Ten Questions With AIMEE

Actually, it’s 15 questions with AIMEE and we’re thrilled she took the time to answer them all.

1. Where are you from? -I grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts
2. Tell us about your childhood and teen years.  – They were fun, I always had a wild imagination and kept myself entertained.  I became painfully shy around high school.   I would say I was kind of a loner, but I don’t think that has to be a negative thing… I’ve always rather be off doing my own thing anyway.  New England is a pretty charming and magical place to grow up, I never realized how special it is until I left.
3. How did you get your first break in the music industry? – I started a band based in Boston by the end of high school.  We grew to be quite popular locally and on a website you may remember called MySpace… from there we were receiving messages from label executives in New York to meet with them.
4. You were the lead singer of a band called “Gone Til November”. Tell us all about that project and what the name meant?  -The name was actually from the Wyclef song.  A producer we worked with suggested it and we thought it was cool and just went with it…  My experience in the band really helped me discover myself as a writer and develop that talent more.  We had a deal with Epic Records and it was the first time I was placed in co-writing situations and I was learning from the best, so it was a valuable experience that I’m thankful for.
5. Professionally, who is your biggest influence and why? – Someone I really took notes from early on is Shelly Peiken.  I admired how fearless she was when writing and I wanted the same guts, I think I have them now.  Thanks Shelly!
6. Say you could not be in entertainment, what would you do with your life? – I think I would make a pretty good private investigator, but I guess we’ll never know!
7. You have written over 100 songs. Take us through the songwriting process that you go through. – Honestly, it may even be 1000 at this point.  I always like to know what I’m going to write about first, it makes the rest of the process flow more naturally for me.  So having a title with a concept that I’m authentically feeling first always helps.  There are formulas and structures in songwriting I keep in mind while creating… but I’ll always explore a weird idea, they’re sometimes the best ones, and if not there is always a delete button! 
8. You wrote a song (‘Save You”) for Kelly Clarkson with Hit Maker Ryan Tedder from Multi-Platinum recording artist One Republic. How did this songwriting session happen and what was it like to write with Ryan? How did you feel when Kelly recorded and released the song commercially? -This was a huge moment for me and I would say my real break in the music industry.  The session was set up by my A&Rs at Epic when I was writing for the band’s album.  They set me up on several sessions with this “up and coming” writer/producer named Ryan Tedder.  I think we wrote 5 songs in total and when the record didn’t materialize and our deal ended with Epic, Ryan was working on Kelly Clarkson’s album and pitched the song to her and her team.  I believe it was the first song or one of the first songs to make the cut and stood its ground for an entire year before the record came out.  So it’s pretty amazing that it endured the process.  It wasn’t until I heard Kelly’s version that I cried, I realized my life had changed and it was in fact a very big deal.   I thought losing a record deal meant my dream was over, but now I know a record deal is just a record deal and to never underestimate what’s around the corner.  For me it was another deal, publishing, and a move to LA.  I also have this really sweet memento from Kelly, I wasn’t there when she recorded the song so she sent a really lovely handwritten note and I really appreciated it. 
9. Do you currently have a Publishing Deal? For the first time in several years I am self published and taking my time.  I’m enjoying learning even more about the business side of music now that I’m currently handling my songs myself.   Knowledge is so important.  I’ll be happy to sign a deal again when it feels right.
10. What is the best and worst career advice you’ve been given so far? – The worst advice is that you have to hype yourself and lie about how well you’re doing in order for people to notice you.  It’s so transparent when I see it now and I can only imagine it is to others as well.  I think the energy spent pretending your success can be much better applied working to achieve actual success.  And when you do, stay humble, that’s great advice.  No one likes a bragger.
11. What advice would you give a young up and coming songwriter? – You’re going to write a lot of songs and think they’re hits.  You’re going to laugh at them in a few years and realize how misguided they were.  However, those songs are necessary for growth and we are always growing, the learning process never stops and we never know it all.  Also sometimes the ideas we think aren’t very good when we write them end up being very successful so stay open minded as well.  And one last piece of advice I would give is to find your own style and be you!  It’s so easy to have an identity crisis trying to keep up with what everyone else is sounding like, just be authentic, that’s way cooler anyway.
12. Tell us about your current project?  Who are you working with? Being artistic with friends and enjoying the process with a fresh perspective is what I’m feeling lately.  I released a song called “At Home” with Will Grands that I co-wrote and sang on with Will, it’s available on all streaming and downloading services.  Another song coming up is with Neo Noir that I will be featured on as well.  I love writing with other artists too for their own projects… this past year I had a song come out with Serena Ryder on Atlantic Records called “Revival”, we literally wrote the song in an hour on a Sunday afternoon.  The session was booked pretty last minute so it’s cool when things work out like that.
13. If five years ago, you knew then what you know now. What advice would you give yourself?  – Don’t sweat the small stuff, it ain’t worth it!
14. Is there anything that we didn’t ask you that you want to talk about? – Nope, thanks so much for the questions The Looking List!
15. Please give us your socials. – Insta: @aisforaimee fb: aimeewastaken