First Draft: Article

After planning how my article is going to look and what it's going to look like. The next step is to write my first draft which is presented below:

Symphony Ancient's Superstar Paige Valentine Speaks Exclusively to Rock Out!
On a cold February morning, sat in Rock Out! HQ eagerly awaiting to meet rising star, Paige Valentine from Symphony Ancient. I honestly had no idea what to expect. After being held up in traffic, Valentine arrived and she certainly caused a scene. "I'm a girl i have to be fashionably late" she said with a cheeky smile. All i knew for sure, was that this was going to be one hell of an explosive interview, that I'll never forget.


These days, as I'm sure you're aware it's incredibly hard to make it into the music industry, how did your band become a success so easily?
Easy? Ha, what an understatement! Trust me, it was such a battle. Before we got our contract, we would perform at local venues for free and sell our EP's and I would only make enough money that meant I could only just afford to live off beans every week. Then one night after one of our concerts, I can't remember the guys name, he seemed a bit of a fanboy but he recommended we should set up a MySpace page so that "The Wider" audience could listen to our tracks. Funnily enough, we became a success overnight. So if it wasn't for MySpace it's safe to say I'd still be living of beans performing to a crowd who doesn't give a f**k, so thank you MySpace! It could have been worse, Simon Cowell could have found me and turned me into someone i'm not.

So I take it you're not a fan of how reality shows can create a rising star overnight?
When you had to work your ass of like the guys and I  did to be where we are today? Hell no! haha. I can't understand how people can even enjoy those reality shows, all they do is take an artist who has potential and then Simon Cowell models them into how he wants, by turning them into a bland, dull artist. I like to call those from reality shows, designer babies of the music industry, haha.

Who are the main bands that influenced Symphony Ancient?
I wouldn't say I'm influenced by anyone, I'll listen to other artists and think, yeah... I like that he's cool. But I wouldn't say I'm influenced by anyone, but that's just my opinion. Ask the guys that question and they'd probably give you a completely different answer. What does really irritate me is when I go to an interview, the interviewer does no research and just assumes we're like Evanescence because I'm a "Gothic" chick in a rock band. As far as I'm aware, we sound nothing like Evanescence. I can't help but get p****d of when I get compared to Amy Lee. I'm sure she'd feel the same way about me.

Not a fan of her then?
Yeah, she's cool. It's nothing personal,  I just don't think I'm anything like her.


Describe your experience recording the new album:
Well for the majority of the time, I stay out of the way until the final processes of the album. The guys record their drums, guitars and whatever first. Then I provide my voice. It's certainly a stressful process, lots of things go wrong. I might not be happy with how a song sounds, my voice might break and so forth. We had to record endless demos so it's a very long process. But trust me, it's so worth it in the end when you see your album up in the shelves in HMV. I often want to tell people stood in the store to go buy my album, they'd probably think I'm a freak and smack me with their handbags or whatever though. But hey, imagine their faces when the see me on the TV and they'd be like: "I hit her with a bag in HMV".  That would be certainly one to tell the grandchildren! God, I sound big headed now.

So you don't think you have quite the ego then?
Of course not. Anywayyy moving on?

What can we expect to see at your live shows? 
Sex, drugs and rock "n" roll. I joke, there'll certainly be no sex and drugs. But there'll certainly be plenty of rock, passion, angst, fire  and possibly boobs too. No, I'm joking, I don't think I'd be up for flashing myself in front of a crowd. Okay, maybe if I was drunk, but I'll never drink before a show incase I make a tit of myself. But seriously, If you like rock artists who feel real passion when performing. Come see us! Otherwise, I'll be living off beans again, and we don't want that do we?

Speaking of drugs, you're quite open about your drug addiction battle when you were a teenager, what would you say to anyone who is currently in the situation you were in?
I was in such a dark place when I was a teenager. I had no-one to turn to for support, I had a bad relationship with my family. I didn't really "fit in" at secondary school and unfortunately the only thing I could turn to was drugs. I seriously regret it now, but I got help and fortunately I'm a better person today than I ever was. Seriously though, if anyone's reading this who are taking drugs because they're in a dark place or they're doing it because they think it's cool. Don't it's seriously not cool and you'll live to regret it. There's amazing help out there so take advantage of it. Drugs are NOT cool.

So do you think music saved your life?
Everyone thinks that statement is such a cliche because for a lot of people music is their life, heart and soul. But yes I do believe music saved my life. If it wasn't for composing music I would feel so lost inside and I'd probably still be that stroppy bitch of a teenage girl I used to be. Being in a band gives me that sense of responsibility/achievement I've being longing for.

Recently you shot your first ever music video, how did you find it?
Amazing. It was so much fun, however getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning for hair and makeup wasn't fun, even for the guys. But it's all worth it in the end, my lips are sealed in terms of what the music video is going to be about. But I can tell you it will be explosive and full of surprises. It will change your lives forever. In fact I wouldn't say it was a music video, I'd call it a small film, it's about nine minutes long.

Do you have any songs on your upcoming album that you don't like?
I wouldn't say I dislike any of them but there are some I feel more personally connected to than others. I don't want to name which ones I don't like in case a fans reading this article and gets offended.

God, you're secretive aren't you?
Kinda.

For a reader who hasn't heard your music before, why not describe your album in five words to them?
Challenge accepted. Here we go: Sexy, dark, emotional, (Oh my God this actually hard!) mysterious and heavy.

Yeah, lots of artists find that hard to do. So referring back to your live performances, what is the weirdest thing you have ever had thrown at you on stage.
For some unknown reason I get a lot of bras and underwear thrown at me. I find it kinda funny. I have no clue what to do with them though maybe I should sew them all together and make some kind of funky dress. That would be very GaGa-esque. Then again I'd probably need to throw something else bizarre in there like some strands of meat or whatever.

Is there any particular venue you're looking forward to playing at? 
No not really. We've only really performed locally so I can't really say. I am looking forward to traveling round different places of the UK to meet our fans of course.

Plans for after the tour?
It's a pretty intense tour and we probably only get four hours sleep a day. The rock star life is not a glamorous one. So my main priority is to catch up on my sleep, and I dunno what else really just to relax and see my friends. After a mini break the guys and I will get together and start planning our new album.

Finally what's the best aspect of touring?
When you walk on stage and everyone screams their lungs out at you. You get a real buzz and it's even more personal for me because I know that I'm finally accepted in this world. It's funny though, when you're touring you live your life around and hour long event. All the rest of the hours just seem so pointless. But the buzz you get is so worth it, it's my new healthy addiction.