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Skye's the
Limit: An Interview with Skye Sweetnam
By David Chiu
Sixteen-year old Canadian singer Skye Sweetnam
has come a long way from the mundane adolescence of growing up
in small town Bolton, Ontario to a recent appearance on The Tonight
Show with Jay Leno. Having already opened for Britney Spears
on her aborted tour, Sweetnam is slowly making herself a force
to be reckoned with on the pop scene. Her recent debut album
Noises from the Basement is aggressive power pop with crunchy
guitar riffs and melodic hooks such as on standout tracks Tangled
Up In Me, Billy S., and Number One. Sweetnam's voice is a combination
of both ice and fire, sort of similar to Debbie Harry's approach
(no wonder Sweetnam covered Blondie's Heart of Glass on the album).
Sweetnam is a contrast to the cookie-cutter pop, although the
comparisons to fellow Canadian Avril Lavigne will remain unabated.
With an articulate, mature manner that
belies her young age, Sweetnam spoke to NewBeats just before
she was to go on The Tonight Show to talk about her life and
music in what looks poised to be an eventful time in her life.
What's it like going to be onstage on
The Tonight Show?
It's very exciting. It's crazy to think that all the people I
performed for in my life aren't as many people that are going
to see this performance tonight.
It sounds like you and your collaborator
James Robertson had a blast recording your album.
I've had fun making it. We didn't even know we were going to
get signed off those songs. There wasn't really any intention
or goal or theme. We're just trying to make great songs, and
have fun. I think that really comes across. So it really captures
the spontaneous energy.
Rare for someone of your age to write
songs. What drives you to write?
If I had to pick between being a singer or songwriter for the
rest of my life, I'd pick being a songwriter. To me it is a way
of expressing yourself and it comes out naturally. I listen to
people talk and I hear song lyrics in what they say. I'll be
in a mall somewhere and I have a song idea and I need to call
my answering machine and leave a message for myself. It's almost
therapeutic. I have so much time to grow and learn around the
industry and professionals and have the resources to teach me
about writing songs. That's what really excites me.
So you draw from your real life experiences
when you pen your songs?
It was very important to make the things I was writing about
real not just to me but to people who are my age. Some of the
lyrics are totally immature, goofing around and having fun. You're
not going to find my lyrics in a poetry book but they are real.
I'm lying about it. Music is powerful that way. It has no boundaries
and that is to me most powerful than anything else in this world.
How did you come across covering Blondie's
"Heart of Glass"?
My manager was playing Blondie in the car. I started learning
about all these old bands. Blondie were one of the first artists
that got me into looking at the history books a little bit in
exposing music from the past. Deborah Harry is such a cool chick.
She's got class and she still rocks out.
You know a lot of people are gonna compare
you to Avril Lavigne. Surely you must come to expect that?
If you notice listening to my song Hypocrite, one of the lyrics
is Avril lite. I totally knew it was coming and it came, because
we're both from Canada and young girls. I think it's great that
we're showing the world who we are. But there's also a lot of
differences between us. We're influenced by different styles
of music. It's kind of like saying that every teenager from Canada
is the same. I think when people hear my album, I think people
are going to see that. Plus I love wearing skirts and Avril hates
that.
How did you hook up with Britney Spears
for her tour?
Some guy saw me play somewhat where I was playing in really little
geeky dirty place. He really liked what he saw and he knew Britney
Spears's agent. The talent agency had some new young girl so
they decided to put us together.
It must have been daunting to play to
a huge audience coming to see her, and here you are the opening
act.
For me I just thought it was so cool because I'm getting exposed
to an audience that normally wouldn't listen to my kind of music.
I think we caught a lot of people off guard because they definitely
don't expect a girl with a rock band to come out and just sing.
In a way it was a challenge and I found it really really fun
to make ip for the lack of fancy dancing in communicating with
the audience.
How do you win crowds over?
I know that making connections with people and performing is
a kind of a one on one thing. You make each and every person
in the audience like they are the only one there. I love what
I do. When I'm having fun people can totally see through that.
I really like inviting people to my world.
Did you know you wanted to be involved
in music?
I grew up knowing that I was going to do something in the arts.
For me music is always going to be there for me, even if I am
not going to be a huge star.
I was 12 years old when I had a really
amazing music teacher and he was like Skye we're gonna help you.
We're gonna go for this and we are gonna try to make you a star.
Once I got a band and I started performing I didn't think this
could get much better. I'm so lucky I got those pieces of encouragement.
Because if it wasn't for that I could felt there was a possibility
to make it in the biz. So now that I am looking back on it I'm
going Wow it's so great.
Describe Bolton if you can.
Bolton got its first Wal Mart. It's that small. I remember when
it was a huge deal when we got McDonalds. Looking back on it,
that's how I really started to learn how to sing because I couldn't
find an outside source to entertain myself. I had to
What sets you apart from other pop stars?
I think that growing up in that era where everything is pop and
manufactured that's why girls right now are breaking out of that
mold and seeing there is way more out there. I'm definitely [listening
to] music from Led Zeppelin to Blondie to Frank Zappa. I am just
becoming a fan of music. I draw inspiration from all over the
place.
Does it feel overwhelming sometimes
as an emerging artist with the tours, interviews, and celebrity?
There are definitely times when I go Skye you just got to slow
down things. Sometimes I have so many goals and expectations
on myself instead of just going Skye you did great. It could
all go away tomorrow so I really want to soak it up while I can.
I bring my video camera everywhere so I can capture the moments.
What is your goal?
One day I want to be able to write, produce, record, play all
the instruments, engineer my own songs, and feel that it is a
total representation of everything that I am. If I can be so
self sufficient then that would be the sweetest dream to come
true. A song that my grandkids can listen to and say Grandma,
that;s such a cool song. Something that is timeless. All we can
strive for is making music that people feel, and making music
that is fun to do.
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