Betty WhoIn an exclusive interview with one of the hottest pop acts around right now, FemaleFirst talks to Betty Who just before it's announced she's going to be joining Katy Perry on the Australian leg of her Prismatic World Tour.
We chat past, present and future as Betty has exactly what she wants laid out in her head, and no qualms about doing whatever it takes to succeed. Find out what she had to say below.
What was it that led you down the path of pursuing a career in the music industry?
Some part of me always knew this is what I wanted to do. I studied music my whole life so by the time I got to college it was more a matter of getting it right the first time around.
Has music always been a passion of yours?
Absolutely, I started playing cello when I was four. When I was thirteen I remember my friends in boarding school telling me to stop singing all the time.
What is it about music that you love?
I love that it brings people together. There’s nothing quite like looking over a crowd of people and seeing them all sing the words to a song, let alone your song.
What was the experience like of studying at the Berklee College of Music?
Berklee was a great place for me to learn both what I did and didn’t want. There are so many kids doing so many different things at Berklee, the exposure you get in such a short amount of time is astounding.
For those who may not have heard your music yet how best would you describe yourself as an artist?
I would say it’s indie warm retro synth pop.
How important is it for you to have creative control over what you do?
It’s incredibly important to me – my whole outlook as an artist is based off of the idea that I’m honest about who I am and what I do. So if I did something that didn’t feel comfortable or right to me, I wouldn’t be able to sell it and it would affect my brand.
Betty Who
Where do you draw influence from as an artist?
A lot of singer songwriters I grew up listening to, like Carole King and Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. Then pop artists like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston because they’re the kinds of people with god given gifts. You can’t fake or learn talent like that.
If you could work with anybody going forward, who would you choose and why?
I would love to do a song with Miguel just because I think he’s not only so cool but has such interesting melodies and his production is all about the vocal, you know? It’s all about the story, the emotion.
What should the UK expect from your forthcoming EP release?
I hope World’s Apart will reach a lot of people and touch people. There’s a lot of honesty and truth to this EP for me emotionally, so I hope people connect with that when they hear it.
You recently played some UK tour dates, how did you find that experience?
The UK shows were awesome you know, it was definitely a little bit of a culture shock but nothing we didn’t adapt to very quickly.
What's the reaction been like from the UK fans?
I think actually the UK fans have been some of the most vocal and excited about the music out of anybody.
Will you be returning to tour again soon?
I hope so!
What should we expect from you in the coming months?
I’ll be touring a lot in the US and working on finishing up the album to be released in the fall!
What's the big aim?
Let’s say this - I’d like to look back on my career in 50 years and be able to say I did everything I wanted to and had touched someone’s life.
Betty Who releases her 'World's Apart' EP on June 23rd. Pre-order here: http://smartURL.it/WorldsApartBW