Carly Rae Jepsen is so convinced she won’t win a JUNO Award she’s not even going to think about an acceptance speech.
It’s a strategy that has seemed to work well for her so far.
The Vancouver-based singer/songwriter and former “Canadian Idol” finalist recently won the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Award at the Canadian Radio Music Awards and found herself scrambling when her name was called.
“I was so not prepared for it that I did miss my acceptance speech. I was like, ‘Are you serious? Am I supposed to go up to the front?’”
When she finally made her way to the stage, she was too late, and they had to fit in her “speech” after the commercial break.
“I was just like, ‘Um…thank you? This is really unexpected…um…’ and then I just named a bunch of people I wanted to say thanks to and awkwardly walked off.”
Even so, Jepsen says she’s not going to prepare anything for either of the two JUNOs she’s nominated for – Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year for “Tug of War” (a nomination she shares with producer/writer Ryan Stewart).
“Nope, no preparation. I work best that way. It’s awkward, but charming,” says Jepsen with a laugh.
Though Jepsen may not agree, her chance of winning a JUNO Award may be better than she thinks. Since her debut album, “Tug of War,” was released in Sept., 2008, it has received much critical acclaim and has produced a number of hit singles, including the title track, “Bucket” and her latest one “Sour Candy,” featuring Josh Ramsay from Marianas Trench.
And even though she gained a ton of fans and attention after finishing third on Season 5 of “Idol,” the success of her first album has been speaking for itself.
“A lot of people don’t really seem to make the connection anymore, which is nice. It’s not that it was a bad thing to have that nod from Idol because it really was the stepping stone to all of this so I don’t really deny it … I’ve always been quite proud that I got to experience that, but at the same time I don’t want it to be the only part of my story either.”
Jepsen wrote or co-wrote the majority of the songs on her album as putting her stamp on the project was very important to her. And as much as getting a JUNO nod for Best New Artist means to her, it’s the songwriting one that she is really proud of.
“I think that this is the one that really means the most to me, just because it’s sort of my long term goal … not only writing for myself, but for other people.”
Jepsen is currently hard at work on her sophomore album and admits she’s written so many songs, she can’t decide which ones to record. She assures the sound is still going to be very much “Carly Rae,” but with some new musical styles and influences.
“Being on tour and just seeing different audiences, I am sort of writing a little (more) geared to that. Also, just the influences I’ve had since ‘Tug of War’ like (British electro-pop group) La Roux, and just different sort of beats and rhythms that I have never really come into contact with before.”
With a very successful debut album under her belt you would think Jepsen would be feeling the pressure to follow that up, but she says it hasn’t even crossed her mind.
“I’ve been pretty lucky so far with not letting any of the pressures kind of get to me. It’s just been more fun and everything has been bonus and surprises. I think that’s what happens when you don’t have any expectations.”
