Lisa: Often times in life we look back and reflect on the decisions we've made. If you could change anything from your past what would it be?

Alicia: That’s a pretty tough question to answer, I guess If I could change anything from my past then I’d maybe have taken more chances, I left San Diego at 18 years old to move to New York, I was being completely independent when I did that so I knew that I had to be cautious and be a little careful and so for those first two years on my own in New York I avoided so many great opportunities, if I could go back and do it all again then I’d maybe change that and take more risks but I was young and making sure that I had a regular wage no matter how little, that was more important. But thankfully everything seemed to work out.

Lisa: Happy to hear that it did. *smiles* The Chaos Awards V are this Sunday, will you be in attendance?

Alicia: Sadly not, I’ll be hoping to watch on TV though, it’s a shame I can’t be there since it’s probably the best event in music, It’s always an entertaining evening but these next few weeks are gonna be quite hectic for me so I’ll have to miss out on this show.

Lisa: Aww well maybe next year you can and good luck. Who would you most like to see take home an award?

Alicia: There’s so many to choose from, I think Giselle has been outstanding recently and certainly deserves an award. Dominic Brown has had quite some success recently so it would be nice to see him pick up an award, Of course Nadia will be very difficult to beat but there’s so many to choose from, I think Katie Coyle and Weekend will definitely go home with an award or two. I think best album will be an interesting category, with Nadia, Cinzia and Giselle. I think Stephanie Fierce or Ryan Ross Hernandez have to take home the Icon Award but Glamazon has a great chance. I think it should be pretty close in so many categories so it will be interesting.

Lisa: Those are pretty much the same people I think will win too. Look at you reading my mind. *Laughs* A lot of times we see time and time again celebrities getting into trouble, how do you keep yourself from letting the fame get to your head?

Alicia: It’s not something I particularly have to worry about so much, I want to be completely judged on my music ability and I’d like to be a respected artist rather than a caricatured image created by the media, I live my life as normally as I possibly can, I don’t feel like I’m any different to the average person on the streets of Manhattan, I mean sure, people occasionally ask for a photograph with me or for my autograph but the majority of times I can just live my life like a regular person.

Lisa: You're always so humble, I just love that about you. You've worked with quite a few varieties of artists from Ryan Ross Hernandez to Dominic Brown, are there any other artists you're just dying to work with next?

Alicia: Collaborations are always fun, I’ve had the chance to work with some great artists and there’s more that I’d love to work with in the future. I think Giselle would have to be the one that I’d be most interested in working with at this moment in time, I think she’s an incredibly innovative artist with some really great ideas and I that’s something I really like about her, it’s always difficult to come up with something that feels unique and new but I think she’s recently proven that she’s a huge talent.

Lisa: A collab between you and Giselle would be super awesome. We'll have to call our good friend Giselle up and see if we could get that happening. Over the years, you've had a total of five #1 singles and two albums that sold over three million copies worldwide. With that said, is there still a few goals you'd still like to achieve or are you fine with how you've done so far?

Alicia: Of course, there’s always a lot more that I want to achieve and I don’t think that ever stops. I think we’re always looking at the next thing that we want to achieve so yeah, I’m always looking to improve on any achievements that I’ve already had, I think that’s important.

Lisa: Well I'm sure there are more to come for you. When you see up and coming artists like Cassie Valentine, Naomi Page, Bianca Moretti, and The Weekend just to name a few, what advice would you give them?

Alicia: The best advice that I could give them would be to just work hard, I know it may seem like a pretty basic answer but you’ve just gotta work hard, you’ve got to tour your butt off. When I was first starting out someone said ‘The album alone is not enough, you’ve gotta tour, you’ve gotta go from east coast to west coast and when you’re done you’ve gotta turn around and do it again.’ And I did and he was right. There isn’t a manual on how to be a musician or how to be a success, there’s no rule book, there’s no right or wrong way of doing it, there’s just doing it, pure and simple and if you put in the hard work then you’ll get the rewards.

Lisa: Great advice Alicia. You currently release a statement awhile back that you had been working on your next album, “Reign Over Me.” How is this album different from your first two?

Alicia: There’s a growth between my previous album and the one that I’m currently working on. I think it’s shaping up pretty well. It’s feels more personal, there’s a lot more element of myself on this album in comparison to my first and second album. It’s primary influence is that old fashioned soul sound from artists like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. I don’t think I can really call it a pop record, I’m sure there’s elements of that in the music of course but it’s as close to my own influences as I can possibly get and I think it pushes on further in the soul and blues genre more than my previous album did. I think it’s my best work yet.

Lisa: I'm sure it is Alicia, I'm sure it is. Are there any possible collaborations on the album and can you name some for us?

Alicia: Yes, there’s one or two collaborations on the album. There’s a song called ‘Place A Wish In Your Heart’ which should be released as a single sometime in April that features rap vocals from Chloe, I actually wrote the rap verse which was a pretty interesting challenge *laughs* but I think they’re alright. There’s one more collaboration on the album with a song featuring my friend Benji but whether that appears on the finished version of the album or not remains to be seen. Other than those two there’s no other collaborations, but the album’s not quite finished yet so you never know.

Lisa: Wow Chloe and Benji you say? Sounds amazing. What's next for Alicia Lena?

Alicia: It’s gonna be a busy couple of months, the second single from the album should be released sometime in April and hopefully I can get the album released sometime in May, I’m sure there’ll be the occasional magazine article or interviews in preparation for the album release, then maybe a couple of warm up shows to get the new material prepared.

Lisa: Certainly can't wait. We have a submitted question from Tim Howard, He asks: “Do you plan to get back out and tour again?”

Alicia: Yes, absolutely. I’m currently working with my label to finalise the tour dates and it’s looking like the biggest world tour of my career so far. We’re really planning on going all out in support of the album and the touring is without doubt the biggest part of the process, I think I could have the tour dates announced in the very near future so yes, I’ll be touring again around May or June and throughout the rest of the year.

Lisa: Our last question comes from an audience member.

Audience member: Have you thought about creating your own clothing line, nail polish line, etc.?

Alicia: No, to be honest I haven’t thought about anything like that. I’ve noticed that it’s becoming increasingly popular but I don’t have any plans for those kind of things any time soon, I think if I take a break from music for a short while then that could become an option but it’s nothing I’ve really thought about.

Thank you for those great questions you guys and thank you Alicia for joining us today. Up next we have the world premiere of Jennifer Armstrong's newest video. Right now we have to take a break but we'll be right back. Don't touch that dial.

*commercial break*

Lisa: Welcome to another wonderful episode of the “Music Box!” I'm your host, Lisa and today we have a very special show for you all today. The hottest new sensation, Aimery Achai will be stopping by for Q&A. Plus he'll also be premiering his new video right here just for us a little bit later. Oh and we're not done, Benji Luna will be performing right here tonight! You definitely don't want to miss it but for now, its time to bring out our special guest for the day. Give it up for Aimery Achai!!!!!

*audience applause*

Lisa: Hello Aimery, pleasure having you join us today. Just two months ago, you made your way onto the music scene with your debut single, “C'est La Vie.” Explain the process of how you chose that particular song to be the one that you'd make your debut into the industry.

Aimery: Its awesome to be here! Well, I wanted a big upbeat song to get me out there. I decided to go with "C'est La Vie", because its lighter than my other songs yet still be in your face. It was almost automatic really.

Lisa: For those who never heard your music, explain your sound in 5 words?

Aimery: Well my music is, real, lively, thoughtful, different, and I'm not sure if I can say this...orgasmic.

Lisa: Exactly how did you get started singing?

Aimery: Since I was a child, I started singing when my parents played music by Elvis. He really inspired me, so my dad got me a guitar, and I started singing and playing. When I got older, my friends and I started a band. We jammed all the time, and I knew that's what I wanted to do with my life. And here I am now!

Lisa: What was the first song you ever sung?

Aimery: The first song I remember singing was "Yellow Submarine" by The Beatles. My mother would sing it to me all the time as a kid, they way she sang it was so calming it put me right to sleep. So, I would sing it all the time as a kid, and I would even do a little act to it. The song is really a cute song to sing to a kid, looking back now. Makes me smile.

Lisa: A few weeks back, you were able to get signed to Black Tie Productions. How has that been going for you?

Aimery: Its amazing, at first I was iffy about it. The label is really nice which is good, its not too big where you get lost in the shuffle, but its the right size. So far its been going great, I'm really crazy about my music style but they understand and accept that.

Lisa: How did it feel filming your first official video for "C'est La Vie?"

Aimery: It was fun! I got all my friends and family together for this. It was like a big long party, doing everything you wish you could do if you got the chance. If I got a chance to do it again, I so would.

Lisa: You've performed at many different places, from Soho to Grey Ghost Concert Hall. What has been your favorite place you've performed so far and why?

Aimery: I love to perform, its almost like a second nature to me. I loved performing at Grey Ghost, its just the perfect venue. I can't put my finger on it, but it the overall atmosphere of the place. It gives you a certain intimacy with the audience. I have a sort of dislike for the over-theatrical performance. For me its just about the music and the fans, not the tricks. And I feel that Grey Ghost was the perfect place to connect.

Lisa: After releasing your debut single, you dropped an EP titled, “Who's Aimery?” How do you feel about the success of the EP?

Aimery: Amazed and shocked. I didn't expect it to be such a hit, when I herd it got to number 4 I was stunned. I feel happy about it, I like the nice feedback its been getting by the fans and that's whats most important. And if they like it, I do.

Lisa: Recently you announced that your debut album, “Rise,” and released two singles from it already, “War (Come Together)" and Must Be Love.” Could you tell us more about the album, things like the sound you want to go for or how you went about selecting the songs for it?

Aimery: The album is really raw and unpolished. A majority of the songs were recorded through my computer and my simple home studio. I wanted the album to be lo-fi, and implement a "wall of sound", to give it an overall vintage sound. The songs are a mix of folk, rock, and reggae, and go over political topics, love, youth, and fun. I didn't want to make an album on just politics because I would sound whiny and contrived. “War (Come Together)" is my favorite song on the album, it was inspired by the folk songs of the 60s and how close we are to a nuclear war right now. Another favorite of mines is "Runaway" which is about teenage rebellion, and my life. It was the hardest song I had to right, because its too personal. I felt like I was being too out there. Overall, the album is different from anything in the mainstream right now and its something that will make you think.

Lisa: Rise is set to drop late May, since then have you been able to decide a more percise date and are things going according to plan with the tracklist, production, etc.?

Aimery: Most definitely, everything is going perfect. I hope it stays that way, but if things get better single wise. The album date may get pushed up.

Lisa: What can we all expect from Aimery Achai next?

Aimery: Well, i'm not the one to give too much away. But, I always wanted to do a little good old fashioned rock n' roll. It seems like no one does it anymore, it needs a comeback. Really, I can't say for sure. I may do do a straight metal record if i'm in a certain mindset. But expect growth for sure.

Lisa: You've been experiencing a lot celebrity privileges, are you enjoying the celebrity life?

Aimery: I'm getting used to it. I haven't grasped the idea of walking down the street with a whole entourage of people like many celebrities. I do get a lot of teen girls bombarding my house for autographs, and it was funny at first. But, its tiring after a while. At the end of the day, i'm just happy I even got here. So beggars can't be choosers you know.

Lisa: As a new artist trying to reach fame, do you ever fall victim to pressure in efforts to keep from making mistakes?

Aimery: Yea, I do. The higher you go, the harder you will fall. I want to put out records that will make the fans happy, critics are not a thought to me, they hate everything. I especially don't want to misguide younger kids to do bad things. I don't want to be an "idol", but I don't want to have a negative impact on children who are impressionable. However, I'm only human, and I do make mistakes. And having fame can make it worse, so I do try to watch what I do and say.

Lisa: We have a submitted question from Melissa. She says: “Will you be going on any tours anytime soon?”

Aimery: Right now, I'm going on a very small 7 date tour to promote the album. But someday, I hope to get on a bigger tour. So stay on the look out, I want to do it before the end of this year.

Lisa: Our last question comes from an audience member.
Audience member: Hi Aimery! Which artist would you love to work with someday?

Aimery: Such a hard question. The talent out right now is crazy, but if I had to choose it would be Cristina Lake. I love her music, and her talent is really amazing and pure. There's something about her that draws you in. Others I would like to are Jacob Estrada and Bianca Moretti.

Lisa: Thank you for those questions and thank you Aimery for being here today. We'd love to have you back on the show in the future. Up next we'll be premiering Aimery's new video but first we must take a commercial break. Don't touch that dial.