Miss_Obsessive все записи автора

 

ELLEgirl: Let’s talk about this new red hair. Who did it? How did you decide?

Ashlee Simpson: I needed a little change, you know? I’m obsessed with dying my hair. There are so many blonde girls right now. I was like “ok I can’t take it, I have to do something different.” I had my friend Jesse Holiday do it. She’s an awesome hair colorist. I’ve never had red hair. I wanted to do something I never had before.

EG: In Still Life With Woodpecker, Tom Robbins says that every redhead is either funny, like Lucille Ball, or crazy. Has the color changed you?

AS: It’s made me a little funny lately. My friends are like “woah - what happened to you?” When you have a hair change your character changes a little bit. You never know with me. But I do think I’ll keep it.

EG: What was your inspiration for the video?

AS: I love Salvatore Dalí; the video is inspired by his era of surrealism. Sort of running from the things and people in your head. It’s not necessarily connected to my life. It was kind of a neat interesting idea.

EG: Tell us a little more about the video.

AS: It was a fun experience because I worked with this director, Alan Ferguson. He seemed to understand me and my ideas. We got to collaborate a lot, which was awesome. I threw out random ideas and things I was interested in. It was really almost a forty-six hour shoot. I got to play all these different characters.

EG: Did you train for the fight scene?

AS: No, I didn’t! There was a lady who kind of showed me what to do for the fight. The first time I did it, I kicked the camera, like, off of the guy. I was like, “oh my God!” I felt so bad. Doing stuff like that is fun because there’s a part of me that loves to act. Even in the studio I go into character. The video was a lot of hard work, but it was a blast.

EG: What was it like to wear a straitjacket?

AS: That was the craziest experience because I was tied into it - there was a belt holding my arms in! I was in a harness and I had no control. When they flew me against the wall in the harness it was kind of amazing! It was fun, I got to be a little kooky and then I kind of all of sudden got to be a ninja. There was a moment where I was like, “can I just fly like Peter Pan on this?” At the end I was ready to get out of that outfit. The jacket was Vivienne Westwood.

EG: Did you keep the clothes in the video? At ELLEgirl, we’re obsessed with the Chloé Doc Martins and glitter jazz shoes!

AS: I got to keep the shoes. I have the glitter shoes as well, those definitely have to be for a special occasion! When you wear them, you feel like you can click your heels and go to a new place. I got to keep a few things, not everything, but I got to pick and choose.

EG: What are you working on right now?

AS: Right now I’m about to go on a promo tour. I’m in rehearsals with my band because we have some upcoming shows. But first I’m going on a little promo club thing, just playing songs with a DJ.

EG: Are you doing any more acting?

AS: I would like to. It’s always hard to make time for everything, but that’s definitely what I want to do in the future. I think, for me, it’s choosing the right roles and I don’t necessarily want to be the lead in a film right now. I want to find the right interesting roles

EG: Has it been difficult to promote the new album with the writers' strike and so much of the media kind of on hold?

AS: Times are a-changin’, like Dylan said. I think that the only thing that’s different about the writers' strike is you can’t do a TV appearance or anything like that, which is fine for me because I’m excited to get on the road and see my fans. I’m ready to go to every city and go out and tour.

EG: Why was the new album’s launch pushed back?

AS: I haven’t been in a rush. I kind of just wanted to get it out slowly. It’s a different sound. It’s a bit more beat-driven. I think timing is everything. Naturally it will progress the way it should.

EG: The new album includes a lot of collaborations. Is it true one is with The Cure’s Robert Smith?

AS: It’s an internet rumor! That was all a rumor. He brought his kids to see my show in London. I would never in a million years think I could work with Robert Smith. It would be an ultimate dream.

EG: What is The Neptunes collaboration?

AS: I worked with Chad Hugo from The Neptunes and Timbaland on the other half of the record.

EG: How is this album different than I Am Me?

AS: With each record, you are at a different place. This is definitely a quirky record - it’s kind of beat driven, but it’s got a bit of an ‘80s feel at times. At the same time, I think there are the songs that you can connect to from a record like I Am Me. It’s a record that you would hear in clubs.

EG: I saw you perform at Hammerstein Ballroom close to three years ago, which I think may have been your first tour. What have you learned about touring and performing since then?

AS: I think with every performance and tour and everything you do in life, you grow. I feel like I was a baby then. I still am. I've still got a lot to learn. Performing is my favorite thing to do and my favorite thing about music. Me and my band have grown. What’s exciting is to be able to have a third record too, it’s not like when you first tour and all your songs are on one album.