Amelia interview with Jennifer Elizabeth vocals and guitarist.
– What’s new in the world of Amelia?
We’re filling up our calendar for regional shows and a few tours! Excited to get on the road and play new places, meet new people.
– How was it recording your EP The Truth Is? Must have been fun to do?
It was awesome recording the EP! We traveled to Bay City, Michigan to record with legendary producer Josh Schroeder (King 810, The Color Morale, In Hearts Wake etc.). Josh was able to capture the raw sound we wanted, having recorded our equipment without the use of digital effects. We just wanted to portray the sound people will experience live. We’re stoked with how it came out!
– Who’s idea was it for the artwork concept on the EP?
Tessa came up with the idea for the pocket watch. It symbolizes time being in our hands, and lyrically the whole EP emphasizes the fact that this is our time to make our dreams come to life.
– How do you build a song up from nothing to become something?
Our songs are all about feel. Every song starts from a riff or two that I felt portrayed my emotions at the time. From there the songs just building piece by piece, sometimes a whole song writes itself in a day or two. I don’t always feel in control of when the writing happens, because I don’t force it. Tess is the same on her drums. Once I’ve got a structure down on guitar, she starts working on her interpretation of the riffs. We both write from feeling. Then last I’ll start thinking up vocal melodies and lyrics, all of which I feel the sound of the song dictates the direction the vocals go in. It’s a fun process.
– Do you have any tours coming up in the near future?
We do! We have a few shows here in the Pacific Northwest in March. April and May we’re planning on playing through California and the Southwest. So we’re excited to get out there!
– Could you describe what goes on in a day in your life as a musician on tour?
Touring is awesome. It’s a ton of driving, but that’s part of why it’s fun. It’s a constant road trip. We get to see new places or revisit places we’ve had a great time in. But I’d say, the people we meet is the best part. Genuine musicians and people who dig our music, everyone had a cool story. We’re thankful to have the opportunity to get out there and share our story too.
– What’s your take on the sex appeal in the music industry? Is it as important for men and women?
Sex appeal is always going to be something that is a part of the music industry. Talent is sexy, ambition is sexy. So anytime there’s talent and ambition, it’s going to be sexy. haha. Doesn’t matter if it’s men or women. It is unique that we’re women playing heavier music, but I hope one day it doesn’t stand out as much as it does now.
– What would we be surprised to find in your music collection at home?
I listen to a lot of RnB, and even some country.. so I bet that’s a little bit of a surprise. Tess is a huge Green Day, Foo Fighters and Nirvana fan.
– Where do you see music in general going in 100 years from now?
Technology is becoming a bigger part of songwriting. So maybe there will be a more digitized sound, but I hope acoustics stay a huge part of songwriting. Maybe song structuring will progress a bit more. I’m a big prog metal fan and they’re always pushing the limits. More of that would be rad.