I have a tattoo on my foot that says 'it's a whale' in Japanese, because Japanese people kill whales. My stuffed whale was like most children's teddy bear. I took it with me everywhere. I slept with it. I couldn't live without my whale. Skylar Grey More Quotes by Skylar Grey More Quotes From Skylar Grey I don't think I have changed my personality as much as I have evolved as a human. Before the name change, I was very timid, very self-conscious. Just not very confident. When I changed my name, it came from a place of power. Skylar Grey self names thinking I feel like D.C. is one of the places in America that really holds on to history. The monuments inspire me, especially at night. Skylar Grey inspire night america Since I started making music, it had always been for myself. Skylar Grey I realize that I really have to make music work for me as a career because I can't do anything else. Skylar Grey because-i-can realizing careers I come from a place of darkness when I write because I'm always trying to figure things out. It's kind of like my own therapy when I write music. It's me working through my own problems hopefully. And putting it into a song. Skylar Grey always-trying writing song I moved out to L.A. when I was 17, dropped out of high school, and pursued a career in music. Skylar Grey moved careers school I'm a shy person, so I get really nervous going into interviews. Skylar Grey nervous interviews shy I lived in a cabin in the woods in Oregon, and I'd basically given up on the music industry for an indefinite amount of time. And while I was out there, I came up with a very specific vision of what I wanted my music to sound like. Skylar Grey oregon vision sound Alex [Da Kid] does have diversity, not just in what he produces, but what he hears. He has this knack for finding talented people. Skylar Grey diversity kids people Mazomanie doesn't even have a stoplight, so it doesn't do a lot. But the cheese curds there are unbelievable. I've never had them anywhere else, even at places in California that claim to have the real thing. There's a cheese factory in Arena, Mazomanie's neighboring town, and they'll give you fresh curds that are so amazing. Skylar Grey california real giving I played trumpet in school once because I joined band because a cute boy played trumpet too. And I was really bad at trumpet. Skylar Grey cute boys school Anytime someone basically commissions a piece, I write a song based on something personal to them. I go online and I do research on that person - Wikipedia, YouTube interviews, anywhere I can find a piece of information that kind of tugs at your heart a little bit. Skylar Grey someone research heart song I think one of the reasons I've had success in hip-hop is that I can bring out vulnerability in people who are generally seen as tough guys. To me, when a hip-hop musician always plays tough, I find it annoying because I know they're not really like that - there's something deeper and vulnerable. There has to be, because they're human beings. Skylar Grey think me success people When I was young, my voice was so strong, and I would annoy people because I had such a loud little voice. And then it changed, and I thought I wouldn't be able to sing again, because I thought you had to sing like Christina Aguilera to be a singer. Skylar Grey you voice strong people There's this one song called 'Final Warning' that I'm really excited about because I love the contrast of my vocal sounding very soothing and my harsh lyrics. Skylar Grey lyrics excited song love I'm not a big fan of trying to be a sex symbol or any of that stuff because I really like the music to speak for itself. Skylar Grey music speak trying sex I don't watch movie trailers. I just go to the movie, and I don't know anything about it, because that's the only way I appreciate the movie fully. Skylar Grey go know appreciate way I never really focus on writing for other people, to be honest. Every song I've ever written was for me to sing. Maybe if I'm writing for a rapper, but I'd still write it as though it was for myself and then sometimes I'm actually asked to do the part. Skylar Grey myself me song people I've been through a lot in the music industry, in life. I've learned that I have to be tough in this world. Skylar Grey tough music life world My mom was a folk singer and Celtic harpist. My dad was in a barbershop quartet and my great grandma was an opera singer. As I grew up, I discovered pop music and Top 40 radio, but it was in the '90s, so music was very different then - it was really lyrical. Skylar Grey great dad music mom