Julian Ovenden Quotes

I usually sing a lot on my mixtapes. I sing a lot on songs that just really aren't singles. Even my first single, 'My Last,' which I feel like is more pop than anything - I was originally singing the chorus on there. I'm used to that. I've always had fresh melodies.

I don't think there's a defined contemporary American musical, do you?

I never wanted to be an opera singer. I wanted to be an actress, maybe a rock singer.

I think the genre of musical theatre, when it started, the pop songwriters of the time were writing the music. I think sometimes when we write musicals now, we keep writing in that same style, as though that's the musical theatre genre... We have to figure out how to tell stories with the music that we listen to now, or we'll lose our audience.

I have been taking voice and singing lessons since age 10 and originally got into it because I was really interested in musical theater. After writing my first couple of songs and performing at age 14, I knew that I really wanted to be a singer.

Melody is king, and don't you ever forget it. Lyrics appear to be out front, but they're not; they're just an accompanying factor. If they're good, you're really in good shape. Lyrics are written to be rewritten.

In the past, I'd sort of know before Ozzy sang something, what he was going to sing. I'd know what sort of way a melody was going to go 'cause of the way he'd approach it.

I was going to go to college and graduate and move to New York and do the Broadway thing. That's where a lot of my influences vocally and writing come from. Then I did some covers, and towards the end of college, I saw it was a path I could take. I wrote more pop music.

I like collaboration because, first of all, I'm good at writing lyrics. I don't know how to make beats. I don't play instruments. I'm not a good singer. So even when you see a solo album of mine, it's still a collaboration.

I sing a mixture of everything from opera, folk music, Broadway. It's a mix of things.

I don't want to work on a musical if I'm not the lyricist.

One of my favorite artists is Tom Waits, whom most people think of as a wonderful singer-songwriter and a great poet. I certainly think of him that way, but I also know him as a terrific actor. You know, that persona that he puts on when he's doing his music comes from being an actor, figuring out a persona.

The nice thing about doing a pop opera - in the way that doing, say, 'Miss Saigon' or 'Les Miz' would be - is that, because the convention is set from the beginning that this is an opera and everything is sung, there is never that feeling of 'Why is this person bursting out into song?' because the whole thing is sung.

Really the only thing holding a lot of records together is the personality of the singer, and the will to write all of these different things.

If you're going to make a musical, don't cartoon it from the play. Make it better than the play. Have a reason for making it sing.

I grew up at the piano, and I longed to write musicals.

Usually, if I want to just listen to something or sing along to something, I'll put on some Gavin DeGraw or some Billy Joel. Occasionally, if I am feeling vocally in really great shape, I will sing Jean Valjean's soliloquy from 'Les Miz' or something.

My favorite type of music to sing is a crossover between country and pop.

I'd love to do a musical. I've been known to have a good step or two. I'm half Samoan, you know, and part of our culture is singing and dancing daily.

I'm a big fan of Lady Gaga.

I'm not trying to be a pop singer.

I don't ever sing classically when I am singing a contemporary score - I kind of try to fit in whatever needs to happen.

I have thought about some kind of musical involving my music. That would be kind of interesting. I have thought of it in that way, as a creator of something, not so much a performer. So that's in my head.

To me, the lyrics of the song define the kind of style it is.

I'm not a folk or jazz singer, more a hard-edged pop singer - with some rock, and song hooks.