PHOTOGRAPHED BY GEORDY PEARSON.Why writing is the ultimate risk
"Music for me is writing for myself and really trying not to write for other people. Not that I don’t want other people to appreciate my art, but I want to take the risk of staying true to myself and hope that people will respond and relate to that. The more you can let someone see inside your soul — like the pit, pit, pit — the truest you can be in your art form."
Why I always stand up for my art
"I think the second that you bring your work or your project to someone else, whether that’s an engineer, producer, or label, people automatically want to give their two cents. I’m really open to criticism, but I’m also like, 'F*ck you, I wrote this and this is what it means, and if you don’t get it, that’s okay. I’ll move on and work with someone else.' I was recently just recording my solo project out in Boston, and the label was like, 'This song’s a little long. It’s a poppy song and it should be shorter. Why don’t you chop it?' And, I really felt like it was a country ballad, and I didn’t want it to be shorter. We kind of argued, but I just said there are other tracks on the CD that are meant to grab you instantly, and this isn’t one of them. This is one that you sit with and maybe listen to five times before you even like it. It worked out in my favor."
Being bold or daring means...
"Making me go, ‘That’s sick!’ My friend showed up to something with blue eyebrows. She had literally powdered her eyebrows blue, and I thought it was awesome. When I see someone walk down the street and you see other people taking notice of them, that’s bold. It’s usually the conviction in which they wear something. It’s not so much the actual garment or makeup or hair; it’s more like you have that attitude. You just own it."
