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Unapologetically original. Unabashedly in your face. Avril Lavigne's 2002 debut Let Go gave young women a defiant voice
and set it to music they could rock out to. Fourteen million albums and eight Grammy nominations later, the Canadian chanteuse
returns with Under My Skin but if you're expecting a whole lot of the same, you've got another thing coming. This is not a
girl who rests on her laurels.
Under My Skin opens with the dramatic tracks "Take Me Away" and "Together," which
set the scene for the kick-ass guitars and radio-ready chorus of "Don't Tell Me," a song of willful female empowerment that
picks up where "Complicated" left off. From there it's a one-two punch of three-chord guitar licks ("He Wasn't") and head-bopping
optimism ("Who Knows") alongside swirling, brooding melodies ("Freak Out") and moody tracks ("Forgotten," "Nobody's Home")
that reveal a darker side of Avril Lavigne.
"I grew up so much in the past two years," admits the Napanee, Ontario,
native. "I've been through a lot, I've learned a lot, and experienced a lot both good and bad. These songs are about all of
that, and each is very personal to me." Working with producers, Butch Walker (of the Marvelous 3), Raine Maida (of Our Lady
Peace), Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Pearl Jam), Avril co-wrote the dozen introspective songs on Under My Skin in near secrecy.
"I'd just come off my world tour and got back to Toronto and was writing right away," the 19-year-old says. "I had no idea
what I was going to do. No one did. People wondered if I'd run out of things to write about, but it was the opposite."
After
a lunch date with fellow Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk turned into a major chick-bonding session, Avril and
Chantal sat down to write. The chemistry was ineffable. "We got together one night and all of a sudden we had a song," she
says. "No one knew what I was up to, not my management, not my label." The duo got together the next night and wrote another
song. "We did that for two weeks and wrote 12 songs." Momentum took over and by summer Avril was moving into Chantal and her
husband Raine Maida's Malibu house to record. "I was only off my tour for a couple of weeks, and I was ready to record," Avril
recalls.
The California air provided a needed escape from Avril's frantic life. "It was a great time for me,
living out there, being out of the public eye, and having my independence. And my friendship with Chantal evolved
into one of the best I've ever had." Chantal and Avril would spend all night in the studio perfecting the songs. During the
day, Avril learned the city by driving to and from the studio and wherever she needed to be. No photos, no interviews, no
pressure. Eventually they recorded most of the songs in Raine's studio, and those songs appear unaltered on Under My Skin.
The rest of the tracks, co-written with her guitarist Evan Taubenfeld (and one track with former Evanescence guitarist Ben
Moody), were cut just up the road. "I was involved in every aspect of making this record. I'm very hands-on," she says. "I
knew how I wanted the drums, the guitar tones, and the structures to be. I understand the whole process so much better this
time because I've been through it. I'm really picky with my sound."
Picking favorites out of her 12 hand-made
babies is another matter. "They all mean so much to me, but I love Together, which is all about being in a relationship and
knowing it's not right. It's a song that basically says, it's not working out honey." A couple of other tracks mine dysfunctional
relationships and have hooks as catchy as those on "Complicated" and real-life narratives (like "Sk8er Boi"), but what truly
underscores Avril's growth are the more positive tracks, such as "Who Knows" and "Take Me Away." "I guess that's just the
way that I am now," admits the former supposed attitude junkie. Deep, piano-driven tracks like "Together" and "Forgotten"
reflect Avril's growth, maturity, and change since the release of Let Go. "I'm happy with what I'm doing and have faith that
everything is going to work out for the best." She's also found a feminine side to offset her well-publicized tomboyishness.
"I'm such a chick. I'm a hopeless romantic, and surprisingly old-fashioned," Avril laughs. "That's why I wrote a song about
not giving it up to just any guy ["Don't Tell Me"]." Girly quirks aside, Avril's anxious to get the show on the road. "It
feels so good to be singing new songs," she says. "I feel refreshed and I'm looking forward to the next thing."
Optimistic
or melancholic, Avril's two-year wild-ride on the rock-star express has shaped her world view and taught her a whole lot about
balance. "The songs on Under My Skin are definitely deeper than those on Let Go," she says, "But I still love a good pop song.
I'm basically just a girl who likes to write, who likes to rock out, and who wants music to be a part of my life forever."
She's
also just a girl with a bell-clear voice and the ability to bottle youthful anguish and enthusiasm into tidy, infectious songs.
Avril Lavigne's Under My Skin is sure to get under yours.
Eighteen-year-old Avril Lavigne always knew that she'd be a star one day. So it's no surprise now that her hit debut
single, "Complicated" is rocketing to the top of the charts worldwide. And even with all the massive success and general insanity
surrounding Avril these days, she's managed to stay real.
"I don't really care if my clothes are wrinkled or there's a stain on my shirt. Going out on the road, your clothes are
dirty." she says simply.
During these past few months, Avril's been criss-crossing the globe promoting her music, performing on television, and
even winning awards. Almost as interesting as Avril's current success is her past.
Avril grew up in the tiny town of Napanee in Ontario, Canada. The town was so tiny, in fact, that it had a population of
only about 5,000. Avril began singing from the very beginning, eager to make herself heard at fairs and in church.
"I always knew since I was really young that I wanted to sing," she said. "I was just born with music in my blood, and
I just wanted to do music so bad. I started writing when I was 12. I started teaching myself guitar and what inspires me to
write is what I've been through - the relationships I've been in and my opinions."
Avril's first appearance on an actual record came in 1999, when she performed a song for Napanee-based indie producer,
Stephen Medd's country-gospel CD. The following year, Avril came back and recorded two more songs for him.
"It was absolutely amazing," he recalls. "The cut you hear on the CD is one take. This is a 14-year-old girl, never been
in a studio, walks in like a pro and nailed it. It completely stunned me."
Later that year, Avril continued to make herself known. She made a cassette tape of herself singing along with a Shania
Twain song and sent it in to a local contest. Only weeks later, she walked out to a crowded stadium and performed "What Made
You Say That" in a duet with Shania herself.
"It was the biggest rush of my life," Avril exclaims. "I walked out on stage and I was the happiest person in the world."
Soon someone did notice Avril. Fabri, a manager who helped bring singer Jenifer McLaren to major-label deals noticed Avril
singing at various events.
"The thing that attracted me to wasn't the voice, wasn't the looks, wasn't the songs. It was the attitude, the confidence,"
he remembers.
Fabri made a videocassette of Avril singing onstage and in her parents' basement and shipped it off to several record labels.
Nettwerk Records vice president Mark Jowett soon met Avril and was completely taken with her, however he does say, "I don't
know if she herself had a clear picture of her direction yet. I think her parents liked country quite a lot, and there was
a part of her that was attracted to that kind of music."
To help her find a direction for her music, in the summer of 2000 he sent her to work in New York with producer/songwriter
Peter Zizzo. The intial result of their time together was a song called, "Why." Although it didn't make the cut for "Let Go,"
it proved that Avril could hold down both writing and recording music wonderfully.
Ken Krongard, at the time a talent scout with Arista Records, heard Avril and was so impressed with her that he arranged
to bring her back to New York to perform for label boss Antonio "L.A." Reid.
Soon after, Avril was signed and had a contract with Arista! She worked with writers and producers in both New York and
Los Angeles and over time, worked to develop a sound that was completely her own.
Avril says that she had to fight to prove that she could actually write. "At the beginning they pitched me songs and wanted
me to sing other people's songs," she states. "I had to fight to say 'no, I can write my own'. I was only 16 at the time and
they probably thought I was crazy but LA Reid (president of Arista) gave me a chance. It was a long process and hopefully
the second album won't take that long."
The first song they came up with for the album was "Unwanted." Soon after "Complicated" was also recorded. Within the next
several weeks however, Avril's original manager, Fabri was out of the picture. He says he's restricted in what he can say
about the split though.
"The way Avril comes across is a lot rawer and hits different emotional chords," Nettwerk president, Mark Jowett, says.
"I think (her success) might be because it relates more to what kids actually go through, rather than what kids actually aspire
to."
After the June 4th release of "Let Go," the United States and Canada received the album well. Soon it broke into the top
ten of the Billboard 200 album chart and remained there for three months. It's been certified platinum in Canada and triple
platinum in the United States.
Avril's now traveling the world, in an endless stream of media appearances, including performances, interviews, and more.
But she's still had time to keep writing.
"I write all the time," she said. "That's how I deal with my feelings and emotions. If all of this came to an end, I would
still write and sit down with my laptop and work on my songs. It's really important to me and I'm really excited about my
second record."
The best is yet to come for Avril, who plans to head out on a tour this Christmas. "I know I'm going to love it!" she exclaims.
"I'll get to sleep in the same bed every night. And it will just be fun being with my best friends, my band. It's going to
be an amazing experience, performing every night, doing what I love."
Avril took home a MTV Video Music this past August for "Best New Artist in a Video," for "Complicated." "I totally wasn't
expecting it," she said after winning. "Today my manager said, 'Shouldn't you at least think about what you're going to say
just in case?' And then when they called my name, I was like, 'Uhh.' This is my first video. It's crazy."
Avril's "Complicated" video outfit has also been temporarily inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame for a special exhibit.
"I'm like this new kid in this music scene, but at the same time, I'm like, 'Hell yeah, I'll give you my clothes!' "
At the beginning of the year 2002, few people knew who Avril Lavigne was. She burst out into the music scene in May and
has remained a chart-topping, outspoken, and down-to-earth figure since then. Avril's poised for worldwide success at this
moment, and it will surely come her way.
"This is part of my dream just to be known worldwide. Ever since I've been a little girl it's been my dream and my goal
and I want to be known worldwide and want to be able to reach people and have people hear my music and understand what I'm
saying, and I want to do something good."
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