Emmy Rossum Interview
ANNA: The style of pop on your forthcoming album is unusual and especially so for someone so young. What is it that drew you to it?
EMMY: I wanted to find a sound that was really “me”, that sonically expressed what I was feeling at this point in my life and that incorporated all of the musical styles that have influenced me, from pop to classical to new age to electronica. I call my style “ambient pop” as I think it has roots in pop but is layered with my vocals in lush, fresh way that’s sexy. It took me months of experimenting to find the sound of “Inside Out” but once I’d written and heard “Stay”, I knew I’d found it; all the elements I’d been searching for came together in a beautiful way.
ANNA: While all the songs on 'Inside Out' are deeply personal, as you've noted, which ones are really closest to your heart?
EMMY: All the songs are somewhat autobiographical (as I wanted the lyrics to be “real”), so they are all close to me. The songs that are closest to me are “Inside Out”, “Slow Me Down” and “Anymore”. The idea behind turning yourself “Inside Out” is about finding confidence to show who you really are, with all your emotional scars and your history. “Anymore” was the hardest song for me to write, as I have never talked publicly about my family and growing up without a father. I struggled with the song every step of the way, writing it, recording it and then considered not even putting it on the record… it’s scary to be that exposed. In the end though, I realized that I was proud of the song, that being abandoned is nothing to be ashamed of, and I wouldn’t have been totally “Inside Out” had I not included it on the record.
ANNA: You worked with several producers on the album, including electronic artist Moby. How did he and the others influence the sound and feel of the music?
EMMY: It was such an interesting process working with different producers until I found my sound. It’s kind of like blind dating -- although I’ve never been on a blind date so I'm only guessing; you never know how you will connect with another musician or producer before you sit down to write a song together. Getting to write and work with people whose music I’ve always admired, like Moby, is a dream come true for a young artist. I loved working with Moby, Glen Ballard and Dave Stewart, and I learned so much from them. But when I sat down with Stuart Brawley (who eventually produced the whole record) and we wrote “Stay”, I knew that was the musical direction for the record that I’d been searching for.
ANNA: What was the process of working on your own songs with producers like? Were there any disagreements -- or 'creative differences' - that had to be worked through? If so, what were they like?
EMMY: There are always bound to be minor things, but for the most part Stu and I share a similar vision of the emotion of the song and how best to sonically achieve that.
ANNA: The debut single from 'Inside Out' is about slowing down in a hectic world, a sentiment any urbanite or busy person can relate to. But what, specifically, inspired you to write this song?
EMMY: I wrote the song at a moment when I felt the world was moving so quickly that I almost couldn’t keep up. Traveling and working as much as I do, between meetings, filming, recording, working out, and all the other mandatory things we do every day, it can be very overwhelming. I looked around and I saw my friends in similar positions, rushing between classes and studying; strangers on the street during New York City rush hour looked as if they felt the same way. I realized that this wasn’t just something that was affecting me; so many people are experiencing the same feelings with the current pace of life. I realized that if I didn’t slow down for even just a moment, I would miss the beauty in life… whether it’s falling in love or even something as simple as a fall day. Especially during this back-to-work, back-to-school time, it’s so important to me to just take a second and appreciate being alive.. that’s what “Slow Me Down” is about.
ANNA: You have noted that part of what was new for you in making your debut album was speaking your own words, versus speaking lines that were written by someone else. What kind of risks does that entail?
EMMY: There’s a safety in making films -- playing a character and not fully exposing your true self -- that you don’t have in being a musician. It’s scary to be truly “Inside Out” in front of anyone, it’s a risk, but a risk I believe is worth taking in life.
ANNA: What, if anything, do you think distinguishes you from other young female singers who currently make up the mainstream lineup of pop artists?
EMMY: I think musically and lyrically I’m different from other female artists. I think too many girls are objectified in music. I hope I can write for the modern woman who is smart, strong, feminine, vulnerable and sensual.
ANNA: You started your professional career as a singer and then an actress before you were even in high school. How has such an early start impacted you? How has it affected what you want for yourself now, and the choices you make, both professionally and artistically?
EMMY: I started singing in the children’s chorus at the Metropolitan Opera when I was seven and I learned to to arrive on time, to know my part, to always respect the people I was working with and behave with the professionalism of an adult. I think they taught me to respect the music itself as well, and I think I gained a deep love of music that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else.
ANNA: What have you had to give up or what kinds of experiences did you trade to work as you have since such a young age?
EMMY: Well, I didn’t go to high school, I home schooled through private tutors and Stanford University’s EPGY online high school program. I think it would have been fun to have the experience of conventional high school. But it’s not as if I didn’t have friends, I had friends from the opera and friends who I carried forward even after I left attending school.
ANNA: What are the biggest differences between working on a set and working in a studio? Which is more fun?
EMMY: I love both being on set and working in studio, but they are totally different! On a film set, we do a different scene every day and we might work 16 hours in a row, with lots of little breaks in between takes. Making a record, you can create your own schedule. I like to do a lot of writing on my own time at night and then go in to the studio first thing in the morning when the emotion is fresh and record it. I love both!
ANNA: What are you listening to these days, and which artists inspire you the most?
EMMY: I have pretty eclectic musical tastes, from Kanye West to Coldplay to Jem. Some of the people who inspire me most are David Gray, Sigur Ros and Damien Rice.
ANNA: Where do you live most of the time, and what do you do to kick back, when you're in films, in the studio, or elsewhere?
EMMY: I travel between my apartment in New York City -- where I grew up and now spend time with my childhood friends -- and my house in Los Angeles -- where I work most of the time. In my free time I love to cook, hike, watch movies, go to concerts and even do silly funs things like paint pottery at Color Me Mine. On set and in studio, I find things to do to keep in downtime, like movies in my trailer, or keeping in touch with my friends on my blackberry.
ANNA: When will we get to see you on tour? Will you be singing any 'Phantom,' just for old time's sake?
EMMY: I'm not sure, I haven’t decided yet. I love the music from “Phantom” and am always happy singing it. On the other hand, I’m really involved in writing creating and performing my own music and I think I will primarily sing my own compositions.
For more about Emmy Rossum visit her official website EmmyRossum.com.
EMMY: All the songs are somewhat autobiographical (as I wanted the lyrics to be “real”), so they are all close to me. The songs that are closest to me are “Inside Out”, “Slow Me Down” and “Anymore”. The idea behind turning yourself “Inside Out” is about finding confidence to show who you really are, with all your emotional scars and your history. “Anymore” was the hardest song for me to write, as I have never talked publicly about my family and growing up without a father. I struggled with the song every step of the way, writing it, recording it and then considered not even putting it on the record… it’s scary to be that exposed. In the end though, I realized that I was proud of the song, that being abandoned is nothing to be ashamed of, and I wouldn’t have been totally “Inside Out” had I not included it on the record.
ANNA: You worked with several producers on the album, including electronic artist Moby. How did he and the others influence the sound and feel of the music?
EMMY: It was such an interesting process working with different producers until I found my sound. It’s kind of like blind dating -- although I’ve never been on a blind date so I'm only guessing; you never know how you will connect with another musician or producer before you sit down to write a song together. Getting to write and work with people whose music I’ve always admired, like Moby, is a dream come true for a young artist. I loved working with Moby, Glen Ballard and Dave Stewart, and I learned so much from them. But when I sat down with Stuart Brawley (who eventually produced the whole record) and we wrote “Stay”, I knew that was the musical direction for the record that I’d been searching for.
ANNA: What was the process of working on your own songs with producers like? Were there any disagreements -- or 'creative differences' - that had to be worked through? If so, what were they like?
EMMY: There are always bound to be minor things, but for the most part Stu and I share a similar vision of the emotion of the song and how best to sonically achieve that.
ANNA: The debut single from 'Inside Out' is about slowing down in a hectic world, a sentiment any urbanite or busy person can relate to. But what, specifically, inspired you to write this song?
EMMY: I wrote the song at a moment when I felt the world was moving so quickly that I almost couldn’t keep up. Traveling and working as much as I do, between meetings, filming, recording, working out, and all the other mandatory things we do every day, it can be very overwhelming. I looked around and I saw my friends in similar positions, rushing between classes and studying; strangers on the street during New York City rush hour looked as if they felt the same way. I realized that this wasn’t just something that was affecting me; so many people are experiencing the same feelings with the current pace of life. I realized that if I didn’t slow down for even just a moment, I would miss the beauty in life… whether it’s falling in love or even something as simple as a fall day. Especially during this back-to-work, back-to-school time, it’s so important to me to just take a second and appreciate being alive.. that’s what “Slow Me Down” is about.
ANNA: You have noted that part of what was new for you in making your debut album was speaking your own words, versus speaking lines that were written by someone else. What kind of risks does that entail?
EMMY: There’s a safety in making films -- playing a character and not fully exposing your true self -- that you don’t have in being a musician. It’s scary to be truly “Inside Out” in front of anyone, it’s a risk, but a risk I believe is worth taking in life.
ANNA: What, if anything, do you think distinguishes you from other young female singers who currently make up the mainstream lineup of pop artists?
EMMY: I think musically and lyrically I’m different from other female artists. I think too many girls are objectified in music. I hope I can write for the modern woman who is smart, strong, feminine, vulnerable and sensual.
ANNA: You started your professional career as a singer and then an actress before you were even in high school. How has such an early start impacted you? How has it affected what you want for yourself now, and the choices you make, both professionally and artistically?
EMMY: I started singing in the children’s chorus at the Metropolitan Opera when I was seven and I learned to to arrive on time, to know my part, to always respect the people I was working with and behave with the professionalism of an adult. I think they taught me to respect the music itself as well, and I think I gained a deep love of music that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else.
ANNA: What have you had to give up or what kinds of experiences did you trade to work as you have since such a young age?
EMMY: Well, I didn’t go to high school, I home schooled through private tutors and Stanford University’s EPGY online high school program. I think it would have been fun to have the experience of conventional high school. But it’s not as if I didn’t have friends, I had friends from the opera and friends who I carried forward even after I left attending school.
ANNA: What are the biggest differences between working on a set and working in a studio? Which is more fun?
EMMY: I love both being on set and working in studio, but they are totally different! On a film set, we do a different scene every day and we might work 16 hours in a row, with lots of little breaks in between takes. Making a record, you can create your own schedule. I like to do a lot of writing on my own time at night and then go in to the studio first thing in the morning when the emotion is fresh and record it. I love both!
ANNA: What are you listening to these days, and which artists inspire you the most?
EMMY: I have pretty eclectic musical tastes, from Kanye West to Coldplay to Jem. Some of the people who inspire me most are David Gray, Sigur Ros and Damien Rice.
ANNA: Where do you live most of the time, and what do you do to kick back, when you're in films, in the studio, or elsewhere?
EMMY: I travel between my apartment in New York City -- where I grew up and now spend time with my childhood friends -- and my house in Los Angeles -- where I work most of the time. In my free time I love to cook, hike, watch movies, go to concerts and even do silly funs things like paint pottery at Color Me Mine. On set and in studio, I find things to do to keep in downtime, like movies in my trailer, or keeping in touch with my friends on my blackberry.
ANNA: When will we get to see you on tour? Will you be singing any 'Phantom,' just for old time's sake?
EMMY: I'm not sure, I haven’t decided yet. I love the music from “Phantom” and am always happy singing it. On the other hand, I’m really involved in writing creating and performing my own music and I think I will primarily sing my own compositions.
For more about Emmy Rossum visit her official website EmmyRossum.com.
Game
Go ahead. Go berzerk.
Celebs
Fame, cash, love. (Yawn.)
Surfing
Could you win the dream?
Ringtones
Get the latest AT&T sounds.
Advertisement
