Olympia Vitalis’ “Money Tree” cuts through late-night electronics with gospel warmth

In a sound where jazz, trip-hop and soul intertwine, the follow up to her entrancing single “Daze” drifts through smoky drums, blurred synths and thick strings. First introduced at her sold out April headline show at St Pancras Church, London, its restrained production leaves space for Vitalis’ rich vocals that bring warmth to the song’s otherwise shadowed atmosphere. Beneath the haze, the lyrics meditate on the futility of money and material ambition, suggesting that wealth offers little in the way of meaning or solace. “‘Money Tree’ is kind of the narrative that you might be the luckiest person in the world and have all this cash. Or you might not. We kind of all end up in the same spot anyway,” she explains.

Growing up in West London, music became a way for Vitalis to connect with her heritage. “I was brought up singing in a gospel choir, which naturally informed my harmonics and arrangements,” she shares. “As a mixed woman, I wanted to understand my black side a little bit more. I was always in a very white environment, so it was important for me to find my other side, and I did that through music.” In addition to her gospel background, old soul music has informed the way that she writes and how she aspires to write. “It all goes back to gospel, really. My favourite soul artists were gospel singers, so that genre has been massive for me.”

The track unfolds as a slow-burning blend of trip-hop murk and modern soul. When reflecting on what sparked the initial inspiration for “Money Tree”, Vitalis describes a rather strange impulse buy by the track's producer, Charlie Perry. “He has this really weird painting in his studio. It’s like this skeleton, and it’s got money dripping from it,” she explains. “It’s fucking ugly. But when we were making music, I was just looking at this painting for most of the day, and then the song kind of came out of that.”

“Money Tree” is built on muted electronics and soulful restraint, reflecting on the emptiness of wealth and lack of choice in luck. The cinematic production moves through smoke-stained drums and submerged synth textures, carried by sparse keys and resonant bass that evokes the nocturnal melancholy of Portishead. Against the hazy backdrop, Vitalis’ velvety vocals cut through with a rhythmic swagger that commands attention. “Charlie found this really cool drum break, and we kind of just put it on loop,” she says. The contrast between the shadowy production and the human tenderness of the vocal gives the song a tension that feels both seductive and spiritually worn down.

At the core of Vitalis’ songwriting is a sharp instinct for storytelling. “I wanted to make this weird post-apocalyptic kind of visual. I think when I make music, I can always see what it would look like. For [‘Money Tree’], I imagine walking out of this smoke, and everything is just blown to shit. It’s like in WALL-E, the Pixar film. Everything is just fucked, and all that’s left behind is yourself and your integrity.” Lyrically, it circles the emptiness of wealth and material ambition, framing money as a hollow pursuit that ultimately fails to offer meaning, connection, or peace.

Reflecting on the meaning behind “Money Tree”, “Coming from a space in music where everyone is ultimately trying to catch their break, I just kind of subconsciously started writing stuff to do with catching a break or the luck of the draw.” Hinting at a broader creative momentum behind the scenes, with more music set to follow, Olympia Vitalis follows her headline show with a run of summer festival appearances, including Love Supreme; Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival; Gent Jazz Festival; and Good Vibrations Festival.