Ashlee Simpson – Interview [2005]

Ashlee Simpson has experienced more highs and lows in the last year than some recording artists do in a lifetime. Yet ask her about it and Ashlee shrugs it off. “Yeah, there are moments when you don’t want to get out of bed,” she says, “but you have to find your inner strength. That’s something I found.” Indeed, as an artist, Ashlee Simpson is still just beginning her journey, but if her new Geffen CD “I Am Me” is any indication, she’s back.

We interview Ashlee Simpson!

HIP: Do you still get excited about touring?

Aslee: Absolutely, it’s my favorite thing to do.

It has to be exciting to get feedback.

It’s so cool to see your fans that come out every night. And it’s so excited because my second record just came out and they already know the words.

The record really did well on the charts. Do you ever guess how well it will do?

I don’t like to guess because you could go to high or low and just put it out, cross your fingers and hope it does okay.

I don’t think anyone ever expects a record to be number one.

You don’t. And that was a shock actually. Especially because my album came out at the same time as some really, really big artists and I didn’t expect it to be number one. I feel very fortunate.

Did you feel more inspired because this time around you had people doubting you?

When I make a record I try not to think about everybody in the press and this and that. I try to think about what I’m going through than what people are going to say. It was cool because this time making my record I didn’t have cameras around me. That was fun to mostly because we sat around eating good food and making good songs.

Do you think now how crazy it really was to have the cameras around you all the time?

I’m definitely happy I did that show. I thought it was cool for my fans to see me put it out there, but it was wonderful not to have the camera.

(Out of nowhere Ashlee starts to laugh uncontrollably. She explains that she is laughing at a horse that her security guard “Big Rob” got her last night at the gift shop. Her laughing becomes infectious causing me to laugh for no reason. It was funnier than it reads.)

What was the question again? (Laughs)

Was there more spontaneity for this record because you didn’t have the cameras?

The cameras were there and I could do whatever I wanted anyway, but now I could just leave and not have the crew walk with me as I leave. When I went in to make the record I didn’t tell my record label I was going in either. I just went for it.

And you didn’t have to think of anything else other than making the record.

Exactly.

Being someone that is a press person I know how the press can be. But I’m curious if you think the press enjoys when a star falls and like to kick them when they are down. It has to be tough when you see the press enjoying themselves when you were down.

It’s insane what people write and how mean they can be. I find it sad that people want to write such mean things for themselves. How do they sleep at night?

There is a market for it unfortunately. I’m not into tabloid news—especially how distorted things end up getting.

Right. It’s like that telephone game where you whisper into someone’s ear and the next and the next and then you have a crazy story by the end.

Does it drive you crazy that you can’t have a normal life? Believe me I’d take your life but there are the simple things you lose—like going to the store, going out to eat with friends, going on a date…

…there are times… I have to bring my security guard when I go to the mall. It doesn’t bother me when people come up and talk to me. But it’s weird when you cause a scene going to Abercrombie & Fitch.

I know there are some days when I just like to go to the store, grab what I want, and leave.

When I’m like that I’ll go in and grab what I need and ask to go out the backdoor. (Laughs)

Fans must come up with lots of interpretations of songs. It means something different for them…

…it’s incredible. It’s the same thing that happens to me when I listen to songs. If I were to ever meet Fiona Apple—there are so many songs of hers that have touched me in a way where I think she is singing about this. I think that is great. That is the coolest thing about music. I love meeting people and finding what they think about a song. Sometimes they ask what I was going through when I wrote a song.

Have you bought her new album?

Yeah. I loved it.

It’s crazy—definitely a huge risk. Would you ever want to do something like that—something completely out of your element? Something people would never expect?

Absolutely. I’m sure I will. Right now I love writing and growing and hopefully one day I’ll be ready to take a risk.

Your vocals are actually better, honestly—probably because they are gritty.

I definitely I have a much more gritty voice. Thank you. It’s deeper and thicker and gritty. (Laughs) With the record I wasn’t trying to be one certain way with my vocals. That is the way they came out.

They sounded more natural—bare.

I think Joan Jett or Pat Benatar had a grittiness that I like.

I was on your website and was reading the forums. A lot of the fans were wondering if you ever read the posts.

Some days I do and some I don’t. I sometimes post things to them. I mostly read the positive things. If there are negative things I don’t read them because I get insecure.

I think everyone gets negative things.

I know. I even got them on 7th Heaven—now they are more to the extreme. (Laughs) It’s never really easy to read something negative about yourself. But when I get things that aren’t nice I click off and go to another site.

Do you avoid reviews?

I do. I have my friends go through them and if they read a good one they tell me.

Regarding your fans, you have fans of all ages and genders. It has to be pretty amazing to look out in the audience and seeing kids and their parents.

It is amazing. I have mostly that fifteen—tween fan. It’s great to see that diversity because you don’t expect certain people to be at the show.

+ Charlie Craine