Hi Christine, thanks for doing this interview with Portrait. How are you? Could you start out by introducing yourself to the readers.
Sure! Well to start off, I have lived in Victoria, B.C. for most of my life and I am now 16 years old ( 17 in May!). I started writing songs on the piano when I was about 7 years old and then learned guitar shortly after. I just released my second CD, Push, and am currently working on recording some new tunes while getting through my junior year of high school!!
How would you describe your style of music?
I always find this to be the simplest, but hardest question! I try to not suppress anything by trying to stick in one style. I prefer to treat each song as seperate entities. So my music can go from alt/rock to pop to acoustic with just voice and piano. I like to experiment with lots of different styles.
Do you have a favorite song on your new album 'Push'?
I would say my favourite song is probably Give It Up. The song talks about materialism and questions the importance of the things our culture values. . . something I feel quite strongly about.
You've been writing songs since you were seven year old. What are some of the things really inspire you musically?
I like to question things. Not neccesarily give answers, but at least try to make people think about life and living in general. I draw from my own experiences and also things I see. . . I try to put myself in other people's shoes as much as I can.
You toured throughout Canada last summer. How did the tour go? Any tour stories to share?
The tour was great! It was pretty cool to get to see all of the cities in Canada that I had never been to and spend time with my band and the other girls that were on the tour. During the tour, we had one precious day off in between traveling so a couple of my bandmates and I went to Wonderland in Toronto. I am a roller-coaster fanatic so that was the perfect break for me!
What has been the best experience for you since releasing your debut album in 2004?
I would definitely have to say that the most special experiences for me have been the things that I do with both Kids Help Phone and Operation Respect. I love working with other kids and young people my age and it makes it all worth it to be a part of something bigger than myself.
What are some current artists you'd like to collaborate with in your career and what musicians really influenced you when you were growing up?
Bands/artists that influence me are anything from, Joni Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, and Elton John, to Switchfoot, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins and U2. Peter Yarrow from folk group, Peter Paul and Mary has also been a big influence in my life and career over the past years. He actually founded the anti-bullying organization, Operation Respect, and I really admire musicians like him who really stand up for what they believe in.
You're an Artist Ambassador for the charity 'Kids Help Phone'. Could you tell us a little about the charity and why it's so important to you?
Kids Help Phone is a phone line in Canada that kids can call at any time about any kind of problems that they have to talk to a professional counsellor. The work I do with KHP really goes hand in hand with a lot of things that I write about in my songs and it kind of makes everything else I do really worth it.
Twenty years into the future if you looked back at your career, what is the one thing you most hope to have achieved?
Well first of all I hope that I will be graduated from both high school and college, haha. After that, I just hope that I can still be doing what I'm doing now and that my music will still be relevent in twenty and thirty years. As long as people are still getting something out of my music, I'll keep writing.
What countries do you most hope your career will allow you to visit?
Everywhere!! I love to travel and I hope my career will allow me to see all sorts of places. I would especially love to travel to South Africa and India. I want to be able to experience different types of cultures and understand how people live in different parts of the world. I don't want to be cocooned in the Western world all of my life; I want to see and try to understand other people's hardships and challenges.
What plans do you have for 2007? Is there a new album in the works or a new tour? Will you be continuing with your education?
Right now I'm working on recording some new songs and also setting up performances and hopefully a tour for the summer. I'll definitely continue going to school as long as possible; so that means SATs and college applications as well!!
Could you tell us two completely random facts about yourself?
I absolutely CANNOT stand the taste of cilantro and I hate the cold so Tom, my producer, always keeps a heater in my singing booth at the recording studio.
Many musicians today shy away from the responsibility of being a role model for young people. What do you think of the idea of being a role model?
I think that being a musician means being a role model whether you choose to be or not. With television and the web, young people are watching artists and celebrities and it makes an impression. I hope I can make some positive impressions without having to preach or anything. I guess all I can really do is just live what I believe and be who I am : )
Portrait Magazine is an online magazine. Do you surf the net much? Do you have any favorite websites?
I love surfing the web! There's so much interesting stuff to learn about and it's right inside the house. Some of my favourite sites are www.relevantmagazine.com , www.wie.org , and for music reviews there's nothing like www.rollingstone.com.
