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.”
Vanessa Carlton and her big hit “A Thousand Miles”
Photo courtesy of Universal Music.
Bad attitude on display at our meeting courtesy of Vanessa Carlton.
Written by Faze contributor Emmett Bailey
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