MUSIC
From Issue #19
Vanessa Carlton
Standing proud
by Emmett Bailey
From an early age, Vanessa Carlton always followed her own instincts instead of conforming
to the norm. At 17, she wanted to be a professional ballerina, but that took a back seat to
her second love: singing and playing the piano.
“An artist should bring honesty and a desire to move people,” says Vanessa. “The people
that would do anything for their art are the people that you are going to want to see —
really passionate, creative people. So when they share that with others, you have a lot of
power and you are able to transcend people’s moods, and ultimately, I think that is why
people love music.” Some of her musical influences include legends like Neil Young, Carole
King, Stevie Nicks and Elvis Costello, “I admire musicians that are still challenging
themselves after 30 years or more. That is what I hope to one day do for myself.”
Vanessa says her music is a reflection of different experiences that she endures at any
given time of her life, “It’s hard to be young and it’s especially hard to grow up,” Vanessa
explains. “I really admire teens because of the stresses and the responsibilities they have
to deal with nowadays, and I think it is really easy to succumb to pressure. If you find
something that you love and surround yourself with great friends, you can find a
confidence in your youth and stand proud.”
Her new album, Harmonium, is
described as having a “darker
theme,” which Vanessa attributes to
her own personal growth in recent
years. “It is the life that I lead that
embodies so many things. It is your
curiosity, the things going on around
you, or your experiences. A lot of
new things are in my life and
reflected in the songs.”
Photo courtesy of Universal Music.
Bad attitude on display at our meeting courtesy of Vanessa Carlton.
