“I’ve
always been obsessed with music,” says Ashlee, who adds that her
tastes—along with her album—are not at all like older sister
Jessica Simpson’s. “We’re into totally different bands and
artists.”
Produced by John Shanks (Michele Branch,
Sheryl Crow, Melissa
Etheridge, Alanis
Morrissette, Unwritten Law), the
new album has elements of rock,
punk, and
pop, recalling Ashlee’s own
favorite bands—ranging from Janis Joplin and Steve Nicks to Pat Benatar,
the Pretenders and Blondie through Fiona Apple,
Hole and Green
Day.
Ashlee Simpson
co-wrote every song on the album.
“I just wanted to go in and make a record and not worry about what genre
it would be,” she says. “I went in to have a good time and did. It’s
a rock record, with a cool edge to it. It’s the first time people are
getting to hear what I sound like.”
The first single, “Pieces of Me,” is a
full-throttle rocker about a best friend who brings comfort at the end of
a long, stressful day of work. “It’s like a sigh,” she says. “When
I finally see him, all the other dramas fade away.”
“Autobiography” plays around with her
public image, daring those who want to know her to walk up and “baby
just ask me.” The tongue-in-cheek rave-up “LaLa” is about sexual
fantasies, with Ashlee Simpson role-playing as an alley cat and a French maid, but
all in fun. “There’s a lot of sarcasm in that song,” she says.
“It’s something every girl thinks about, so I decided to make a joke
about it. It’s one of the songs you can dance around to.”
The Waco, TX-born Ashlee has been dancing
since she was three, and by 11, she was the youngest person ever admitted
into the prestigious School of American Ballet. She moved to L.A. with her
parents and Jessica
Simpson when she was 14, pursuing an acting career and dancing
in her sister’s stage show, but dreaming of doing music all the while.
She went on to make appearances on Malcolm
in the Middle and The View before landing a regular role in Seventh
Heaven. Last year, she had the track “Just Let Me Cry” on Disney’s Freaky
Friday soundtrack, and then began recording earlier this year on
breaks from filming the TV show.
“I’ve been working on the album for
five months now, and I’m just so excited for it to come out,” she
says. “I feel like it’s very true to who I am. I was there every step
of the way. My acting experience really helped me get into the characters
of the songs and be in the moment with them. I was able to go back to the
events I’m singing about and bring them to life.”
Coinciding with the release of the new
album, Ashlee is also starring in her own MTV reality series, which will
track her through the whole process.
“Jessica
Simpson said she couldn’t believe I
was doing a show also,” she laughs. “Now, when I come over, I bring
over my cameras, while there’s always a crew around her house. It’s
actually quite funny. Jess taught me it’s cool to be yourself.”
With the album done, Ashlee
Simpson looks back and
calls the experience “therapeutic.” “Anything I held on my
shoulders, I got to put it out there. It enabled me to find out who I am,
to discover my identity in the world.”
The world is set to learn all about the
latest multimedia Simpson star on both disc and TV.
Bio From: MTV
