Avril Lavigne |
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Thu. July 11.2002 4:32 PM EDT |
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Avril Lavigne: Too Much Too YoungShe makes up songs on the spot and doesn't give a damn about her pants slipping off. by Heather Stas |
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Avril Lavigne (VH1) |
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Avril Lavigne should be worrying about college admissions and whether daddy will buy her a car. Instead, this choirgirl-turned-skateboarding-siren is in the charts with her sassy debut Let Go. VH1 asked the 17-year-old Napanee, Ontario native
VH1: When people your age start a band theyre normally not thinking about getting a record deal. Avril Lavigne: When I was two my mom said she knew I was going to be a singer. Ive been performing ever since I was a young kid. So Ive known I wanted to do this for a while. I always knew in my heart that Id be doing this. VH1: How long did it take to make Let Go? Lavigne: About a year. I worked with a whole bunch of different songwriters and producers and wrote a ton of songs. It was a time of finding myself musically, discovering people I could connect with and what sound I wanted to go with. It was a struggle in the beginning, but all the hard work paid off. Im happy with how the record turned out. VH1: Where do you find your inspiration for your songs? Do you keep a journal? Lavigne: No. I write them on the spot. I sit down with a guitar player and if theres a situation I feel strongly about, or a guy that Ive been thinking about or if Im pissed off with a guy, it comes out. VH1: Was there anybody who inspired you to become the kind of songwriter you are? Lavigne: I picked music up on my own. I didnt really listen to other peoples CDs until I was finishing grade school. I started singing in church, so I got my inspiration from the music there. It wasnt like I heard a band and thought, Oh, Im going to do this. I just love music. As I got older I started listening to Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks. Now I listen to a lot of rock and punk. My dad had a guitar around the house. When I was 12 I picked it up and slowly taught myself how to play. I was always singing, so I started writing lines here and there and that led to writing songs. VH1: Youre a big skateboarder, but Let Go doesnt sound like skateboarding music. If someone saw you onstage, they might think youd sound more like Linkin Park. Lavigne: The album has some hard tracks like Losing Grip, Unwanted and the next single Sk8r Boy, which is more of a pop/punk song. The album really shows different sides of me. I like to listen to punk music, and I have other sides that are emotional and deep and really sensitive. They all come out in my music. VH1: What was going on in your head when you wrote the single Complicated? Lavigne: I was fed up with people being two-faced and phony. It can be a boyfriend or a friend or people you work with. So many people act like theyre somebody else. Sometimes when Im with a guy alone, youll look into each others eyes and everythings awesome. Then, when youre around his friends, he treats you like crap. Thats what that songs about: People being fake. I hate that so much. VH1: How was it making the video? Lavigne: Making the video was an awesome experience. But when we had our lunch break, they made this guy follow me around to make sure I didnt leave the property. I said, Why are you following me? He said, I have to take care of you, its my job. So I was like, Heh heh! Im going to mess with this guy! I took off and sprinted, saying, Try to catch me now! I hid from him. He probably got into trouble because he lost contact with me. That would have been funny if he got fired! I dont like having people follow me around and baby-sit me. VH1: What was the most surprising thing to you about the music industry? Lavigne: I didnt know there was so much politics involved. Im a total businesswoman now. I have to make huge decisions that affect my career and my life. Im only 17 and Ive got to be really responsible. I dont like the business side of things. Sometimes I get fed up and feel like saying, I just want to play and share my music and not be involved in this whole business side. But I have to remember that its really important. I think I have a good head on my shoulders. I can handle it. The other funny thing is that people have to run out and get us food. We dont have time. Its fun in a way. You stress and everythings rush, rush, rush, then all of a sudden you realize your blood sugar level is going down. Youre like, I need food, and someone gets it for you. So thats awesome. At the video shoot, if anyone said, Im thirsty six people ran over to you with water instantly! That was awesome. VH1: Performing and promoting can be really hard on the body. Lavigne: Im going to lose so much weight. You dont have time to eat. My pants were falling off at the MuchMusic video awards. The day after the rewards, there was a poll on MuchMusics Web site where you could vote for the funniest thing at the awards ceremony and one of them was Avril Lavignes butt cleavage. It was funny. I dont care. My butt-crack showing is like my trademark. I wear my pants loose, and lately Ive been so busy Ive lost a few pounds. My ass-crack is always showing! |
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