Guinevere: The Dark Pop Diva

CDL Exclusive Interview with Guinevere: The Dark Pop Diva - Celebrity Dirty Laundry

Recently, Celeb Dirty Laundry had the pleasure of interviewing the quickly rising star known as Guinevere. She’s fabulous, she’s bold, she has a rockin’ sense of humor–just wait till you read the interview . . . chipmunks with several prosthetic limbs are involved–and she’s already generating a buzz in the music realm with her debut single “Crazy Crazy.”

With her edgy sound and somewhat gritty themes, Guinevere seems to have put a new spin on the usually-lighthearted genre of pop music. While her music video might pull from trends (futuristic styles with heavy emphasis on the glamorous and sexy) observed in many of today’s pop music videos, the song is complete with stellar vocals and a somewhat darker sound that quickly sets it apart from the crowd.

So, without further ado, please meet Guinevere! You all are going to love her. Trust me. You WILL want to read on. As always, the questions asked by us are written in bold. Also, don’t forget to check out her YouTube video“CRAZY CRAZY” — CLICK HERE! (it is also embedded in the article below).

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Interview with Guinevere

CDL: Before I begin with my questions, before I curiously ask you to share with us what makes you tick as an artist, before I ask you who’s been the most influential person in your life, I must first say that I absolutely love the “Who is Guinevere” article on your website. It’s one of the best celeb bios I’ve read in a while. It’s funny. It’s intelligent. It’s transparent. And, above all else, it’s refreshing to see a star profess their Trekkie-love, as well as their Call of Duty whoop-ass abilities.

Guinevere: Thank you! I want to take a minute to say I truly enjoyed reading these questions. They are very personable and it’s clear you took the time to think about them. Very refreshing!

Now, for those who are a little unfamiliar with you as an individual, would you be so kind as to give our readers a quick snapshot of the real Guinevere? [However, it’s perfectly fine to withhold your true name--I understand how important it is for a heroine to protect her true identity]

I am not old enough to drink in the US, but I am a seasoned pro. ;) I love music, singing, writing, and seeing people react to my songs when I am performing on stage!

You’ve just released the music video for your debut single “Crazy Crazy” (below) and it’s already garnering lots of attention! Yay! I personally love it; I even caught myself humming the tune in the shower (too much info?) after listening to it. Can you tell us all a little about the process, and what it was like to create such a visually dynamic video?

I’m so glad you like it! The visuals and actual concept of the video were mainly the idea of Director Anton Josef. My managers and I reviewed his vision and tweaked it to what we wanted. I wanted to look bad-ass and play with a bunch of wild looks. I wanted PVC all over the place, so I chose the outfits for the video and the different colors to set the mood for each look.

In the music video your lips are pretty fabulously bedazzled. Did it hurt to rip those fantastic jewel-things off?

Haha! No it didn’t hurt at all! The painful part was sitting still while they put on the jewels individually and the glue smelled like fish! Although, the result was great and my make-up artist was amazing!

Your website introduces you as a “dark pop diva.” For those who might not know, what’s the difference between Dark Pop and regular Pop music? Is there a difference? I’ve never heard that term before. If I had to go out on a limb, I’d venture to say that the difference lie in the themes your songs work to convey–somewhat darker/grittier perhaps? Nonetheless, I’m curious.

You’re exactly right! In every one of my songs there is a message of truth, which isn’t always pretty. If you meet me you’ll find I am a very shy, keep-to-myself type of person. Being Guinevere it gives me the chance to go out on a limb and say the things I’m thinking but I wouldn’t actually say. Guinevere is like my superhero alter-ego. The lyrics are in-your-face and have a hint of sarcasm in them. It is what I want to say without a filter…that’s where the ‘Dark Pop’ comes from.

What are you currently working on? Any hot projects in the pipelines?

My album is almost finished and my main focus right now is to push my single and video across the U.S. I will be playing a bunch of shows and just promoting like crazy, no pun intended.

Can you tell people a little bit about your upcoming concert dates, or where they might be able to find you in the coming months?

The majority of my upcoming shows will be held in the U.S. – we’re looking at announcing dates for December. For now, I’ll be playing a few Toronto shows here and there to keep myself sharp. If you go to my Facebook Fanpage it tells you when and where I’m playing.

You’re style is very engaging and theatrical, have you ever thought of trying a hand at acting?

I’ve done a few commercials in the past and a few indy films when I was younger but music is my priority. I believe it’s important to truly excel at one thing before taking on another craft. My craft is music and it is the main focus.

Do you write your own songs? Or does your love exist more in the singing/performance realm of this business?

The whole record was written by me and my manager/creative partner Amir Epstein. The process is usually me going to him with an idea and from there we write the melodies. Our process is to first nail down the melodies – they are the most important. I usually work on verse melodies and he being the ‘Chorus King’ works on the hooky chorus. As for lyrics, most of the record was written on the highway stuck in traffic on the way down to the studio!

This might seem odd, but I’d like to know your favorite Skittle color. You’d be surprised how much I can tell from a celeb’s fave Skittle flavor. I might just be able to reveal your entire future in this crazy Celeb World of ours. . .I’m sort of like a modern day Nostradamus. It’s really no big deal.

HAHAHA! Wow, this really puts me on the spot. Do you always ask such deep and probing personal questions? I’m not just playing it safe by saying I love all of them.. I really would get bored with just one color… but if I HAD to, it would be blue…it’s what I use to get my lips blue.

You’ll go far . . . wanna’ know why? Because you chose a color that is not part of the Original Skittles flavors. Blue is part of the Tropical flavor series. This means that you are willing to think outside of the box and will always stay true to yourself and your creative vision–a top notch artist!

Who or what is your greatest muse? I’m desperately on the hunt for a celeb who chats with their goldfish as they ponder what it means to be an artist in today’s society. Maybe you’ll be the one?

I actually have a pet chipmunk that I found on the road. It was hit by a car, and half of its body was smeared into the ground. I picked up the little fellow and nursed him back to life. He has two prosthetic legs now, but is otherwise happy. What’s more impressive is his ability to hum melodies…this may sound nutty, but he has helped me write the majority of my songs. Nah, I’m just kidding, I don’t really have a muse…or a pet 2-legged chipmunk.

You don’t even realize how much I love this answer. The. Best. Ever. I sort of want to send you a bag of all-blue Skittles for this exceptional display of creativity and wit.

I don’t know how familiar you are with Arthurian Legend, but in some versions (not all) of the stories Lady Guinevere was–in many ways–a force that kept the Round Table bound together and a power that seemed to unite the knights through their times of uncertainty, trouble, and hardship. Have you had any prominent female figures in your life, ones that you especially admire and look up to, ones that urge and push you forward on your journey as an artist?

I look up to a few artists for certain things they have done. I absolutely love Gwen Stefani. Her presence on stage is so captivating and iconic, yet she seems down to earth off stage. She can be sexy, and one of the boys at the same time. She definitely helped set the tone for other female front women and was able to break-out and have a successful solo-career. I admire her as a performer and truly aspire to be as inspiring as she has been to me.

What do you consider to be the turning point in your artistic/creative path? Have you met anyone along the way that you’ve found to be particularly influential, encouraging, etc.?

When I was 15 I was in a Indy-Canadian movie and met a music director named Andrea England. At that point I thought my main path would be acting but for the role I needed to sing. To make a long story short, she decided to spend time teaching me songwriting stuctures and helped me along my path to becoming a singer/songwriter. After finding my true passion I ditched acting. A few years later I joined a rock-band called ‘Get Rebel’ as the front-women. We wanted to record an EP and that’s how I met the producer, Amir Epstein (my current manager), of the record. He’s taught me so much about the writing process and what it takes to be a star. I truly thank him for taking the time to help me find my vision as an artist. He’s opened my eyes to what it takes and how to deal with doors that are hard to open and other obstacles. You just have to keep maneuvering around them and continue on!

Do you speak Klingon?

Not fluently, but my long term plan is write songs in Klingon so I can hit #1 intergalactically. “Dlvl’ Hol Dajatlh’a.” (Do you speak Federation Standard?)

I actually am more fluent in Elvish and Parseltongue. . .but if you wrote a song in Klingon (or Fed Standard) I might be inclined to break out the study books.

Where do you hope to be in 5, 20, or 15 years from now? I’m sure now you’re already living your dream, but what other dreams/goals/desires do you have for yourself? What do you hope to accomplish in the future?

I have no idea where I’ll be in the future but I will keep on singing and performing for my fans, as long as they want me to. My dream: I’d love to headline a stadium and be able to hold out that mic to the crowd and hear every single lyric sang right back to me. After that, world domination!

The Six (Essential) Quick Questions:

1. Favorite Food?

Sushi, Dynamite Roll or Sashimi

2. Favorite TV show and book?

The Walking Dead and WWZ (I have an obsession with a post-apocalyptic zombie world)

3. What’s something that people would never guess about you upon a first encounter?

I am a big nerd and tom-boy.

4. Fave celeb?

Kate Hudson for her character ‘Penny Lane’ in Almost Famous (She captured the meaning of ‘Cool’)

5. Significant other? (Please don’t say your career–that really bores me.)

There could be a sexy, ripped lumberjack hiding under my bed.

6. Guilty pleasure(s)?

Sci-Fi, origami, and Halo (the very first one)

It’s been a real pleasure chatting with you and we wish you much success on your journey as a singer/performer. All of us here at Celeb Dirty Laundry (including our readers) sincerely appreciate you taking the time to chat with us. We know you’ll go far! If your tune has already made it to shower-humming status in my life, then I have faith you’ll hit the big time. Any last burning thoughts you’d like to get off your chest? This blog is now your stage. . .

It was such a pleasure answering your questions.. The best interview yet! I’ll leave you with this… “Live Long and Prosper” – Spock

You must have read my mind! I was going to tell you to “Live Long and Prosper!”

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I don’t think I’m supposed to have favorite interviewees, but. . . Guinevere! I’m thinking you could do a show on the west coast (Seattle preferably), I could somehow obtain a backstage pass to this show, and then we could conduct a live interview (in English, not Klingon).

Make sure you all follow her on Twitter, too!

Guinevere and I thank you for reading!