Q&A With Juliet Simms + New Unreleased Song

-Tara Armstrong

AUTOMATIC LOVELETTER’s highly anticipated new acoustic album THE KIDS WILL TAKE THEIR MONSTERS ON is set to be released on Paper + Plastick Records on June 28, 2011. Produced and engineered by Shane Henderson and co-produced by Michael Woods, this album is brilliant from start to finish. I’ve had it on repeat since I received it and yet I’m still having a hard time finding the words to describe just how wonderful it truly is. Juliet Simms (lead singer) exposes all emotions in THE KIDS WILL TAKE THEIR MONSTERS ON with her raw powerful voice and vulnerable stories making this album nothing short of a masterpiece that fans will be talking about for a long time. Juliet will be at Warped tour all summer long playing acoustic at Keep A Breast Girlz Garage every day, the Ernie Ball Stage once we week and giving guitar lessons.

Ransack Radio: The New EP is titled ‘The kids will Take Their Monsters On’, where did you come up with that title? What does it mean to you?
Juliet Simms: It represents my fans and me. I feel like I’m totally one of them. I know how they feel, I know who they are, and I’ve been there. You know, trying to discover yourself and the troubles and pain that you go through as a kid, a teenager and even an adult. I’m so there with them. This record has songs about love but it also has songs like ‘Save Me’ which is a song about trying to find what life is about, being honest about secrets and the fact that you think you’re going crazy. I feel like today’s society is so, I mean, it’s a fight. It’s a constant struggle and basically it’s saying ‘fuck you’ to the man.

Ransack Radio: The new EP seems to take a different route than your previous album. What’s the reason behind that?
Juliet Simms: As an artist I started out as a solo acoustic songwriter. I was on major labels for so long and being on a major label is like being in a kitchen with 25 chefs. You can have 25 unbelievably amazing chefs but with that comes people fighting and contradictions and the recipe can be disastrous. It can be great too, there were just things being left out that I loved. I love my music and I love my record but this EP is really me, it’s all me. I don’t know, I just really had to take the reins on this and run with it and do what I wanted. This is just me…cooking alone. I’m talking about cooking here. You know, that’s why it is the way it is.

Ransack Radio: Well I think it worked out really well for you.
Juliet Simms: Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

Ransack Radio: I think your fans especially will love it because a lot of them started liking you when you were doing acoustic when you first started off. I’ve seen a lot of people wanting more acoustic from you.
Juliet Simms: Yay! That’s what I’m hoping! Yeah I know. I’ve had lots like demand it and I was like ‘Well that’s what I want to do too, I’m doing it.’

Ransack Radio: I saw a video of you performing ‘Pillows’ acoustic but on the new EP ‘Pillows’ is actually ‘Click’. Why the change?
Juliet Simms: Yeah. Well, I wrote ‘Pillows’. Then with my friend Michael Woods we wrote another song and it just felt better because we used the word ‘pillow’ and it was like ‘this is Pillows!” and ‘Click’ because of ‘click your heels’ so it fit better. I’m definitely going to be getting that asked a lot.

Ransack Radio: On the song ‘Click’ it really sounds like Shane from Valencia singing with you. Is it? And what made you want him on that song?
Juliet Simms: Yup! It’s Shane. A little duet. Shane produced the record and I’ve always loved singing with Shane. I sang with him on tour and I love his voice. I wanted to have him on the album. It’s Shane from Valencia, who wouldn’t?

Ransack Radio: Do you have a favorite song off the EP?
Juliet Simms: My favorite would probably be ‘Save Me’ or ‘Click’. Like ‘Save Me’, that song is so personal to me.

Ransack Radio: Is it about anything specific?
Juliet Simms: Yeah it’s about… dark times, man. I feel like everybody goes through that phase in your life where you’re trying to figure it all out.

Ransack Radio: Now you’ll be on Warped Tour this summer, what should we expect from you? You’re performing at a tent not a stage right?
Juliet Simms: Well l will be performing at the Ernie Ball stage once a week for a contest that kids will hear about soon. I’ll be giving guitar lessons every day and I’ll be at merch, when I’m not on stage or at the tent, selling unbelievably awesome new merch and just…being a hippie!

Ransack Radio: Do you have any plans after Warped like maybe an acoustic tour or something?
Juliet Simms: I would love to do that. That’s my plan. I want to find a really great acoustic tour to go on.

Ransack Radio: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Juliet Simms: I would like to add to buy the new album because its snake-a-licious.

Below is a new unreleased track titled ‘Save Me’ from THE KIDS WILL TAKE THEIR MONSTERS ON. Listen and enjoy. Even leave a comment and let us know what you think! Don’t forget to grab the album the 28th and go hang out with Juliet all summer long at Warped Tour. Tell your friends!

Automatic Loveletter – Save Me by RansackRadio