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Interview With Living With Eating Disorders

Our Ten Questions Go Up To 11

Z: Who are you and how would you personally describe your music?

I'm Andrea and I sing and make words for Living with eating disorders. The rest of the band are Jared, Jamie and Mark. Some of our music is like getting so angry that you hold your breath and some of it is like feeling such despair that you give up. sorry I'm not so good at this. It's quiet and sad at times and then it is seething and loud. Its like a child that is much, much to sensitive.

Z: When writing, where do you begin?

I begin with an emotion. something that is too strong for my self to cope with so I try and get it out of me by writing it down. I write lots of things down if I can't talk about them. Jared writes music and invites me to sing on it, I choose the right words for the feeling of the music and sing.

Z: Which groups, artists and/or bands inspire you?

These days I think musical inspiration comes from seeing live acts, not anyone in particular but the way a person feels when they play live and the way the emotion comes across is very special. I like that look that maybe a guitarist will get about three songs into a set where all of a sudden it all clicks into place for them and you can see them take a deep breath, look up to the sky and smile, and all of a sudden they are somewhere else. just that moment alone is inspiring. Artists that have inspired me I guess would be Kate Bush, I have mum to thank for this, she would sit me down in front of the TV with Kate Bush videos to watch. I guess the other kids got Disney. Dad used to play his guitar and sing all the time at home and we would go for runs in the car and listen to the Eagles. My favourite day of the week is still Thursday, all because as a kid I was allowed to stay up a bit later to watch to p of the pops. I remember Bowie 'ashes to ashes' and how it scared me, now it's one of my favourite songs. His voice almost immobilises me its so captivating.

 

Z: Are you influenced by art and literature at all?

A little though I am so sensitive to everything that goes on around me I rarely make it as far as reading or exploring the arts, I find I can break quite easily and have to cope with each day as it comes before I go searching for more beauty. I guess because of this I am a little culturally challenged, you could also apply this term to my social status! I am more influenced by the weather and the change in the seasons. Halloween is coming, that excites me, it's my favourite day of the year!

Z: Are there any songs/tracks that you have heard and thought, I wish
I'd written that?

Yes, all the time. I really appreciate other peoples lyrics. Some songs I just can't get over and they have an impact every time I hear them. I can't think of one particular song but I would know when I next hear it. It's probably a really sad song. I like lyrics that make me cry. I liked 'Lucky' by Radiohead, written for war-child. I cried at the line "pull me out of the air-crash pull me out of the lake, I'm your superhero...". I was reading an entry on a friends live-journal and she posted these Nirvana lyrics "no thought was put into this always knew it would come to this THINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SWELL I HAVE NEVER FELT THIS WELL" I didn't have to hear the song as I got a shiver just reading them.

Z: Do you push yourself to write, or do you have to wait until you're
inspired?

 

I try to push myself. every time I make a note of things I should be doing there are two things on that list. drink more water and write more. I don't think this makes a difference though as they are both on every list I ever write, and whenever I have set some time aside to write I end up in a state of anxiety about something or other, usually putting on weight or the mess of my bedroom. I tend to write because I have to. I get filled with an emotion that I cannot deal with and cannot talk about so I write. I also write when I am falling asleep and my poor brain is bombarded with nonsense that I like to read back the next day.

Z: What was it that made you go into into making music?

It changed my life and saved it on more than one occasion. I spent so much of my childhood surrounded by music, and in my teenage years spent many a miserable evening being soothed by it. Now it's the only thing that comes naturally to me and it's the only thing I don't resent giving my time to.

Z: Do you feel the Internet is a good way of helping/promoting your
music?

Yes definitely. we have made so many wonderful friends and fans through the Internet that I think I may have lost faith by now without it.

Z: Has the computer age, and its use in creating, editing and
manipulating music helped you in any way?

Um, yes. Jared uses his computer lots. I sing into it too. I am not so good with them though. I break them. lots!

Z: Give me three good reasons why someone should buy your Cd's, barring threats of bodily harm?

This is difficult cause I would never buy them. I'm not supposed to say that am I! OK let me think of a reason why I would buy something I liked.
1. It might make you smile (actually it might make you cry!)
2. It will make me smile if someone buys it!
3. It isn't like everything else.

Z: Finally, what happened to my 1st class air tickets, free drink,
drugs and promises of casual sex?

You mean that registered delivery never turned up? and by the way, that was me in the black wig down that dark alley!

Many thanks to Andrea for taking the time to provide some illuminating answers