In a new cover story for Rolling Stone, Lorde (Ella Yelich-O'Connor) shares what her recent booming success has been like, what some of her inspirations are and what advice she has for any newcomers in the music industry.
Lorde discussed who some of her favorite writers are, which include Raymond Carver, Tobias Wolff, Sylvia Plath and Kurt Vonnegut. "I guess I like writers who have the kind of humor that I have, which is a sort of cynical, sardonic... black humor," she said.
As far as her style, Lorde shared that a fellow insanely successful teen, editor of Rookie, has influenced her. "Tavi Gevinson, probably, because we were growing up around the same time and she was so cool. She had all this crazy thrifted stuff, and so I would thrift and try and look like her."
She recommends that those out there aspiring to be musicians and artists should go to the Internet. She says that there are ways to be heard now more than ever, and the industry isn't as scary as people may think. The biggest thing is to know what you want to do and to have clear goals and aspirations.
"My advice to young people wanting to make music and to be in this industry is to really spend your time making music. Make so much music you have no friends. Make music. Figure out what it is you love, and...because if you're making cool art, then everything else will fall into line. If it's good enough, if it's cool enough, if it has enough emotion in it, people will listen, and people will love it. And there's nothing else."
Watch the clip of Lorde behind the scenes at the RS cover photo shoot here.
