Michelle Branch - The Star

Michelle Branch at the MTV Asia Awards 2004

Clara Enriquez

Having shunned the all too common sophomore slump, Michelle Branch remains hot and so made a wonderful choice as co-host with F4's Vanness Wu at the recently concluded MTV Asia Awards 2004 held in Singapore.

Charming and articulate, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter looked fresh as a daisy in her black get-up as she parked herself cross-legged on the Fullerton Hotel couch, eager to respond to any query -- including questions about love, this year's theme at the MTV Asia Awards -- posed by the press the day before she shared her hosting duty with Vanness. Branch, incidentally, was nominated in the Favourite Female Artist award that went to Christina Aguilera. Read on.

* * *

Are you looking forward to hosting the MTV Asia Awards 2004?

I'm really excited to be here! I've heard nothing but fabulous things about it. I'm friends with some of the guys in Simple Plan and we were all talking about how excited we were to be down here and talking to Avril Lavigne and her band, and she was like: "Oh, those are really fun! They're really laidback. You'll have so much fun down there!" So I've been looking forward to this for a few weeks now.

How do you think the MTV Asia Awards compares to the other MTV Awards?

You know what? I've never been to the MTV Europe Music Awards, but I have been to the MTV Latin Awards, which were a bit crazy, and the MTV U.S. Awards. I think the biggest difference is that over in the States -- so far, from what I can tell -- everyone is always trying to go for the shock factor like, "I'm gonna show up wearing Band-Aids over my breasts�" [giggles] and I don't feel like that's going on as much as it is in the States, which is fun 'coz now I feel like I'm not worrying about hair and makeup [chuckles] and outfits as much as what I'm going to say.

Is getting nominated important to you?

I [chuckles] didn't know I was nominated till a few weeks ago. I said, "Oh, really! I get to host and I'm nominated?" I never thought that hosts were able to be hosts and be nominated at the same time, so I'm very [sniggers] excited about that especially in a category with some great female artists.

[Speaks softly] I think Beyonce (Knowles) should win 'coz she's had a really great year. But one thing I'm just really excited is to be half a world away from where I'm from and have this recognition and be with the people excited about what I'm doing, and to be invited to host it is very cool!

And how do you feel about working with Vanness?

You know, I didn't know the extent of Vanness' fame. I didn't know anything about him. We're both from Los Angeles and we were hanging out, and he was very mellow -- we were in the hotel doing the commercials for the Awards, and I was like, "He's really cool, he's really mellow, he's laidback." And everyone was like, "He's like, the Justin Timberlake of Asia!"

I was, like, "No, you're kidding! Really?" I had no idea -- and then he gets here, and there's, like, hundreds of girls at the airport waiting for him! We were running 'round, rehearsing, and doing stuff yesterday, and there's security all over him. Girls were freaking out! And I was just, like, "You're right� [giggles] I couldn't believe it!"

And he's so nice, and we've had so much fun! And I'm happy that I'm co-hosting with him 'coz he tells me how to pronounce everyone's names correctly and he's been very helpful.

You'll soon be going on tour. How are you preparing for that?

I'm going on a tour the end of March, and I'm going on a Europe tour. It's gonna be mostly acoustic, and I'm gonna start rehearsing [sniggers] as soon as I get back to the States. So basically just find my band, which is gonna be a new band, and we're just gonna go through all the songs in my album and figure out which ones we're gonna play, and probably take a new approach to some of them -- different arrangements, stuff like that.

Do you have any plans to do a concert in the region?

I hope so! My plans are to come back and, hopefully, do a tour of all Southeast Asia and really be able to focus because, like, I know everyone complains no one ever comes down here [chuckles] and I don't know why because it's so beautiful and it's so much fun to be down here!

And, maybe, who knows? Maybe at the end of this year it will happen! I know I get a lot of offers; it's just a matter of when the timing is right and we'll see.

Which part of Asia would you like to visit most?

You know what? My grandmother was born in East Java, Indonesia, and I would love to go there! I've only been to Jakarta once, and I would really like to spend more time in Indonesia just to be able to see where my grandparent is from and get a sense of where my heritage is. Plus I really love Indonesian food, so I'd love to go just one more time!

You are one of the artists who support mpower: musicians for mental health. How exactly are you involved?

Yeah, I am. Basically, you know, I have a meeting with them when I get back home.

When I found out the numbers of teens with problems of depression and problems with suicide, it was just astonishing! And when I was in junior high school, I had my very, very, very, very, very close friend commit suicide and I know that sometimes younger people feel like they can't be heard or they don't know how to express themselves.

And I think that's something that I've definitely felt, not in an extreme way, but music has always been an outlet for me. You know, if I'm feeling sad or depressed, or this or that, I've always found that when I write, that's how I get through it and it's very therapeutic for me.

So I was so excited to hear about the organization and I'm so excited to be a part of it, and basically what I'm doing is trying to spread the word and let kids know that it's out there -- that it exists, first of all. So, you know, talking about it in interviews, talking about it at shows� to work where kids will go and check it out, and learn about it, basically.

You also designed a 2 Love tee for the Step Up Women's Network's mentorship program with Girls Inc. Do you see yourself going fulltime in designing?

You know what? That was, basically, just an accident! I've no plans on designing any more clothes or doing anything else like that. That was just something that was for a good cause, and I'm in a great position where I can do things and help other people out for no reason.

What was your design like?

It's, like, a white tank top and it has orange pieces of fabric all over it. It's something that I would wear, so I thought that other people would like it too.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

Who am I listening to? Let me think. I really love the rock band Audioslave! I'm a huge fan of theirs, and I really think they made a great record. I like them!

Let me think, 'coz I always hear something and I would say, 'Oh, I would say that in an interview!' And I always forget!

I love White Stripes, I do. I really like them! I secretly wanna replace Meg White -- I wanna be the drummer! I wanna be a chick drummer!

White Stripes, Audioslave -- that's what I'm listening to.

Producing music independently -- you've done that before, right?

Yeah, I have. My first album was an independent record that I did by myself. It's called Broken Bracelet, and I think if I could do it all over again I would because I was only 14 at that time and I had no money to do it. I was borrowing money from my parents, and it was a struggle to make it and it was done in two weeks.

And I listen to it now, and I get very embarrassed. I'm like, "Oh, my God! I can't believe that I actually let people listen to that. But if -- I would love it! -- I've actually talked with my friends about not telling anyone that I was gonna make a record at my record company but just getting together with my friends and doing it kind of, not behind their backs but in a way, yes, behind their backs [laughs]. I'm just having fun getting together with friends and making a record, and then showing up and going, "Hey, here, I did this!" And not having to have people go, "Oh, wait a minute! I've been listening to this song, and you should change this."

You're just showing up and going, "What do you think of this?" Just showing them the finished product. I think that nowadays, unfortunately, the business people kind of meddle with the artists a little too much.

Do you ever suffer from writer's block?

Writer's block? Absolutely! I think any writer does. But most of the time, fortunately, until now I've never had a problem with picking up a pen and just writing. So hopefully that continues; otherwise, I'm screwed!

When is the best time to write?

Really late at night for me, when I can't sleep. Especially, I think, it's great when I travel; jetlag is my friend because, you know, I would wake up at odd hours in the middle of the night and I have nothing to do but either try to go back to sleep or sit there and try to write down� That always helps me.

Next >>