Cody Simpson Read online

  Onstage, I feel right at home.

  FAN FEVER

  In keeping with the theme of the “On My Mind” video, I went on the Coast to Coast tour in August 2011, visiting malls across the country and attracting thousands of people to each appearance.

  At each mall there were girls everywhere. It was pretty hectic! Five thousand people turned up to the show in Detroit. I think people were surprised that I could attract that kind of crowd, but I love being the underdog. I’d rather be underestimated than overrated. I think Mum and Alli got a kick out of seeing all the girls chanting my name when I walked out onstage.

  This was the first time I really got a sense of being famous. I shut down the mall in Sydney. Five thousand showed up in Melbourne. A crowd like that just looked insane. That’s a lot of people in a mall.

  That tour was overwhelming, but also extremely exciting. For the first time, I took a step back and thought to myself, “Wow, I’m 14, but this is really happening and it’s happening very fast.” I got the sense that this could be real, like my life was changing, like I was making it. It was incredible to see how many people were turning up, and how many were starting to interact with me on Twitter and Facebook. I hit a million followers on that tour. My fans became so engaged, so active; the Angels, as I like to call them, were growing in number and it was very cool.

  Feeling the love on the Believe tour.

  Of course, this meant that I started to get recognized, which felt really strange. I am still naturally very shy. I found it difficult to be in front of big groups. Onstage, it’s like the performance itself helps to distract me from my nerves, but one-on-one it’s different. I’ve had to learn to be more confident and natural. The problem is that when you’re a little insecure or shy, it can come off as arrogance. That’s so not what I’m about. I’m just mellow.

  I remember once, I was with Mum and Alli at the supermarket, and Mum whispered to me, “There are, like, 20 people over there looking at you.” I was totally oblivious to it at first. Then I saw this swarm of girls following me from aisle to aisle. My mum thought it was hilarious and started filming it – me looking on the shelf and this group of fans sneaking behind each row to get closer. Then, at one point, I was trying to choose some cereal. And there was one girl at one end of the aisle, and another one at the other end, watching. They had me surrounded! It was one of those times when you realize you can’t just shop for cereal or pick your nose. People are always watching! Ha!

  Fans go up to Alli all the time and ask her weird personal questions about me, like what kind of toothpaste or deodorant I use. It’s flattering that fans care so much, but I do try to keep some mystery to what I do. Of course, she understands perfectly what it’s like to be a fan. She cried when we arranged for her to meet the Jonas Brothers a few years back!

  It’s also weird, but kind of awesome, to go into Hollister or Abercrombie & Fitch and hear my song playing on the radio. I walk in and no one knows they’re listening to me. I just try to keep calm, smile to myself, and see if anyone’s clearly grooving to my music. It’s those kinds of small moments that actually mean a lot.

  ELLEN

  Being around adults a lot and being in a work environment, I grew up pretty quickly. I’ve had to stand up for myself and assert myself in business meetings when I’m the youngest person in the room by 15 to 20 years or more. I realize it most when I’m around my best mates. I sometimes feel so mature. Even so, doing media and being interviewed has always been tough for me. I just don’t like to talk about myself. It’s weird!

  The performances on TV are especially nerve-racking. The cameras make me anxious. I feel like they focus in on every little thing. Plus, usually there are no fans. It feels like I’m singing and dancing for the camera guy. I definitely need to be in front of an audience to get my best energy.

  When I got invited to be on Ellen for the first time in September 2011, I was super excited. I’m a huge fan of hers and we watch the show all the time as a family. I’ve also seen how important performing on her show can be for an artist. It’s a career milestone.

  The interview went well. Matt thought I seemed cool and comfortable – and even funny! However, once it came time to perform, I got incredibly nervous. I never told this to anyone aside from my family and Matt, but I had to redo my performance because I messed up the dance. I had learned it only the day before, and I thought I had it down, but I was so nervous, I got tripped up. Ellen was cool about it, but how embarrassing!

  Being on Ellen was totally surreal. Having seen a lot of other major musicians perform on it, to be on it myself was definitely an unbelievable moment. The whole family was in shock about it. Tom was backstage playing Ping-Pong with Kevin Dillon, an actor from HBO’s Entourage. It was one of those moments that I’ll treasure forever.

  MY HOMECOMING

  In October 2010 we had gone back to Australia for the Kids’ Choice Awards in Sydney, and I performed “iYiYi” to close the show, which marked my first performance in Australia. I won the award for “Fresh Aussie Muso,” and the whole crowd was so stoked. It was my first award in music and I just felt really validated. It was a feeling I recognized from swimming. Accepting the award onstage in front of that huge crowd felt a whole lot like stepping up onto that center block on the awards podium after a race and accepting a medal. It was also the first time I really felt love from my home country. It was a big moment for me, and for my family, to be embraced in Australia. The reality of my success was really starting to sink in.

  It was my return to the Aussie KCAs in 2011, though, that truly felt like a homecoming. This time, I performed two songs, presented, and won three awards: the Super Fresh Award, the Fave Aussie Muso Award, and the Awesome Aussie Award. Plus, I got totally slimed!

  A lot of family and friends came to see us and to support me – grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, and quite a few of our closest friends: the Baildons, Thrupps, McCarthys, Greens, Winningtons, Carsleys, and Harrisons. They got a kick out of seeing me onstage and the whole event. Also, my mates Jake Thrupp, Giorgia Green, Campbell Carsley, and Josh Winnington were there. We made it into a bit of a holiday. We were in Sydney for five days and we all stayed in the same hotel, so we really got to spend time together.

  After my second time at the Kids’ Choice Awards, I realized how much my life had changed. Hearing about what my mates were up to at school and swimming – the life that I would have been living if I hadn’t made the move – made me appreciate how far I’d come. I was glad that my family and friends were able to see firsthand what was going on, too. It was easy to say that things were getting crazy in the States, but until they saw it for themselves, they never really understood what I was talking about. Needless to say, they were thrilled for me that the sacrifice had paid off. When it was time to return to the States once more, it was hard to say goodbye to everyone again, but this time when I left I was surer than ever that I had made the right decision.

  KONICHIWA, JAPAN!

  Right after our amazing trip to Australia, instead of heading straight back to LA we flew to Japan for a few TV and mall performances there. And what a great experience that was!

  Before we arrived, my family and I thought nobody would really know me there. We were completely wrong! I got off the plane to hundreds of people waiting in the airport for us to come out. They were holding signs saying things like “We love you, Cody!” We knew then that the trip was going to be an exciting one. It was crazy seeing people from different countries go wild for me.

  My Japanese fans were so polite and respectful. It was my first time visiting another country with such a different culture – and a different language. I had translators with me on the trip. It was awesome seeing fans singing along – especially since English isn’t their first language. It just shows how universal music is! I also did a few TV appearances and record label events.

  We had the opportunity to do a bit of sightseeing, so we took the bullet train to Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. Everywhere
we stopped there were hundreds of fans waiting. It was quite an experience.

  Japan! I love you!

  Tom liked the trip a lot. He loved the sights and the food there. And I especially loved seeing the temples in Kyoto. I took so many pictures of everything we saw. It was a special time for the family – and a great way to meet so many new fans!

  MY PARENTS DON’T TREAT ME DIFFERENTLY – I STILL HAVE TO CLEAN MY ROOM AND PULL MY WEIGHT AROUND THE HOUSE

  Doing dishes

  MY RESPONSIBILITY

  Recently, I started to realize that with success comes responsibility. I know that my fans watch what I’m doing so closely. I don’t ever want to be perceived as a bad influence. I’ve always believed that it’s important to do the right thing rather than the easy thing.

  At home, I don’t get in trouble often. I really don’t like to upset my parents. They don’t treat me any differently – I still have to clean my room and pull my weight around the house. Sometimes I’m tempted to rebel a little, but it’s just not worth it. When I see them upset, I really don’t feel good at all. I do crave a little bit of freedom, though. That’s what I miss most about Australia – I wish I could just go to a friend’s place, or go to the mall with a girl. But now that my parents have come to trust a few of our team members on the road, I am getting a lot more freedom.

  I definitely feel a big sense of responsibility not to do anything that would disappoint my family, because I’m starting to live a very public life. And the media and fans are starting to become more and more interested in things other than my music.

  Alli, too, has started to build her own following through modeling and writing her blog. She has over a million followers on Twitter now. Girls really look up to her. We both need to act the part. Neither of us has all the answers, or even most of the answers for that matter. We’re still growing up, learning to find our way, and making mistakes, but that’s part of why I think our fans feel so attached to us. We are all figuring it out together.

  I think that my relationship with Alli shows that you have to treat siblings with kindness. I get messages all the time saying things like, “I wish my brother and I or my sister and I could have a friendship like you guys do,” or just “You guys always look so happy together.” I hope we inspire other siblings to treat each other well. As my parents always say, “Friendships may come and go, but you’ll always have your sibling in your life.”

  posing with my mum

  red carpet with my sister, Alli

  baby pics of my siblings and me with our mum

  BEATING THE BULLIES

  In December 2011, following some rewarding work with the anti-bullying organization Defeat the Label, I was invited to appear on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition where the crew, led by Ty Pennington, was building a new home for a family who had been deeply affected by bullying. It’s really important to me to support the anti-bullying movement, since it’s something that affects my fans all over the world.

  Being on the show was an eye-opening experience. The house being knocked down was where their youngest son had committed suicide because he couldn’t take the bullying any longer. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain of what they’d been through. Over the years, I’ve done work on behalf of several anti-bullying organizations, but still it was crazy and heartbreaking to see that it can get that severe and how it can affect an entire family.

  Performing on the Paradise tour.

  I get messages about bullying and the Extreme Makeover show all the time. They say things like, “You’ve given me more confidence. You’ve given me the strength not to take it so personally.”

  So many people get bullied. A lot of people don’t realize that, because often victims don’t want to tell anyone about it. I’ve received letters and emails with stories of kids who have been bullied, saying that I helped in some way. It’s pretty incredible to realize the sort of influence I can have in the world.

  If through my music I can help just one person, then I know I’ve done something great with my life. Beating the bullies is so much more important to me than any bestselling record, so it’s pretty great when I have the chance to do something this important.

  Performing on the Believe tour.

  SCHOOL DAYS

  Since I moved to LA, I’ve been homeschooled. I’ve had 30 different teachers over the past few years, but right now I’m working with a woman named Laura Inman, from Atlanta Country Day School, and she’s rad. It’s turned out to be much better for me this way. My schedule is crazy, and I’ve always felt I would rather be outside the classroom pursuing my passions like swimming and music. I do enjoy some of my classes, like English and writing – I’m not especially fond of science – but I never liked the pressurized work in traditional school, or a lot of the cliquey social dynamics there.

  Between school, rehearsals, and recording for the new album, it’s been a challenge to balance everything I need to get done. Despite that, as with so many other things in my life, I have been working hard and I plan to finish high school early – hopefully before I turn 17. I’ve been working tirelessly hard to get all my requirements done. It’s a hectic schedule, though. I wake up in time for school, which is from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. And then I head straight to the studio, where I usually stay until 7 p.m. After that I’ll come home and eat dinner with my family. At other times, before a major tour, I go to dance rehearsals or meetings for tour or album promotions instead of recording in the studio. If I have homework, I do it after that. It’s crazy, I know, but it’s my life, and I love it regardless of the challenges.

  I try to have fun wherever I go. I bring my skateboard to the studio and even though I’m working hard, I keep it light and buy time to do some skating around. Sometimes I have a little too much fun during homeschool hours. Tom, Alli, and I have school together and sometimes, I’ll admit, I can be a little bit of a distraction. I like to goof off. And I usually do that by singing. A lot. Repetitively. Which always annoys Alli. So our teacher has learned to separate us, and schedule it so I’m distracting Tom and Alli the least. Alli and I have school in the morning, and I often have to move to sit in the kitchen to let her concentrate. Tom has school in the afternoon, since he’s at a different grade level.

  I know it sounds busy, but back in Australia I would be swimming in the morning for two hours, then at school all day, and then back to swimming training in the afternoon for two hours. Plus two or three hours of homework at night, so I’m used to the long days. I would have weekends and time to hang out with friends, but it was still pretty busy. In some ways, I know that no matter what I’m pursuing – be it music or swimming, or something else entirely – I’m always going to be working hard. It’s part of who I am.

  That’s not to say I don’t have fun. The social life in LA is just different. I’m honestly not a big fan of the Hollywood scene. At first I tried to make new friends, but soon realized I’m not interested in being part of any scene and that I just want to focus on my music. I have a few good mates in the US, but I definitely still rely on my mates back home.

  It’s important to me to stay as close as I can to my roots on the Gold Coast. With my friends back home I can just surf and be who I really am. They keep me grounded and grateful. Back on the Gold Coast, everyone’s door was always open. I could pretty much walk to all of my friends’ houses, and my mum would let me spend the night here and there. Their mums would always welcome us and have food out. It was a genuine community. I miss that. Los Angeles is huge and just doesn’t have that small, surf-town feel.

  Sometimes I find it difficult to know who to trust. There have been times when I’ve realized that girls – ones I thought were great and real and into me – just like me for the wrong reasons. So I don’t really make a lot of new friends.

  My mum and dad only have a few close friends here, too. They’re the same as me. I guess we’re all focused on keeping in touch with the people from home.

  My mum always says that if I have
enough success, I will be able to live wherever I want, which might mean someday being back on the Gold Coast. Maybe I’ll end up going back and forth between Los Angeles and Australia. I could have a studio back home. I assume Mum and Dad will move back eventually when I’m old enough to be independent. I assume that Alli will spend more time in LA as well, as she focuses on her career. I’m not sure if that’s what Tom will do, because when I’m 20 he’ll still be 13. We’ll have to see about that. We’re just taking it one step at a time, together.

  Skating with friends Ryan, Harry, and Ryan

  chilling on the Gold Coast

  hanging with Ryan Nassif

  It’s funny – I never went to school dances or proms back home, but I have my own sort of events to look forward to here, like the Grammys, the Kids’ Choice Awards, or Justin Bieber’s eighteenth birthday party. Now that was a really fun night! Scooter threw Justin a party for his eighteenth in March 2012 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. There were a lot of cool people there, including my mates Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Tyler The Creator, Jaden Smith, Selena Gomez, and even Mike Tyson. Justin’s grandparents and some childhood friends also flew in from Canada for the party, which seemed to mean a lot to him. Carly Rae Jepsen sang her big hit, “Call Me Maybe.” I must admit, we partied pretty hard.