Meet an amazing musician with a lot talent – and a love for all things Twilight. Hear how she woke up one morning singing a song about Edward’s love for Bella, how she loved Muse long before discovering the Twilight universe and why her plans for the upcoming Breaking Dawn release may not be that different from yours. Plus, the person she wants listening to her music.

 

 

How would you describe your musical style? 

 

That is hard for me to answer.  My musical style has changed a lot since my last album, Raining Autumn, which was pretty much all folk.  The album I am currently working on, called Stranger, will have some Jazz, Rock, Acoustic, and Folk sounding styles.  

 

What first inspired you to write your own music?  

 

I have always loved music and especially singing.  My first inspirations came from the desire to accompany myself while singing.  My mom put me in piano when she saw my ability to play by ear.  I was about eight.  I have always loved to sing songs that had loud, passionate, belting parts in them, but I was impatient and I wanted to be able to play and sing whatever song I wanted when I wanted and how I wanted.  I found that it was easier for me to transcribe a song by ear than to learn it by reading the music.  I also found myself messing around on the piano all the time just making up songs, this slowly turned into full songs with lyrics and piano.  It wasn’t until my senior year in high school that I was introduced to the guitar.  That was wonderful because I only had to learn a few chords in order to play and sing a song on the guitar.  That opened my eyes to a whole new world and I sucked it up!  I know it sounds like a weird way to be inspired, but that is where it all began.  The desire to play and sing the way I wanted.  I hope that made sense! :) 

 

How/when did you first discover the Twilight series? 

 

I heard about them through friends and family last summer 2007.  I was hearing raving reviews!  Surprised??? 

 

What inspired you to write music based on the books?  What inspired you to write “Undone”? Was there a particular part of the book that inspired the song?

 

Those books get under your skin!  I loved the books, however, I never had any intention of writing a song about them!  I literally woke up one morning and I was singing.  I had no idea what the song was that I was singing but I knew the words somehow.  When I came out of my delirious state of waking up I realized that I was writing a song!  So I jumped out of bed and wrote down the two lines that I kept singing over and over again, and they were about Twilight!  I was very excited because as I wrote the words out and figured out the guitar all the same passions and emotions I had while reading the books were coming out into the lyrics and the music!!  I don’t think there was really a particular part of the book that inspired me, just the pains, emotions and feelings I sensed from Edward’s character throughout the whole series.  

 

“Undone” is told from Edward’s perspective, but the books are narrated by Bella. What lead you to look at things from Edward’s point of view when you wrote this song? 

 

Who knows!  That is just how it happened!  I think that I felt like I understood what was going on inside Edward, more than any other character, and it was easier for me to pull emotions and passions from his character. I also think that I loved Edward so much that the emotions I felt from his side of everything were much stronger than any other feelings I got from the book.  (With the exception of book two when your heart is just throbbing for Bella!  I think the only thing that got me through that whole book was the little places that Edward’s voice popped in!  I was selfishly willing Bella to do dangerous things just so that I could hear Edwards voice too!)  I also think there was a soft spot created inside me for what Edward was going through (in all the books) and I was able to pull from his character easily.

 

What else inspires you/your music?  

 

Several different things.  A lot of times my songs come from stories that I conjure up in my head, fictional as well as real life experiences.  Some of the life experiences are mine and some are from the people around me.  When I am very sensitive to my emotions (happy, depressed, excited, angry, lonely) that can trigger a song.  If I am really into a band then sometimes that inspires me to write using characteristics I pick up from their music.  I also get inspired by those songs that just make your insides go crazy!  My favorite band in the whole world is MUSE, (this was before I was introduced to the Twilight series and Stephenie’s favorite bands.)  They have so much passion in their music!  Almost every single song makes me want to burst out of my skin!  (It is so hard to explain that amazing feeling that music can produce inside your body!) 

 

What first drew you to the books? What do you like most about them? 

 

I borrowed the book from my mom.  When I first started reading Twilight I was kind of like, ‘what is all the hype about!?’ and as I got further into it I couldn’t stop reading!  I was on vacation and we were supposed to be out playing in the sun and all I wanted to do was sit inside and read all day long!  (That is exactly what I did too!)  I think at that time in my life those books filled a lonely void for me.  I felt like I was in love and I didn’t even have a boy to be in love with!  The pains, passions, emotions, and excitement that were stirred up inside me were inspiring, and amazing!  Kind of like what I was saying earlier about that feeling that music can give you that you can’t explain but your insides just want to burst out singing or something!  Do I sound crazy to you!     

 

Team Edward or Team Jacob? (And why?) 

 

Totally team Edward!!  I am afraid all Jacob did for me was frustrate me!  I was happy that Bella had him to help her through her hard times but other than that he frustrated me!

 

Who is your favorite character from the books and why? 

 

Edward, but Alice is a very, very close second!

 

Which book is your favorite? 

 

Twilight for sure!

 

Any plans for the Breaking Dawn release?

 

I will probably go to the midnight release party at Barnes and Noble.  Nothing too exciting.

 

When can we hope to see your new album and where can we find it? 

 

I hope it will be finished by the end of 2008.  You will be able to get it at cdbaby.com, myspace.com/kattingey, and iTunes.  Cdbaby will distribute it to a lot of online places that I don’t even know about as well.  I should have a web page up by then as too, I will keep you posted on that. 

 

Until then, how/where can fans listen to and buy your music?  

A few places that they can buy my music is at iTunes, myspace.com/kattingey, and cdbaby.com.  To listen there are a few other sites like thesixtyone.com, purevolume.com, there are about five videos on YouTube that people have made using Undone, just search “Kat Tingey.”

 

Here is a good secret for you.  I have two live, acoustic, performances from a concert that I did in May 2008 that are on my sister’s blog.  If you want to check them out you can get a feel for what some of my other music is like on the album.  I have attached links to both songs, I hope they work.  The first is called Stranger and the second is called Ocean.  These two songs will be on my album Stranger, which will hopefully be finished by the end of this year.  This is the only place right now that you will find any songs besides Undone that are on Stranger.  And you can see how cute my sister and her family is, if you really want to!  hee hee :)    

 

Tell us about your plans to try and get “Undone” in the “Twilight” movie. How can Twilight fans help? 

I honestly don’t completely know.  All the information I have at this point is that Alexandra Patsavas is in charge of the music.  I know that a number of people have emailed her and sent her messages on her myspace page in my behalf, but I haven’t heard anything back.  I also think that they might already have all the music picked out.  Maybe there is hope for the next movie.    I don’t have a whole lot of connections in this area.  If there is anyone who has a connection to anyone doing these movies and they want to show them my song that would be great!  I don’t even know if Stephenie has heard the song.  Really she is the one that I want to hear it the most.  I am curious if she has heard the song, if she liked it, and if I got things right according to her!    

 

Novel Novice Twilight is dedicated to encouraging people (young people, especially) to read. What books would you recommend to fellow Twilight fans?  

Some books that I have enjoyed besides Twilight are: Harry Potter, Princess Bride, The Count of Monte Cristo, Diary of Anne Frank, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Holes, and Jane Eyre.     

 

Anything else you’d like to say? 

I would like to thank everyone for their sweet comments and support with Undone.  I am really excited to see how everybody feels about my other songs once Stranger is out.  Thank you, Novel Novice Twilight, for your interest in interviewing me and your support for Undone!  I hope I didn’t take too many tangents in my answers, and I hope everything makes sense!    Good luck with your web site and everything that you are doing!  I will try and keep you posted on anything new happening with my music!

Watch the video below to listen to Kat’s song “Undone.”