![\"AVRIL-1-Issue-No31\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/AVRIL-1-Issue-No31.jpg\")
<\/h1>\n<\/h1>\nBy Russell Hall<\/p>\n
rustrated by disputes with her record label over the direction of her last album, 2011\u2019s Goodbye Lullaby<\/i>, Avril Lavigne found herself at a low point in the wake of its release. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to make another record unless I could do exactly what I wanted,\u201d she recalls. But suddenly a new path emerged. \u201cI got to partner again with L.A. Reid, who first signed me,\u201d she says. \u201cHe\u2019s always given me creative freedom. Moving to a new label and working with him reinspired me. I never want to do something unless I\u2019m having fun with it and being true to myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Determination and a strong sense of self have been Lavigne hallmarks since she exploded onto the scene 11 years ago. Raised in a small town in Ontario, Canada, she began playing guitar and writing songs in her early teens. Signed at 15 to Arista Records\u2014where then-CEO Antonio \u201cL.A.\u201d Reid took her under his wing\u2014she dropped out of school and settled in L.A., working with the famed Matrix production team. Unlike her teeny-bopping peers\u2014Britney Spears,\u00a0\u2019N Sync, the Backstreet Boys\u2014Lavigne wrote songs, played instruments, and infused her melodic pop-rock with a\u00a0<\/span>punk edge.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t the girl baring her midriff with backup dancers and a headset microphone,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI came out and had a lot to say with my lyrics, and I played guitar. I had my world and they had theirs\u2014totally different music scenes. I was just doing my thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Lavigne\u2019s 2002 debut\u00a0album, <\/span>Let Go<\/i>, was a smash. Propelled by the hit singles \u201cComplicated\u201d and \u201cSk8er Boi,\u201d the record sold an eye-popping 17 million copies and established Lavigne as a pop-rock icon. She also proved to be a charismatic performer, sporting a counterculture skate-themed wardrobe that included tank tops, neckties and Converse sneakers. \u201cI wasn\u2019t focused on image,\u201d she insists, \u201cbut that\u2019s why it worked. I just dress how I feel, in whatever way makes me comfortable. It\u2019s natural\u2014not calculated.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Lavigne followed with 2004\u2019s Under My Skin<\/i>, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard\u2019s Top 200, and 2007\u2019s The Best Damn Thing<\/i>, featuring the No. 1 single \u201cGirlfriend\u201d\u2014her biggest single to date and the top digital track of 2007. The success of those albums solidified Lavigne\u2019s position as punk-pop\u2019s reigning princess. By the end of the decade, she had won eight Grammy nominations and seven Canadian Juno Awards, and sold more than 30 million albums.<\/p>\n On Goodbye Lullaby<\/i>, however, Lavigne ventured into darker, more introspective waters. Coming on the heels of her divorce from Deryck Whibley, singer for rock band Sum 41, the record eschewed much of the artist\u2019s exultant spirit in favor of melancholy ballads. \u201cI wanted to make something a little more artistic,\u201d she says. \u201cI wanted to go down that road. I wasn\u2019t trying to write a big radio record.\u201d<\/p>\n Creative integrity has its price: The album\u2019s failure to achieve platinum success triggered distress among label execs\u2014and Lavigne emerged exhausted by the experience. \u201cI wasn\u2019t really sure where I wanted to go, moving forward,\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n Lavigne\u2019s latest, the self-titled Avril Lavigne<\/i>, marks a fresh start on several fronts. Newly signed to Epic Records\u2014where Reid had been recently named CEO\u2014the 29-year-old singer spent months in the studio, working as much as 14 hours a day with a tight-knit team of producers and co-writers. Chief among these were composer-keyboardist David Hodges and singer-guitarist Chad Kroeger, frontman for Nickelback. As sessions progressed, Lavigne\u2019s friendship with Kroeger blossomed into a full-fledged romance, and the two married in July. \u201cWe had like six months of hanging out, just working in the studio, goofing off,\u201d says Lavigne. \u201cOur guards were down and we got to see each other\u2019s real sides, so it was very natural. I wasn\u2019t expecting it.\u201d<\/p>\n Anthemic pop rock, a Lavigne trademark, powers much of the album, but detours and surprises abound as well. \u201cHello Kitty\u201d ventures into manic electronica. \u201cBad Girl\u201d features scorched-earth thrash guitar and backing vocals from shock-rocker Marilyn Manson. Lush moments include the beautifully orchestrated \u201cHush Hush,\u201d and \u201cLet Me Go,\u201d a soaring ballad-duet with Kroeger.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is probably the most diverse record I\u2019ve done,\u201d observes Lavigne. \u201cIt goes from hard rock to ballads to an indie vibe to electronic. It\u2019s kind of a mixture of different moods and styles.\u201d Lavigne spoke with us about the making of the album, her creative process, and the importance of commercial success.<\/p>\n Did you have specific goals in mind?<\/b><\/p>\n Normally I have a vision, but this time I didn\u2019t know what I was going to do. I did know I wanted to work with new people, so I got with Chad and David and started writing\u2014just for myself, trying not to overthink anything. We wrote a ton of songs. The label loved the record. At the very end we wrote \u201cRock N Roll\u201d and \u201cHere\u2019s to Never Growing Up,\u201d something they would have for radio.<\/p>\n Did an overarching theme emerge?<\/b><\/p>\n It represents all my different sides and styles from all the previous records, plus some new stuff I\u2019m trying out. There\u2019s growth, but it still sounds like me and it\u2019s still familiar to fans. It\u2019s important to keep your sound, but it\u2019s also important to try new things and to change. My favorite songs are \u201cHush Hush,\u201d \u201cGive You What You Like,\u201d and \u201cBad Girl.\u201d<\/p>\n How hands-on were you with production?<\/b><\/p>\n The people I write songs with are typically producing as well. I sit with them and tell them how I want a song to be\u2014by referencing certain sounds. If I don\u2019t like something we start isolating instruments, taking things out and adding in new tracks. I worked closely with everyone on the majority of the tracks. Since it\u2019s my song, we\u2019re right there talking about it, and sharing a vision. And I have strong opinions\u2014after all, it\u2019s my album. It would be different if someone else wrote a song and gave it to me.<\/p>\n What do you mean by referencing sounds?<\/b><\/p>\n It could be a drumbeat, a piano tone, a guitar tone. Sometimes I prefer acoustic guitars for rhythm, because they\u2019re warmer and thicker and have more body than a clean electric. And I often like the acoustics to be very strummy. If I hear a track and I\u2019m not feeling where it\u2019s going, we\u2019ll go through it and toss around various ideas. We try things as many times as we need to. \u201cHello Kitty\u201d is a good example. It was more of a pop-rock track in the beginning, but then I went back to the drawing board and told everybody I wanted to bring it up a notch, make it more interesting. We brought in a new producer and I kept getting the writing team\u2014Chad, David and myself\u2014to keep going back to the song, over and over again. We worked on that one a lot to get it to where I wanted it to be.<\/p>\n Were you pleased with it?<\/b><\/p>\n Yes! The track is kind of electronic\u2014different. I was a little afraid of it, but at the same time I felt that approach suited the song. It\u2019s not the typical structure I go for, not the standard song you would expect to find on an album of mine. It\u2019s track-driven\u2014all about the track. It was nice to challenge myself and do something different.<\/p>\n Why bring in Marilyn Manson?<\/b><\/p>\n The tone of \u201cBad Girl\u201d made me think of him. I met him when I was 18\u2014went to one of his concerts and hung out backstage. Over the years we stayed in touch. I asked him to come to the studio to listen, thinking it would be awesome if he laid down vocals. He loved the track and recorded his vocals on the spot\u2014really took it to the next level.<\/p>\n You documented the recording process in a scrapbook. Do you usually do that?<\/b><\/p>\n No. I\u2019ve always wanted one of those Polaroid cameras\u2014the old-school kind with the big pictures. I was taking lots of photos and scribbling in my notebooks, so I asked one of my managers if she could find a scrapbook and one of those Polaroid cameras. We were spending as much as 14 hours a day in the studio, and I had a great time documenting it. The scrapbook even has the proposal from Chad. He took a picture of himself holding the ring and put it in the book, so I would see it when I opened it.<\/p>\n Does mixing personal and professional with Chad work well?<\/b><\/p>\n It\u2019s nice. That\u2019s how our relationship started. We worked together for six months before we began dating. After that I was just hanging out with my boyfriend as we worked. We spend a lot of time together now. He\u2019s out traveling with me while I tour and promote the record. It\u2019s especially nice having the duet. He\u2019ll always be able to come onstage and sing with me if he feels like it.<\/p>\n What\u2019s your songwriting process?<\/b><\/p>\n When I write alone it\u2019s usually at the piano. I start playing chords, hearing melodies, and begin singing\u2014the words sort of come\u2014with the melody. And then I just go. I don\u2019t begin with an idea or a concept, where I go into the studio and decide to write a song about something. Most of the time it\u2019s writing with others, and it begins with someone playing guitar or piano, and we all start singing. If we\u2019re not feeling it, we\u2019re like, \u201cHey, let\u2019s change the chords\u2014go more \u2018major\u2019 or more \u2018minor.\u2019\u201d We might try a faster tempo or toss around different melodies until we find something we like and it comes together.<\/p>\n So typically you write lyrics last?<\/b><\/p>\n We find our melody and chord progression\u2014and that\u2019s when the words start coming. I might shout, \u201cI\u2019ve got this idea! Everybody stop!\u201d The best stuff comes pretty quickly.<\/p>\n Ballads or rockers\u2014which are easier?<\/b><\/p>\n Ballads are easier when I\u2019m writing on my own. With others I like to do more uptempo stuff. Writing alone, it\u2019s sometimes hard to concentrate on all three things at once\u2014playing the instrument, writing the chords and melody, and coming up with lyrics. When I\u2019m writing with others, I sort of walk around the room talking with whoever\u2019s playing a particular instrument.<\/p>\n How do you take care of your voice?<\/b><\/p>\n On the Best Damn Tour\u2014my third tour\u2014I lost my voice at the beginning and at the end. It scared the crap out of me. If you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing, your throat muscles rub against each other and become tired. I was singing incorrectly. I started seeing a vocal coach who taught me how to warm up properly. I warm up for an hour before concerts, which is a pain. I also had to learn how to talk<\/i> correctly. Talking is the worst thing you can do for your voice. I learned to use my \u201chead\u201d voice instead of my throat. I also try to conserve energy throughout the day before a show.<\/p>\n Who influenced you most?<\/b><\/p>\n I don\u2019t have that one person. Growing up I didn\u2019t listen to all that much music. The stuff I heard when I was really young were the things my parents listened to\u2014Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Beach Boys. And at Christmas we would bring out all the holiday albums. I would sit on the floor and play those records over and over, singing along. When I was old enough to start buying CDs, I got into bands like Blink-182, Green Day, NOFX and Pennywise. Just before that I was into the Dixie Chicks.<\/p>\n Were you prepared for fame?<\/b><\/p>\n It was weird at first to hear people saying mean things. I didn\u2019t get it. Suddenly you have people who love you and people who hate you. Dealing with that was the only challenge, the only surprise. I was young and didn\u2019t understand it. It took me a moment to learn that it doesn\u2019t matter\u2014that not everyone is going to like you. I had to remind myself that I was living my dream. People around the world were listening to my music, and I was touring and going to all these wonderful places. In life, you can\u2019t go around worrying about what other people think about you. You\u2019ve just got to be yourself and do what makes you happy.<\/p>\n Do you feel a responsibility as a role model for I am a role model\u2014whether or not I choose to be, and whether I like it or not. And so is every other singer\u2014every female\u2014who\u2019s in a position like mine, although some insist they aren\u2019t. When I was younger I didn\u2019t know what that meant, but now I hope to be a strong positive influence. My motto and message over the years has been, \u201cBe yourself, believe in yourself, and don\u2019t worry about what others think of you.\u201d<\/p>\n How vital is commercial success?<\/b><\/p>\n I\u2019m proud of what I\u2019ve accomplished, and I want my music to do well in the marketplace. But you can\u2019t kill yourself over that. I don\u2019t focus much on the numbers. That\u2019s not always fun. I want to make quality music and remain who I am as an artist\u2014not change to fit in with new styles or whatever genre is getting played on the radio. I\u2019m humbled and grateful to still be making music. It comes from the heart, and it continues to be exciting.\u00a0 M<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A\u00a0REBEL \u00a0RETURNS Punk-pop princess Avril Lavigne makes\u00a0a fresh start with a new romance,\u00a0new label and new album By Russell Hall rustrated by disputes with her record label over the direction of her last album, 2011\u2019s Goodbye Lullaby, Avril Lavigne found herself at a low point in the wake of its release. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4835,23],"tags":[2411,7328],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11777"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11777"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11777\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11781,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11777\/revisions\/11781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11777"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11777"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11777"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"AVRIL-2-Issue-No31\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/AVRIL-2-Issue-No31.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"AVRIL-3-Issue-No31\"](\"https:\/\/mmusicmag.com\/m\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/AVRIL-3-Issue-No31.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nyoung women?<\/b><\/p>\n