorgeous.”
More About Ollella
Ellie Barber, a.k.a. Ollella, grew up in Seattle and began taking cello lessons at the young age of 9. Music was ingrained in her from the start – as her mother says, “She sang before she could talk.” After working as a creative director for a climate research institute, Barber turned to music full-time in 2020, releasing her debut album Back Back Back in 2023. With nods to great indie-pop artists like Feist, precise rhythms and indelible songwriting—Back Back Back marked the emergence of a true innovator, receiving acclaim from KEXP, Glide Magazine, Atwood Magazine, and earned a spot as KRCL’s #18 album of 2023. Described by Illustrate Magazine as “vintage chaotic and unruly instrumentalism…organic and unstructured folk tunes…ever so emotive and honest.” Back Back Back defies category in a series of acute songs like “Don’t Lie” and “Tea Kettle Tea,” the latter track one of two, that NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest has recognized by the two-time finalist, (2022, 2024).
Back Back Back opened the door; Antifragile is set to be a new chapter, in a new and even more challenging—and, let’s hope, optimistic—world for Ollella.
Antifragile marks a maturation of her debut, deepening her collaboration with producer Jordan Cunningham while introducing new talents such as Sean Lane on drums (Heart, Perfume Genius) and horn arrangements from Willem de Koch (Fleet Foxes, The Westerlies). Momentum has been building swiftly and steadily for Ollella, leaving her well-poised for the release of Antifragile.
Antifragile can be streamed or purchased on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Google Play, iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, and Amazon.com. Antifragile is also available as a limited edition vinyl LP.
Catch Ollella on tour with more dates to be added soon
4.26 – Antifragile Album Release Celebration
The Great Hall at Seattle Town Hall – Seattle, WA
