Tim Hughes talks to Olivia Sebastianelli about a musical career - which began in the back of an old car

If Olivia Sebastianelli has one thing to thank her father for, it’s his choice of car. Or rather, his eye for a bargain.

If there was one advantage of being driven around her native South London in a clapped out Alfa Romeo with no radio, it’s that the half Italian and her sisters had to make their own entertainment. And, inevitably, that meant singing.

That early love of music, prompted by bumpy rides around the streets of Croydon, led to an obsession which saw her getting her first guitar (a bright pink Korean-made one, she recalls), aged 13.

And she still remembers the day she bought it. “I went to a little shop in West Croydon with my dad,” smiles the talented 19-year-old. “I remember being really embarrassed to try out the guitars because, despite being really enthusiastic, I had not yet had any lessons. I tried what felt like hundreds of top-end guitars, but found nothing I liked. As we were leaving I tripped over a lead in my usual clumsy fashion and as I got up I noticed this dusty old guitar. It was so dusty we could barely make out the colour, but as the pink came through I instantly fell in love with it. I just thought it was totally punk!

“When I took it home I played it ‘til my fingers literally bled — and then I realised I really did need lessons.”

Those lessons came from a family friend. Inspired, the young Olivia put her knowledge to the test by playing a few cover songs, though perhaps not the kind you’d expect. Forget pop standards, Olivia has always had a soft spot for rock. So rather than Britney Spears, she bashed out Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, Down in a Hole by Alice in Chains and Spit it Out by Slipknot.

She was also inspired by an earlier generation of female artists — women who had blazed a trial in the name of music. “I was always fascinated by women in rock and roll” she says. “Chrissie Hynde is, for me still the only woman who can hold a guitar as well as a bloke. Edie Sedgwick, although not in a band, surrounded herself with art and music and was good friends with The Velvet Underground. She was America’s first It girl; beautiful and mesmerising.

“The most intriguing female artist for me, though, was Debbie Harry. She always seemed to perform with a stone-cold expression on such a sweet face. “It gave her an armoured, tough appearance, almost like she was hiding her emotions from everyone. “That mystery has always intrigued me. I find tortured souls some of the most interesting people.”

As her technique improved, she started penning her own songs in the same spirit as her musical heroines.

Her songs have a melancholic edge but leap out with catchy riffs and heartfelt lyrics. They are intensely personal and moody, earning comparisons to the likes of Bat For Lashes, The xx and Stevie Nicks.

Signed to a major label at just 17 years old, she chose to leave in protest at their plans to turn her into the next Katy Perry. Instead, she stuck to her beliefs, and honed her own craft as a rock and protest songwriter, tackling such serious issues as the suffering of refugees and the bravery of protesters in the Arab Spring. Recruiting her friends as her backing band, she persuaded Enter Shikari producer Dan Weller to produce it.

Her debut single, Rose of Stone, was released as a free download earlier this year. This Sunday she releases her first EP Perfect Getaway, accompanying it with a tour which, on Wednesday sees her playing the O2 Academy Oxford.

“Perfect Getaway is about getting away from a stressful situation and escaping to be on your own,” she says. “It was one of the first songs I wrote, so it’s nice to give old songs a rebirth.”

The EP also features a live version of Perfect Getaway, a new track Despite the Day, and a cover of Biffy Clyro’s Black Chandelier.

Her gig sees her supporting another rising young female singer-songwriter, Nina Nesbitt — who shot to national fame when her version of Fleetwood Mac’s Don’t Stop was used on a John Lewis television advert.

It’s an inspired bit of billing which brings together two of the most exciting new female artists around.

And it’s not only her back seat backing group of siblings and her dad who rank among her fans; Kinks’ legend Ray Davies is also an admirer. “He came up to me after a gig and told me my songs were hauntingly beautiful,” she says with delight. That’s quite a feat, coming from him!”

  • Olivia Sebastianelli and Nina Nesbitt
  • O2 Academy, Oxford
  • Wednesday
  • Tickets £8 from ticketweb.co.uk