ION INDIE MAGAZINE December 2014, Volume 7 | Page 11

JB: What challenges does being so young present to you as a performer? Your lyrics are
very "mature" for someone that doesn't have the life experience most older writers do.
Where do you draw from when you write those type of lyrics?
AW: Part of the challenge with being so young is balancing everything a performer and
a normal teenager has to do. Balancing school and outside activities with all the
demands of music is very hard, but it is also very rewarding in the end. I pull inspiration
from everything around me: how I feel, what I see/hear, what’s going on in the world or
with other people. I find that those are the best kinds of songs because they tell a story;
they have a purpose and meaning. I love to write songs that people can feel and relate to.
JB: What do you consider your weak spots? What are you doing to improve on it?
AW: Remember when I said balancing time is hard? That’s my weak spot: how do I do
everything I want to do and not burn my body out? I’ve gotten a lot better at this. My life
revolves around scheduling and time management. Though, I still have my moments
where I slack off (I AM human). I learn every day and continue to get better at honing
this skill. I’m slowly removing my “Queen of Procrastination” title.
JB: You are only 16 years old. How has being in the spotlight affected your circle of
friends at school? Our magazine has interviewed other young artist like Georgia and
Sophia Radisch. There seems to be a pattern of jealousy and being bullied when a young
artist becomes popular. Has this been a problem with you and how have you dealt with it
if it has? What advice would you give to your peers?
AW: I’ve been very lucky to have many supporting peers at my school. Many people ask
me about my music and if I’m doing well; it’s a refreshing change since I was bullied in
middle school. When I was getting bullied, I had a really hard time. Though, my parents
were a big help by helping me focus on all the things I loved and how to handle the hard
times while I was at school. It was being able to look forward to something else outside
of school, something that identified myself the way I wanted to be seen, that gave me the
push to work through it all. I don’t have the opportunities to hang with my friends as
much as I would like, but I am very fortunate to have understanding friends. It’s great to
have friends who are okay with working my merch booth at shows or working around
my schedule so we can hang. My friends mean a lot to me, and I show them that as much
as possible.