Sky Ferreira is a 19-year-old singer and songwriter who has been building her career since age 15. She discusses struggling in school due to bullying and feeling more mature than other teenagers due to her career. Ferreira expresses frustration over constant comparisons to other female artists but wants people to recognize her talent. She is excited about her debut album being released in 2012 and hopes it will show her growth as an artist over the past few years.

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s t y l i n g
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The Hunger: Are you a normal teenager?
Sky Ferreira: To a certain extent, but I do a lot of
abnormal things. I don’t have paparazzi running after
me yet but I do feel that I’ve had to grow up a lot
faster. I feel more mature because, from a young age,
I’ve been put in situations where I need to act like an
adult. I haven’t really missed out; I’m not upset about
missing prom, I got to travel the world and meet
different people instead. Through work, I’ve been to
parties that were way better than my school prom
would have been.
Why was school so difficult for you?
I hated the whole setup. I was really shy – I still am –
so I liked learning, but not in that situation. I always
felt like someone was watching me. I really enjoyed
being home-schooled and being able to move at my
own pace, and read more than when I was at school.
I learned a lot more by myself than I did then. But
even then, my mind was focused on making music.
In middle school, this girl would constantly pick
on me. One day, when she wasn’t looking, I just
snipped her hair. There was a pair of scissors, she
said something really nasty to me and then – I don’t
know what happened, it was like a demon inside of
me – I just cut half her ponytail off. She had bugged
me for a year straight, constantly saying nasty things.
She found a new way to fuck with me, and I’d had
enough. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t hit her, I just
cut her hair off.
What did she do?
Cried, like I suspected.
You’re known for saying what you think. Do you ever
feel that you’ve gone too far?
I don’t have a filter between thinking and saying,
which seems to be a problem. I’m getting better.
The label tried to media-train me, but it didn’t quite
work. I don’t regret saying anything, because I usually
mean it, but some things I’ve said as a joke have been
twisted to make me sound like I was serious. Some
journalists want you to seem like an asshole or more
dumb than you are. I am really sarcastic and I don’t
think people catch on to that, especially when it’s on
paper. Now I’ve become a little more self-conscious
about how to word things properly, but I won’t hold
back if I want to say something. If I mean something,
I need to say it. For me, it’s really important to be
honest and open because it catches up with you when
you aren’t.
Sky Ferreira has a drawl and a pout to rival Sophia
Loren, the ruffled hair and style of a young Courtney
Love, and a voice that once reduced Michael Jackson
to tears. Since breaking on to the scene at the
tender age of 15, she has been under the media’s
watchful eye. Now 19, and about to break out with
her debut album, Sky very much represents a new
wave of creative artists defining their own direction
– choosing when to release material, what to wear,
what to say, and generally sticking two fingers up to
the traditional artist/label mechanism.
She is unusually independent. Rather than relying
on publicists, she speaks to people herself whenever
she can, making sure she has the final say over the
decisions that will affect her future. Her continual
reinvention is grounded in her personal development
and enthusiasm to experiment, rather than being
based on the fads of pop’s ever-changing landscape.
Sky has always been into music. She was trained in
opera from a young age, and sang with a gospel choir
from 11. At the age of 15, she brazenly asked Swedish
production gods, Bloodshy & Avant, to work with her.
On hearing her powerful voice, the duo, who have
produced songs for Britney, Kylie and Ms Dynamite,
were keen to collaborate. Sky became a sensation
of the Myspace generation: blogged, re-blogged
and tweeted, and quickly picked up by EMI. After
writing songs for Britney, and remixing The Virgins
and Justice, she released a controversial EP, ‘As If!’ in
2011. EMI then shelved her debut, and Sky took time
to assess her future and sound. The album is now
to be released in Spring 2012, and she is leaving her
dirty electropop sound behind to let her astonishing
vocals do the talking.
Recently, Sky has become better known for her work
in fashion and association with the Brooklyn set. Her
generation Y, up-all-night aesthetic has made her ripe
for the fashion industry’s picking. She can currently
be seen kissing supermodel Lara Stone in CK Shock
adverts. But Sky does not want to be recognised
purely as the face of a brand. Her debut album
promises to define her through her music.
Despite often exposing a side that is introverted and
fragile, when it comes to her music and identity, Sky
is not willing to compromise. She’s come a long way
from the bullied teenager who ditched school to find
solace listening to records down at Venice Beach.
The Hunger took some time out with Sky in her new
hometown of New York City.

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The album’s been quite a long time in the making.
My record label felt it wasn’t up to par. By the time
we’d come to release it, it had been sitting around
for ages, so why would I bother? I’d rather make new
music than release outdated music.
Is it annoying always being compared to other artists?
It’s really annoying. I hate to say that ‘they don’t do
that to men’, but it’s quite true. Every girl is labelled
another version of someone that came out two
month’s before. It can be flattering to be compared
to some people, but it’s still annoying. I’m trying to
be myself – that’s all I can be. I still get compared
to Madonna, but I think it’s just because we have
similar hair, come from the East Village and make
dance music.
How have you grown in the last four years?
I’ve grown a lot. People forget that I was 14 when
I started and I’m now 19, almost 20. It’s a big difference.
Anyone of that age would be different, musically and
otherwise.
If the music doesn’t work out, what’s your plan B?
I’m always going to try and make music. It might
not work out this time, but I’ll keep on doing it until
it does.
Sky’s debut album will be released in 2012.
See more of our exclusive interview and fashion film
at hungertv.com
Does criticism worry you?
No. I used to pay attention, but if it’s not from
a source that means something to me, I just ignore
it. If David Lynch criticised me, I’d certainly be upset.
What would you like people to say about you?
I just want people to think that I’m talented; that’s
what I’m trying to prove with this album. I know I do
all the fashion stuff, but I wasn’t getting exposure
from my record label, so I had to find some way to
get it. Modelling helped me do that. It’s a lot of fun.
Visuals are a big part of music, in a way. It’s flattering
that I’m asked, because I’m not a model, but they
still choose to put me in the photographs. But to feel
satisfied, I’d like people to notice that I am talented,
and not just a hip girl, I guess.
Does the hip girl tag piss you off?
Yes, but I need to make money, so I have to do the
modelling stuff. I’m not complaining, I’ve got to know
a lot of cool people, but I want to be taken seriously
as a musician now, and it’s hard sometimes.
Has life been different since moving to New York?
New York and LA have a different energy. It’s a lot
faster-paced here, so I find that I get a lot more done.
In LA, it’s laid back. Everything is also really close
here, so I walk everywhere. In LA, I drive. My mom is
in LA, too, so I can stay with her and not have to pay
for anything.
Was the transition from anonymous to famous strange?
I don’t really ever feel it; there are only certain times
that it feels surreal. I met Kate Moss, which was
totally weird, because that stuff doesn’t happen to
me, or didn’t happen to me before. I’ve just started to
hear rumours about myself; dating people that I don’t
even know, for example. Suddenly people think I’m
dating Jared Leto, which is insane, because I’ve only
ever said two words to him. One of the Jonas Brothers,
too. I can go everywhere with my boyfriend, and no
one says a thing.
How do you feel about your new album?
I’m really excited about it. I think it’ll show people
what I’ve been working on for the past few years.
I’ve got a lot to prove. I’ve learned from my mistakes.
I’m not 15 any more but I still write everything myself;
it just sounds different to before. It should be out in
spring; I’m planning on finishing it by January. There’s
a weird 12-week rule, though, where it has to come out
12 weeks after you’ve finished it. After that, touring.
f u r c o a t
e l i z a b e t h & j a m e s

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