Singled Out: Veronica Powers' Old Hollywood

Pop Songwriter/Actress Veronica Powers just released her single "Old Hollywood" from her forthcoming debut EP, and to celebrate we asked her to tell us about the song. Here is the story:

I wrote "Old Hollywood" as a love letter to Los Angeles, the city I was born and raised in, but also as a little self-portrait. There are so many hidden pieces of me throughout the lyrics. When I sing, "just a girl with dreams in a fancy world," that really is how I've always seen myself: a girl with huge dreams who loves beauty, glamour, history, and making everyday life feel a little more magical. And when I say, "I guess I'm a girly girl, over the top, dramatic, having fun," I'm completely poking fun at myself. I love dressing up, I love being theatrical, and I love a beautiful hotel with a Golden Age history. I've never really believed in toning myself down just to make other people comfortable. The song is playful, but it's also incredibly true to who I am.

I've always considered myself an old soul. I grew up fascinated by classic films and women like Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and Lucille Ball, and I've always been drawn to the romance, elegance, and larger-than-life personalities of Old Hollywood. I genuinely love finding places in Los Angeles where you can still feel that history, especially old hotels, restaurants, theaters, and buildings where you can imagine all the people who walked through those doors before you. That nostalgia is woven into the song, but so is my own family history. My grandmother, Jeanne Gray McDonald, was an actress, singer, writer, producer, and a pioneering woman in radio and television. She created and hosted her own radio program, The Woman's Voice, and later brought her work to television, earning an Emmy nomination. My great-grandfather worked in Hollywood during the silent-film era, including on Charlie Chaplin's sets. I never had the chance to meet my grandmother, but I grew up surrounded by her photographs and stories, and sometimes I jokingly wonder whether I'm her reincarnation because there are so many similarities between us. Writing this song made me feel closer to her and to the generations of dreamers who came before me. Recording it at Diane Warren's RealSongs studio in the heart of Hollywood made the experience even more meaningful.

Ultimately, "Old Hollywood" is about romanticizing your life and being unapologetically yourself. It's for the dreamers, the romantics, the old souls, and anyone who has ever felt like they belonged to another era. I wanted the song to feel glamorous and nostalgic, but I also wanted it to have a sense of humor. I know I can be dramatic. I know I love being overdressed. I know I'm probably going to choose the historic hotel with chandeliers and a fabulous story behind it every single time, and I love that about myself. "Old Hollywood" is me celebrating all of those things rather than trying to hide them. It's a reminder that you can be ambitious and playful, glamorous and goofy, nostalgic and completely modern all at once. Sometimes you just want to go back in time, even if only for a moment. At the end of the day, I really am just a girl with dreams in a fancy world, having fun and using my Powers to tell stories!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here

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