Cody Simpson Page 5
With friends and family back on the Gold Coast.
STAYING CONNECTED
In those first few weeks and months in Los Angeles, I was thrilled to be pursuing this amazing opportunity, and working hard – but I couldn’t help worrying about what I’d gotten my family into. Of course, it was my parents’ decision to move us all to the States, but I was the reason. And before things really started happening for me, I kept asking myself: “What have I led us all into?”
Tom had the weirdest transition, to me anyway. He has never really experienced school, as we left when he was in first grade and we’ve been taught by a tutor ever since we moved to LA. I just hoped that he would find his interests and make his own friends. It’s hard moving halfway around the world when you’re so young. I hoped he wasn’t missing out. The bottom line was that Tom and Alli weren’t moving for themselves. They both love it in LA now, but that took a while. Recently Tom has said he feels really lucky that he gets to travel so much and see the world, and hates the idea of a real school, which has made me feel better about everything. I know that taking the leap and moving was the right decision.
We’re all thriving in our own ways now, and the move has brought us closer as a family. We grew very close while living in that hotel for six months, not knowing anyone else when we moved here, and it’s been our experiences since then that have made us the family we are.
We go home to Australia enough to feel connected, at least twice a year. But what’s hardest for me is hearing about my friends back home surfing every day, going to parties, and hanging out with girls. I moved to Los Angeles before I went to high school. I didn’t get to experience a lot of the normal teenager stuff. Plus, of course, I think about swimming a lot. So many of my mates and family friends are involved in swimming, and some of them have started to reach elite levels and make the Olympic teams in Australia. My family and I root for them, of course, but sometimes I get a little nostalgic and wistful. I can’t help feeling I want to be there, too. But I can’t do both, and I’m happy where I am. I’ve done things that I never would have dreamed possible. How can I not love my life?
Staying connected to our friends and family back home is a major priority for all of us. When things started going well for me, my parents didn’t focus on new luxuries or buying anything extravagant. Instead, Alli and I got to invite friends over to Los Angeles for visits. We would each pick one friend, buy their tickets, and they would fly over together so they had company. My parents always said this was the best luxury we could buy.
We felt like we could still have our friends in our life and still have a bit of home with us. It’s the best of all worlds, and we try to make it happen whenever we can.
Chill times in the Bahamas.
“IYIYI”
In March 2010, three months before we moved to the States, Dad and I had come to Los Angeles for more meetings with Atlantic and to record my first single: “iYiYi,” featuring Flo Rida. We released the single in June 2010, the same time we moved to the States.
“iYiYi” is still one of my biggest hits and something I’ll probably always be known for. I was a big Flo Rida fan and was completely ecstatic to have him contribute to the song. I couldn’t believe that someone I listened to myself, and who had major hits on the radio, was going to be on my song. The funny thing is that he had actually heard the beat before I recorded the song and wanted it for himself. We share the same A&R man at Atlantic, Mike Caren, and I basically said, “Mike, tell him that it’s my song and it’s going to be my single, but he can do a verse.” Mike laughed and thought I had some real bravado to say that. But you know what, Flo Rida agreed – and the song was a hit, going gold in several countries, including Australia and Canada!
I thought it was a pretty catchy tune. Alli thought it was a really good song and that it sounded good for my voice. I trust her taste in music, so I was psyched to have her stamp of approval.
Making the “iYiYi” video.
The majority of the video was filmed on the Gold Coast before we moved to LA, and it really showed my normal beach-town life in a way. It showed me riding bikes, skateboarding, and hanging out on the beach with a crew of my friends. And obviously I’m professing my feelings for a very beautiful girl. It was so unbelievable to film a real music video! It felt a little odd to be performing in front of the cameras at first, but then I really just had fun with it. Filming my first music video gave me my first taste of what being a recording artist was all about.
The first time I heard the song on the radio I was in Louisville, Kentucky, having dinner with the program director of the radio station there. He said, “Come outside. I want you to hear something.” He turned on the radio station in his car and “iYiYi” started playing. We had it blasting on the side road. It was on right after a Katy Perry song. It was one of those amazing moments that make you take a step back and think, “Wow, this is really happening!” After it ended, I just sat there in shock for, like, half an hour, thinking about how I’m 13 and I have a song on the radio with Flo Rida. Listening and looking back on the “iYiYi” days of my career, I can’t help thinking how young I look and sound, and how much I’ve improved since then. We’ve all got to start somewhere, though, eh?!
“iYiYi” hit the Top Five at Radio Disney and was on three different charts for 19 weeks in total. It peaked at number 19 on the Australia Singles Top 50, where it stayed for two weeks. To date, the music video has had more than 23 million views! It was a milestone for me at the time. To have such a positive response to my first single gave me the momentum to think about the next one and about releasing an EP that my fans would really love. My fan base was growing, it seemed, and I began to feel the love on my website, Twitter, Facebook, and, of course, on YouTube.
4U
My first EP was called 4U and it came out in December 2010. I had worked hard on it under some pretty hectic conditions following the move to the States. The EP featured some of the best music I’d recorded at the time: “iYiYi,” “All Day,” “Round of Applause,” “Don’t Cry Your Heart Out,” and an acoustic version of “iYiYi.”
We did a photo shoot for the cover, and for publicity stills. It was one of my first photo shoots, so I tried to follow the photographer’s directions and look my best. I didn’t have much to say creatively, whereas now I really control everything I put out. I was just new to the situation – to my whole career. I’m just glad the EP cover came out looking so slick, even though I didn’t have much idea of what I was doing at the time!
I was stoked to get 4U out there to see what the fans would think! It felt like my true test. The response to the EP turned out to be phenomenal! It spent six weeks on Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100 chart, and within the first couple of weeks after releasing the music video it had already hit one million views on YouTube.
The 4U EP went to number two on iTunes Australia, and was number four on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums list. My family and I were kind of stunned by the success of the EP. It was surreal seeing my name on the charts next to some of the artists I had grown up listening to and admiring. To my friends and family back home I think it was the first affirmation that perhaps we had made the right decision in moving to the US. To me it felt like the journey was beginning in earnest and it made me hungry for more.
TOURING WITH GREYSON
Shortly after the EP came out, I embarked on a co-headline tour with Greyson Chance in the spring of 2011. We played all across the US, from New York City to Fort Lauderdale, from Dallas to Seattle. They were all fairly small venues, and it was a thrill to see packed houses. It was my first experience where I had a lot of fans coming out and singing along. I was feeding off the fans’ energy and having the raddest time.
Greyson plays the piano, and got his start by posting a video of himself playing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at a school talent show – kind of like I did. At the time, we were in sort of the same spot in our careers and we were experiencing life on the road for the first time. I think having that connection
made our life on the road a bit more enjoyable. Alli and Greyson hit it off immediately and they became close friends.
We shared a bus for six weeks and talked about music quite a bit. We didn’t have too many days off. We liked it that way. During the tour, I was always writing and composing songs. I kept working, thinking about my next project.
That was when my voice changed. A couple of times during the 4U and Coast to Coast tours my voice cracked while I was onstage. It was so embarrassing. I tried to make a joke of it. I was like, “Oh sorry, it’s just puberty.” That usually got a good laugh, but it was still really embarrassing.
Touring with Greyson Chance.
That period was really difficult for me. I started taking more intense voice lessons to help me through it and to help me protect my voice as it changed. We had to pitch down some songs in order for me to be able to perform them. Only recently have I felt that my voice has started to settle into my adult range. The hardest part has been getting my falsetto to a point that I am happy with. I know puberty comes with its ups and downs, but it’s been a lot harder for me going through it in front of an audience!
MY BIG BROTHER
In August 2011, my parents and I decided to bring in Matt Graham and Scooter Braun to help us navigate the next chapter in my career. Scooter Braun is a talent manager who represents Justin Bieber, PSY, Carly Rae Jepsen, Asher Roth, and The Wanted. So it was incredible that he was really interested in helping take me to the next level. As part of this, he introduced me to Matt, whom he had known since their college years at Emory together. We knew that music had become a young man’s game, particularly in pop music, since it’s so much about social media. Matt and Scooter were in college when Facebook came out. They are basically the oldest people who grew up with social media. It makes sense that they are masters of it.
Matt is 13 years older than I am, which is the same age difference as between Justin and Scooter. Matt was young but had been in management with other acts for several years, and I could tell he was really bright and hungry to prove himself in the industry. When we first met, we hit it off immediately. Matt appreciated that I had a clear sense of who I am as an artist, and he totally got behind me. He felt that I had the tools needed to do big things, but that I needed someone to guide me. And my parents, well, they wanted someone around every day that we really trusted and who they believed would be a great mentor. And that was Matt.
Before long, Matt became a bona fide part of the family, often living at our house when he needed to come to LA. I feel like he gets me, and he’s just fun to be around. He’s a good influence and keeps me on a straight path. I spend a lot of time with him, and my parents really trust him, which is so important to me. My dad and Matt are also pretty close. Age-wise, Matt is right between me and my parents, which means he sometimes bridges the gap there. We also have very similar music tastes, which is a great advantage and helps shape my vision for where I’m going with my career – we’ve even written a few songs together. We have similar goals when it comes to proving ourselves in the music industry, and we’re both extremely keen to achieve success and leave our mark on the world. Our similarity in motivation and work ethic has made us great partners.
We recently celebrated his wife Sarah’s birthday at a barbecue at their new house in LA. Sarah is brilliant. She’s just really warm and wonderful. I was pretty thrilled that she wanted to spend her birthday with me and my family. She’s a lawyer and super intelligent. She moved to LA from New York and, at a time when next to no one was hiring, she got five job offers from the five biggest firms here. Quite impressive. She moved here to be with Matt, who came here to be with me, actually. So I’m always extra nice to Sarah, since I was the cause of all this commotion.
G’Day LA Gala with Matt and Alli.
Scooter’s company is one of the most successful in the business right now, so he is busy making deals happen for all of the artists that his company looks after. Scooter and I talk on the phone often; he joins us for a lot of the important stuff, and the three of us often get together to discuss the big-picture strategy for my career.
But my relationship with Matt is so much deeper than just business. Even if I quit today (which I won’t!), I would still go over to Matt’s to crash. Even 10 or 20 years from now, I know I’ll still be good mates with him. I think that illustrates the kind of relationship we have. I talk to him about everything and he gives me advice and helps me out with a lot of things relating to my career as well as my personal life. It’s pretty amazing to be in business with a guy who’s basically the big brother I never had.
COAST TO COAST
After coming off the tour with Greyson Chance, I went back into the studio to finish writing and recording some songs for my next EP, which I decided to call Coast to Coast. I wanted a name that reflected my journey from the Gold Coast to the California coast. It was such a huge move for me and my family, and I wanted the name of the EP to reflect the experience – as a sort of thank-you for everything they’ve done and sacrificed. Coast to Coast featured six songs, including a few hits like “All Day,” “Angel,” and “On My Mind.”
I think my music evolved from “iYiYi” to Coast to Coast. The new EP was way more mature. The songs have more meaning. I think they reflect my life and, given the way my fans have reacted, I think – I hope! – anyone can relate to them.
Mike Caren, Pete Ganbarg, and their Atlantic Records A&R team, which includes Chris Morris and Aaron Bay-Schuck, trusted my instincts and helped me to shape my sound, to determine who I am as an artist. Mike really values my opinion, which is flattering given his achievements in music. Because of my age, I think most people in the industry wouldn’t trust me the way he does. And it goes both ways. I have learned to trust his instincts musically as well, and I think the record was so much better for it.
COAST TO COAST WAS A THANK-YOU TO MY FAMILY FOR EVERYTHING THEY’VE DONE AND SACRIFICED
Feeling pretty messy after a show.
But getting to that point took a lot of work. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to trust him on a song that I didn’t immediately gravitate towards. If he played me a song and I didn’t like it right off the bat, I wouldn’t want to record it. But Mike was smart – and persistent. He’d encourage me just to try it, to put my own spin on it. And inevitably, once I did, once I found a way to make it my own, I would end up loving it!
That happened with “Not Just You.” To be honest, I didn’t like that song at first. But Mike told me just to go in and record it. He brought in a very talented songwriter and Grammy Award-winning producer named Nasri Atweh to help with it. Nasri pushed me on this song, and as a result of our work together he’s now one of my favorite songwriters to work with. So I learned to really trust Mike. He is one of the reasons I’m thankful I signed with Atlantic.
Before Coast to Coast came out, I asked Alli for her opinion on a few songs. She’s the same age as my fans and I trust her. She really connected to “Crazy But True” and “Good As It Gets.” That she responded so strongly to those tracks made me feel much more confident about releasing the EP. She’s my sister. I know she’ll always tell me the truth, no matter what.
This EP also shows the two types of music that I’m most drawn to and inspired to create: funky up-tempo tracks like “Good As It Gets,” and songs with a beachy, acoustic vibe like “Angel,” which is guitar-driven but laid-back and insanely catchy.
Coast to Coast really reflects who I am as an artist, so it’s an important EP for me. Even if it hadn’t been a success, I’d have been proud of it for that reason. But, luckily, my fans loved it. It debuted at number 12 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and two of the songs on the CD went to number one on Radio Disney. I was pretty stoked and felt truly validated as an artist.
VIDEO STAR
With Coast to Coast, I had the opportunity to make music videos for a few of the singles. These videos were on a whole different scale from anything I’d done before. They explored what the song
was about and were meant to really draw fans in.
I’m very involved in all my videos, especially in the initial concept for them. I start by thinking of how I can expand on the meaning of the song. A song can tell you a lot and I feel like you can really emphasize and magnify its meaning in a video. The video for “On My Mind” was the first one where I really took the lead in creating the concept. We shot it at the Topanga Mall in Los Angeles. It blew me away when I went to the mall to discover that they’d closed all the shops so I could film.
I felt like a lot of guys my age could relate to the concept of the video. The idea is that I see a beautiful girl and I want to find out who she is, so I run through the mall and talk to people to try to find her. I think we’ve all wished we could do that at some time. I like the fact that it ends positively, with us finally meeting.
Serenading my Angels.
Of all the music videos I’ve done, “Not Just You” is one of my favorites. It shows a more mature and emotional side of me. I collaborated with an amazing director named Roman White, and he really pushed me to act in this one. We filmed on Venice Beach and in downtown LA. The video shows a girl who got away, and I beg her not to leave me. I’m trying to make it back to her, chasing her, trying to get her back before it’s too late. It was the first time I’d really been held up as a romantic lead. It was my first big ballad. I love singing slow songs like that; it’s a chance to really embrace the vocals and emotion. I think I’ve made a few girls’ nights over the past year or so by bringing them up onstage and singing them that song.
That was a real step forward for me creatively, to be able to pull off this emotional song and act well enough in the video. I was really proud of what we’d done. It was the first one I’d done where I didn’t want to change anything after I’d watched it all the way through. I think we got this one right.