Hailee Steinfeld is far better known as an actress than a singer. The 19-year-old Los Angeles native has been acting since 2005 but only entered the music business last year.
“I was always interested in music but acting was definitely my first love,” she stated. “I was inspired by my cousin, True O’Brien, who is a model and actress. She is a couple of years older than me and I’d see her in television commercials. I wanted to be in commercials like her.”
Although she did appear in some commercials, Hailee’s fledgling talent was immediately apparent to the makers of short films. She starred in Heather: A Fairytale and co-starred in the multiple-award-winning She’s a Fox.
The experience gained from these and other projects led to her casting as Mattie Ross in the 2010 movie, True Grit. Her performance saw Hailee nominated for the Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and the BAFTA. Although she failed to secure any of these prizes, she won no fewer than 15 other highly prestigious awards.
“Winning all those awards was very exciting. But the most important thing was knowing my work was appreciated by important people in the business. It meant they would think of me when other movies were being cast.”
One of those films was Romeo and Juliet. Although it was released in 2013, the movie was cast in 2011 when Hailee was just 14. The producers were so keen to have her play Juliet that the screenplay was rewritten to make it appropriate for a girl of her age.
“It was such a compliment to have the producers adapt the original format. Knowing how much they wanted me for the role gave me a lot of confidence.”
Hailee’s musical involvement began in 2012 when she appeared in the video for The Cab’s single, Endlessly. Taylor Swift and Pentatonix were also fans. She was cast in the videos for Taylor’s Bad Blood and Pentatonix’ Sing. But it was a film rather than a video which led to Hailee’s music career.
“I was in a movie called Begin Again. I played a guitarist. My character collaborated with Keira Knightley’s character on a song called Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home. This was included on the movie soundtrack album.
“Having this on my resume probably helped me get the part of Emily Junk in Pitch Perfect 2. Performing songs with the rest of the cast in that movie got me the chance to sing for Republic Records executives. I signed my deal with them in May and had my debut single, Love Myself, out in August.”
The song was an international hit. It sold well in many countries with the highest chart placing being number four in Belgium. Nearer home, Love Myself reached number 15 in Canada and a highly respectable number 30 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
“I was really pleased with the start to my music career. Of course, like almost every artist, I hoped for the miracle of Love Myself reaching number one. But I was so happy to be accepted as a music artist by people who only really knew me as an actress.”
Hailee also co-wrote Love Myself.
“It’s an empowerment song. The lyrics are about taking care of yourself and indulging yourself whether that be emotionally, physically or with material things.”
Love Myself was the lead single from Hailee’s debut EP, Haiz. Released last November, it originally housed four songs and peaked at number 57 on the Billboard 200.
There have since been two re-releases with different track listings. The first, last February, included an additional remixed version of Rock Bottom which featured DNCE as guest artists. The song became Hailee’s second single but proved nothing like so popular as Love Myself.
The second reissue hit record outlets in July. This contained a new song, Starving, as a bonus track. Starving was duly released as Hailee’s third single. A collaboration with American brothers Kyle and Michael Trewartha, better known as Grey, and the Russian-born but German-based DJ Zedd, it has become Hailee’s most successful song.
“I can’t believe the incredible popularity of Starving all over the world. I think perhaps many people can relate to the lyrics which deal with becoming a different and better person yourself after getting to know that special someone who enters your life.”
Does Hailee see her future in acting or singing?
“I love doing both so I hope to continue the two aspects of my career for as long as possible.”

IN BRIEF
Pete Burns

Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns has died at the age of 57.
It was March, 1985, when Dead or Alive reached top spot on the UK singles chart with the Stock, Aitken and Waterman produced You Spin Me Round (Like a Record). The song was an international smash. Although they did enjoy other successful records, it was by far the band’s biggest hit.
Even in those days, singer/songwriter Pete was a controversial figure. His ever-changing but consistently androgynous appearance was such that he actually accused Culture Club singer Boy George of appropriating his image.
Pete’s obsession with image eventually caused him to have more than 300 surgical procedures though many of these were performed to correct botched plastic surgery. Although his band’s time in the spotlight ended as the 1980s became the 90s, Pete continued performing either with a constantly changing Dead or Alive line-up or as a solo artist.
His appearance shocked long-time fans who had seen him degenerate into what Pete himself described as Frankenstein’s monster. Yet he also professed himself happy with how he looked and only used the Frankenstein analogy in the context of his many operations.
The effects of bungled surgery almost killed Pete on more than one occasion. But it was a massive heart attack which claimed his life.
The politician, George Galloway, appeared with Pete on the British television show, Celebrity Big Brother. He paid tribute with the words: “He was a cross between Oscar Wilde and Dorothy Parker. You don’t get more brilliant than that.”
The video for You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGNiXGX2nLU

Crows

There is a passionate intensity in the music of Crows. The London-based punk quartet will soon release their second EP, Cold Comfort. The songs deal with subject matters ranging from religious homophobia to psychological warfare.
“They were dark things that I read and researched,” explained singer/songwriter James Cox. “We’re not interested in typical love songs. We only perform songs which have something important to say.”
Lead single, The Itch, is the latest posting at (no www.) soundcloud.com/crows-band. Also here are their earlier singles and a full posting of their debut EP, Unwelcome Light.
Like Unwelcome Light, each track on the new EP was recorded live. But while the songs on their first EP were all recorded in one seamless take, the tracks on Cold Comfort were recorded individually.
“This gave us the chance to build each song and change anything we were unhappy with,” James stated. “It was different from how we recorded in the past but we think it’s given us a better end result.”
Cold Comfort will be released on November 18.

Blink-182

Blink-182 found genuine international fame in 2000 through their smash hit single, All The Small Things. This was the second single taken from their third album, Enema of the State. But it was the video for lead single, What’s My Age Again?, which really got the trio noticed.
They were shown apparently running naked through the streets of Los Angeles. Everything which might have been deemed inappropriate was blurred out but they were actually wearing flesh coloured swimming trunks.
Fast forward to today and check out the video for Blink-182’s new single, She’s Out of Her Mind. It recreates the What’s My Age Again? video but this time sees three naked ladies running through Los Angeles rather than the band members.
Inappropriate body parts have again been blurred out so the video can be viewed by everyone. As one reviewer commented though, it must have been a great day of work for the male extras.
The video is posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=krpm0v_486k