”Good evening Americaaaaaa!
It’s been a crazy three years since our last show, but we are back and we are raring to go with what promises to be our best season yet! We have our guests lined-up for the next five shows and I can tell it’s gonna be interesting to say the least.
So what has changed since we were last here?? ... Well, half of the industry has had babies, while the other half still are babies. We have internet trolls making lots of money from ‘just being around’ and I’ve heard that lots of people keep ‘breaking the internet’ for what reasons, I do not know, I just guess the internet is kinda fragile these days.
Ryan Ross Hernandez has been replaced by Adam Black while Eric Quillington has been replaced by Reese Hollinsworth and instead of having MattY dropping them sick beats we have Paton dropping his deuce, recording it and charging for people to hear it. Yes! We are definitely in a better place now, aren’t we? On the plus side, we still have Isabel doing everything, pretty sure the kid doesn’t sleep, we still have Glamazon gracing us with her eerie presence and Riot! In The Boulevards rhythm guitarist flying the flag for us emotional dudes that wear our hearts on our sleeves. So I guess we gotta deal with the bad in order to get to the good!
It’s kinda like this show really, you have to sit through my terrible openings in order to get to the interview!
And on that note, please welcome to the show ... Andrea!”
Welcome to the show Andrea, so you had been away from the spotlight for a little while there but you’ve recently returned to peoples attention again, how does it feel being back?"It feels great to be back and I'm really enjoying it this time around. First of all, I want to say thank you for having me on the show. Talk shows were something I rarely took part in before this album campaign so now I'm making the most of it. Not everyone trusts me because they think that I'm this crazy hot mess but I'm just putting it out there that I can actually take part in interviews and be professional. The ratchet is for another time."
Even though it was only a little over a year ago since you released “In and Out of Consciousness”, it feels a lot longer and you seem to have changed your sound and look quite dramatically since you released that record. What was the reasons behind the sudden repackaged Andrea that we’re seeing today? Cause grrrl you lookin’ fierceeeee! *snaps fingers*"Well, thank you! It was a combination of many different factors. First of all, I just knew I had to make a change for my own sanity. I had no idea what I wanted to look like and to be honest it's still a gradual thing. I'm still experimenting with my style. Everyone knows that I never had it easy since I stepped foot into the industry. A lot of it, my fault and I'm not going to deny it. I just got so depressed and sick of the person I was and was so tired of all of the issues. I just wanted to let go of everything and literally reinvent myself. The hair, I felt like was my many problems in a physical form. It was hanging down, on top of me, in the way plus I was too lazy to take care of it so I chopped that off. My confidence started to build back up again and with that came a new wardrobe. I've always loved fashion like most other girls but before I never had the confidence to wear something a little out there or quirky before. You can pull almost anything off if you have the confidence to wear it. Back then, I was too insecure so I played it down with my clothing. It really is like a "new year, new you" thing as cheesy as that sounds."
It feels like you’ve perhaps evolved in order to keep up with the industry, incorporating a more contemporary sound with elements of RnB and Rap in your latest single as opposed to the country sound on your last record. How much would you say the industry has changed within the past year and has that had an effect on this new image and sound?"The music industry is constantly changing and you really need to be on it. I think that social media and the internet itself is the key reason for all of this. It's like a constant cycle of what I call "share, compare and declare". Someone new and exciting will pop up or a new song will appear and overnight thousands will have heard and shared it. The next day some people are getting rubbed up the wrong way because this new person is being compared to their favorite artist. Then it gets sort of declared whether or not they're really going to last and catch on. Through Twitter trends I have discovered a bunch of artists. If you can get social media in a flurry then you might as well have a deal or number one already because you're on millions of people's lips anyway. Some new acts don't set it alight and even current ones sink without a trace. There's some sort of hierarchy and it is vicious. It starts with the fans. They get into wars over the net. "This person has more followers than your fave" blah blah blah and before you know it, the artists themselves go at it. I listen to my fans and look at the industry and yes, some of it did influence my work on this album. I'm not trying to copy someone but I do take into consideration what my fans want from me because my record is just as much for them as it is for me. The industry, especially for mainstream acts, is more competitive than ever. It's not as hard to get noticed because everything is so easily accessible but it's also as easily disposed of because the next shiny star of a trending video will be taking over the internet the next week. I really do think you have to take a lot of these factors into account when it comes to making a record that you want people to pay attention too but don't get too wrapped up in it because it will burn you out."
Let’s talk about your early years in the industry. You came around in a time when there was a whole bunch of young popstars coming through and making a name for themselves, people like Isabel, Ellie-Grace Summers and Mandy Williams and a whole lot more. Did you feel like you had to compete with these people in order to have success or was their a friendship and respect between all of you musicians at that time?"I did feel like I had to compete but I didn't want to. At that point, the industry was so female dominated and I was way too timid to throw myself in among it all which probably explains why my label didn't give me a huge push. If I didn't believe in myself, who would? I felt like Ellie-Grace was already catering to my target audience and doing it better than I could. There was always love and support from all the girls but not from the media and the general public. There is nothing wrong with healthy competition but when you're not even in the race and being totally hounded then you really start to question if it's all worth it."
It’s no secret that you’ve had a lot of difficult times over the years, is there anything you regret?"There are a lot of things that when I look back on, I cringe, cry and just wanna slap myself. I have done many stupid, irresponsible things. I have made many idiotic choices. I have looked like a total fool on several occasions but I still wouldn't change anything. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and I wouldn't have learned so many valuable lessons and be the bad bitch that I am today. Not saying I would happily relive it all because I've had some pretty dark and upsetting times. Drake would have a field day if he were to start writing about my feelings back then! I do kinda wish...there was a point in my life where I tried to kill myself and that...that was the lowest I have ever felt and I can't believe I let it get to that stage. Sometimes I wish I never let myself feel that way but after it all, I did feel a lot stronger. I guess I was lucky that I had trouble hiding my emotions and people could tell what state of mind I was in and they'd offer help non-stop. It saddened me when I read about Luke Striker because I know how terrible I felt back then and I had people around me who knew and were helping. He had nobody to listen to him."
Your relationship with Billy Khan has been one of the most high-profile relationships in the entertainment industry for many different reasons and of course you both have a child together. How would you describe that relationship, looking back on it now?"Train wreck, that's what it was. I can say that because we both agree. I'm not here to insult Billy because I still have love for him. He's the father of my child, he's my manager, he's a wonderful friend and I know a lot of Billy's closest friends will agree with me when I say that the funniest guys ever. If he's friends with you, he'd walk to the moon and back for you. He's so appreciative. As a couple though, we just didn't work. There was too much crazy going on in that house. A screaming child, a postnatal bitch and a guy with a personality disorder under one roof? There's your reality show right there. The dynamic...the living situation, i-it just didn't work. As friends, we have the best time ever but as a couple we just didn't balance each other out. It was too chaotic and it really was in our best interest to go our separate ways and we've never been happier."
Weekend are known to have some of the most insane fans around, what are the most difficult things you had to deal with from those fans because of your relationship with one of their band members?"I wouldn't call them insane because your Twitter feed is going to blow up after this show. Uh, that was one of the most difficult things at the start of the relationship. Towards the end though I didn't care. We had enough problems going on without worrying about what fans were thinking. I remember that when I announced that I was pregnant everyone was in an uproar. The positive supporting messages were amazing but the nasty ones really shocked me. I had never experienced praise and support alongside sheer hatred and death threats at the same time quite like that. I think it was because it kinda confirmed that Billy and I had sex and that I had seen their precious Billy naked...who hasn't though!? Looking back now it is hilarious how any sudden movement from me would be amplified and scrutinised."
Let’s get back to the present day. You recently debuted your new song ‘Force’ which showed you in a completely different light and people seemed to embrace the new song which is full of attitude and confidence. Is this an indication of where your music will be going in the future?"Yeah it's definitely a taste of what's to come. The new record has a heavy R&B influence but the general idea of the lyrics in Force is a stronger indication of what my new music will be like and hopefully progress from. It's loud, brash, somewhat comical in parts. It's all about having fun, pushing the boundaries, experimenting and not caring about how you come across. I've had a lot of flack from people who don't agree with the lyrics to Force. I know I'm not the hottest girl in the world right now. I just thought the concept of the song was fun and I wouldn't to do it. My new album is filled with over the top lyricism."
There’s no doubt that people will be desperate to hear a new album and it’s likely to send the internet into a frenzy whenever it may be released, what are the plans for the next Andrea record, when can we expect that?"We have a lot of plans. Definitely going to tour it and really make something out of this era. The first album was really just tying up loose ends and I wanted it over and done with. For this record, and I keep having to hold back from letting the title slip out, I want to go all out. Performances, signings hopefully, lots of merchandise, multiple singles. I actually feel like releasing every track as a single because I love them so much. The album is set for an early summer release. We've just put out Force and when the album goes up for pre-order at the end of the month you will get a new track as an instant gratification if you pre-order the record. Pesky and I then plan on releasing the second single a week ahead of the album so we've been putting a lot of work into this."
In your latest song “Force”, you make the following statement, “They trynna snatch my crown but I ain’t having that/Petty bitches better settle down and crawl back to their habitat”. Now, are those words directed at the industry in general or inspired by certain people? ... just who are these petty bitches?"Well since the song has been released and I've heard a few comments that have been made, I guess you could say some people in the industry are being petty. The line is even more relevant now but when I was writing and recording it, it was directed at people in my social circles. Ones that aren't famous or work behind the scenes. The line about my "crown" is not about my music. I don't think I'm the queen of any genre. It was just about me feeling like royalty, worth something and being on top of the world yet that's not good enough for some people. They tried to tear me back down and just weren't comfortable with the fact that I was finally feeling good. When I was all whiny and depressed they wanted me to change and then when I did, I guess they just couldn't handle it or saw me as a threat so they wanted the "old Andrea" back. I don't have time for that. Those bitches can go to hell. I'm going to do me and do whatever makes me happy and if you're going to be petty and literally do anything to question me or try to bring me down...just leave."
Okay, so we have a couple of quick questions for you, if you’ll indulge us."Yeah, sure. I'm always excited when it comes to quick fire questions but I'm hoping I'm not asked about my ex's penis like I am in nearly every other interview!"
Here we go ... dream collaboration and why?"Aw, man! I want to say this but one...in fact two of my dream collaborations have decided to work with me and they're on tracks on the new album. I'm not going to reveal them just yet so I can't really answer the question. I don't wanna say people I haven't worked with because there are so many rumours going around as to who I've collaborated with and I don't want to squash them. I like it when people talk about my music. Y'all keep speculating."
If you could kill anybody in the industry without being caught, who would it be?"I wouldn't kill anyone in the industry. As much as some of them annoy the crap out of me, I wouldn't take someone else's lives. A lot of these bloggers can just go be marooned on some desert island somewhere and never be heard from again on social media but no, I wouldn't kill anyone."
Musician you would like to be for a day and why?"I'd like to be really any male musician to see what it is like for them. Maybe someone like Kato or Austin or even Billy. It's really different for young guys. There's not as many shut doors for them as there are for females and definitely not as much scrutiny and controversy. They have girls screaming at them, telling them to take their shirt off and even dirtier things than that. I wanna see how that feels and how I'd cope with it. I wear a crop top to the grocery store and I have people calling me a whore. I wanna see what it's like for a young guy in the business."
If you could spend a night with anybody from the industry who would it be?"I'd spend it with someone who has a squeaky clean public image. Someone like Ellie-Grace Summers or the SYNCO girls. I just want to know what they really get up to behind closed doors. When the night is young, the full moon is out, I know the quiet ones are the wildest ones and I think it would be so entertaining to see."
And it looks like that’s it for the first episode back, thank you ‘Andrea’, it’s been fun having you here. Make sure you slay dem bitchezz wit dat new sound, boo!"Thank you for having me and I will try my best to slay just for you, boo!"
