Avril Lavigne Interview

Captain_Crunch · 01-31-2003, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Avril Lavigne might be virtually unknown in the UK but don't count on this anonymity lasting much longer.

In the US she's the undisputed No.1 teenage sensation and hot property. Just prior to her UK live debut in front of a few hundred people in a north London pub, dotmusic went to find out what all the fuss has been about.

She's already been featured in one UK tabloid as part of the new Alanis Morissette brigade but that doesn't tell the whole story. While they share some obvious traits (confessional lyrics, anti-male anthems, killer choruses), her guitar pop style has a distinct rough rockier edge than Alanis.

Her magic is clearly working as the 17 year old Canadian has seen her debut album 'Let Go' already spend 12 weeks in the US album chart Top 10 selling in excess of a million copies. This week registering it's highest position at No.3!

Avril returns to the UK to perform at the Mean Fiddler on September 13 but until then check out our interview with Ms Lavigne below where she talks about starting out, record company pressure and her first impressions of the UK.

On the UK:

"It's my first time in the UK, here in London. It's very different from where I'm from. If I fall asleep and wake up I'm like (screaming) we're on the wrong side of the road and freak out. It's cool here. You have good fish and chips."

On MTV saying she was 'born to rock':

"I was born to rock, I was born to roll. Rock n'roll. I see myself as a rock chick and when they refer to me as a pop chick I'm like 'NOOOOO!!!'"

On music as a career:

"Ever since I was really young I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I was determined to get this and have been performing all my life. I started making a name for myself and the right people started to hear about me. Some guys in New York heard about me, came to check me out and they just flipped out."

On starting out:

"I started writing when I was 12. I started teaching myself guitar and what inspires me to write is what I've been through - the relationships I've been in and my opinions. My lyrics are real and honest and I think that's why fans relate to me cos I'm not sat there trying to make a song that has all these rhymes and funky words, I just slurge all my feelings out on to paper and people can relate to that, I think. That allows me to have a better relationship with fans."

On comparisons with Alanis Morissette:

"I don't think I get compared to her because I'm honest because there are so many other bands out there that are honest but I think I get compared to her just cos she's Canadian and she's not some pop chick, she's a rocker and I'm not a pop chick and I'm a rocker. Once someone said I was like her because I had long hair and I was like 'OK!'. We both don't give a "whatever" about people think about us."

On what she listens to:

"Today I was just listening to Blink 182 and I like Sum 41, System Of A Down. I like my rock music."

On 'Let Go':

"'Let Go' is my first album and I wrote on every song. It took me about a year to finish cos it was hard at the beginning to find people who I wanted to work with - writers, producers - people who understood me and what sound I really want to go with. And also showing and proving to the label that I could write cos at the beginning they pitched me songs and wanted me to sing other people's songs and I had to fight to say 'no I can write my own'. I was only 16 at the time and they probably thought I was crazy but LA Reid, the president of Arista, gave me a chance. It was a long process and hopefully the second album won't take that long."

'Let Go' is out now and the first single 'Complicated' is out on Sept 23.

I personally dont like her music, but im sure there are people here that do. This is my latest drive to spark conversation in the Rock forum.

(i know it is debatable if this should be in the Rock forum but MTV says shes Rock so it must be true, right?

)

Thoughts - on the interview - please.

Papa_Magotchi · 01-31-2003, 09:45 AM

blink 182 and sum41...

yes, they should be the influence of every songwriter who writes from the heart. What great acts to admire.

Captain_Crunch · 01-31-2003, 09:57 AM

man, that is so sarcastic! lol

Papa_Magotchi · 01-31-2003, 10:13 AM

sarcastis? never!

panbient · 01-31-2003, 02:41 PM

the sad thing is she doesn't realise just how much of a puppet she really is... she's going to be one serious mess when her star fizzles out in a few years...

Captain_Crunch · 01-31-2003, 02:49 PM

Quote:

"'Let Go' is my first album and I wrote on every song. It took me about a year to finish cos it was hard at the beginning to find people who I wanted to work with - writers, producers - people who understood me and what sound I really want to go with. And also showing and proving to the label that I could write cos at the beginning they pitched me songs and wanted me to sing other people's songs and I had to fight to say 'no I can write my own'. I was only 16 at the time and they probably thought I was crazy but LA Reid, the president of Arista, gave me a chance. It was a long process and hopefully the second album won't take that long."

Notice how she says i wrote on every song not: i wrote every song.
also, i noticed she worked with writers? What does that suggest?

I agree with panbient also, but she will have loads of money after her carrier is over. possibly.

Cheers

panbient · 01-31-2003, 02:57 PM

i'm doubtful on her cash situation... when her ride is over she won't have much left once her agent/stylist/manager/label/etc get their pieces... unless she happens to be dumping cash into savings bonds with each royalty check

Papa_Magotchi · 02-03-2003, 07:12 AM

i dunno about how is was over where u guys are but we had a reality tv show called 'Popstars' on here a whie back and there have been a few new series of these. In the shows, people auditioned to be part of a pop group... blah blah....

anyway, in the end, while we were all led to believe that they had become rich and all that it turns out that the members of the group were left with only a few hundred dollars. This was coz they diddnt write any of their songs, they didnt perform the music of any of their songs, all they did was sing em. Of the whole process of record sales, the song writer is the one that usually is best off, they get the most royalties. Then there are royalties for the music performers and finally the group get whats left, that is, from all the money that they make on a song, they have to pay all other parties, including the record label first. To top that off, all cost included in the making of a music video are also taken out of the earnings. So what ends up happening is that pop stars are dependant on one thing to make them money: high sales, as in REALLY high sales.

I suppose Avril would have sold quite a bit, i think she's at the top of the chart in aus *Spits*. That would suggest that she would have made more than a humble amount of money.

(e) · 02-03-2003, 07:27 AM

Those pop stars where so dumb! In an interview on TV they were asked how they made their songs and one of ther girls said they split into two groups of two. The interviewer then said "Kind of like McCartney and Lennon?" Then the girl said "I don't know who they are but I guess so."

The audience then laughed while the interviewers looked at each other!

Papa_Magotchi · 02-03-2003, 07:30 AM