OLIVIA J. BENNETT


Hello! I’m an arts writer, researcher and critic based in Brisbane, Australia. 

I've reviewed and written about art, film, music, and digital culture in Australian and international publications. I’ve also played a pivotal role in the programming, digital production, and successful delivery of numerous projects within Australia’s film and music industry.

I'm fascinated by how global trends intertwine with personal stories, revealing the impact of cultural issues on our daily lives. In my work, I prefer to experiment with non-linear storytelling, multiple perspectives, and mixed media to capture the intricacy of modern cultural tensions.

I’ve been honoured to participate in Gertrude Contemporary’s Emerging Writers Program and the Melbourne International Film Festival’s Critics Campus.

I'm also a freelance copywriter, content writer, and strategist whose work is driven by principles of complexity and interconnectedness.

With five years of freelancing, three years in agency environments, and two years navigating Melbourne's strictest COVID-19 lockdowns, I've faced real tests of resilience and adaptability in my career. This experience has enriched my ability to develop copywriting, content, and strategy for various sectors, including tech, health, lifestyle, retail, design, construction, hospitality and (of course) the arts.

I completed a Bachelor of Art History and Curating at Monash University, majoring in Film Studies. For my BA Honours thesis in Screen and Cultural Studies at Melbourne University, I argued that the documentary films of Harvard University’s Sensory Ethnography Lab are hyperobjects. Applying Timothy Morton’s concept through poetics, I explored their capacity to provoke a transgressive experience of ecological thought and feeling.

On a personal note, I'm on track to pass the DELF B2 French exam in 2025, and I am currently working on launching new business ventures that will further leverage my expertise and passions.

Souhaitez-moi bonne chance!

SHE’S SO COOL

Wet Kiss


1/2


Melbourne's beatnik beauties Wet Kiss' debut She's So Cool is a major success. Lead singer and lyricist Brenna O plays with her enunciation, giving ordinary words a new grit. "I'm a jerk/Nothing's changing, I'm a jerk”, the siren warbles on ‘Jerk', accompanied by playful backup vocals and sparse, jangly guitar. The album flirts with all corners of rock, from the dissonant glam of ‘Nobody Has to Know’, to the 60s malady of 'Honey Walks Away’, to the post-punk cold sweat of 'Ugly', where Brenna moans, "My face changes, and nothing's the same". Sliding between genres with ease, the album marries the opulent drama of the 1920s with the 2020s' against-everything attitude. "She's a babe/And she hates me," Brenna sings in ‘Like a Flower', before a sobering cut to "Not unlike your studio drawings". On She's So Cool, Wet Kiss gives us an insight into the band's uncanny valley of the dolls, toying with words and sounds with glee, irreverence and charm.