Catching Up With Julianne Hough

Calling Julianne Hough talented and busy would be making understatements on both accounts. The ACM’s Top New Vocalist of the Year in 2009 is starring in two upcoming feature films, co-authoring the “Goddess Guide For Getting Closer” (sponsored by Venus), and releasing her very own work-out video in December, all while prepping her ever-so-important sophomore album.

Luckily, Hough was able to spend a few minutes catching up with The 9513 the day after the CMA Awards.

PIERCE GREENBERG: Big night last night, huh?

JULIANNE HOUGH: It was a good night. It was great—very fun. I’m really happy for Taylor. It was her night.

PG: Yeah, I know you and Taylor are pretty good friends. Did you get a chance to speak with her after the show?

JH: Not really because, obviously, she was doing press and stuff. I headed over to my label and she headed to her party. But we texted each other this morning and she’s super excited. We’re going to go to Tim McGraw’s premiere tonight so we’ll see each other there.

PG: I’ve always kind of wondered this about you and Taylor: Do you ever wonder about what it would be like to live the typical 20-year-old American lifestyle? Do you ever feel like you’re missing out on anything?

JH: Well, yeah, absolutely. I lived in London from when I was 10 to 15 and so I actually wanted to know what it was like to go to high school and have that experience when I was 15. I was not a typical 10-year-old or 15-year-old either, so I moved back and went to high school. It was great and I absolutely loved my experience there. But what I do now, and being 21 and being so blessed and so fortunate to do what I’m doing, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love what I do.

PG: Last time we talked to you, I think it was about two years ago, and your album was just about to come out. How much have you grown as a person since then?

JH: Oh my goodness, (laughing). I am like two different people. That is just a whole different person. I grew so much just being out on the road and touring and being able to see what works and what doesn’t. And I’d never been in the studio before, so I learned so much who I was and how my voice is. Just being out on tour and singing songs every night, I grew.

With this new record I’m working on now, I’m writing a lot for it because I feel like I know exactly what I want now and what my fans like too. Just being able to write and feel like you’re a creative person is a huge deal. I’m real excited. Plus, just being out on the road, my voice is getting stronger and stronger and it will continue to get stronger, hopefully, until I’m 50. (laughing)

So I’m definitely excited about this new record and I’ve definitely grown massive amounts.

PG: I recall you saying in an interview a couple of years ago that you kind of quit the whole Dancing With the Stars thing because you wanted people to take you seriously as a singer. Do you think you’ve accomplished that or do you still feel like you have to prove yourself?

JH: I feel like I’ll always have something to prove just because that’s the type of person that I am. But honestly, I feel like everybody has welcomed me and has taken me seriously and have been so supportive. I guess it’s just doing your thing and not really trying. I think people can see through people who try too hard to prove something…rather than just being themselves. So, I feel like people have really accepted me and I’m very, very fortunate.

PG: In the mean time, it kind of seems like you have your hand in a few upcoming films—so have your priorities changed at all when it comes to the music?

JH: My priorities haven’t changed. My record and my music are always going to be my number one. I think that’s where my heart truly is. I love to act. I’ve been acting as long as I’ve been singing and dancing. So, with the films I’m doing, I get to sing in both and dance in both and then act, of course, in both. It’s just really fun to be able to be a part of these movies. I’m having a blast with them. They are absolutely phenomenal.

PG: Switching back to the music, is there any kind of timeline for the second album? Have you started that process?

JH: Yeah, we’re hoping that the new single will be out in the beginning of the year, end of January/beginning of February. Then, the album will be the summer—like, May. So, I’m really excited about it. Actually, I’m done now until January with anything else. I’m completely home here in Nashville focused on getting all the vocals on my record, so I’m super excited.

PG: What’s the biggest difference in making the album this time vs. making the first album?

JH: I think just the experience. Your first time around, you’re not really sure and you put your trust in a lot of people and you kind of doubt yourself. This time around, I really know exactly what I want and I’m not going to doubt myself.

I’m not going to try and be so perfect on everything—I’m just going to sing. I’m going to sing how I want to sing and sing how I sing live. I feel like my live shows definitely showcase who I am more than my first record. I’m going to just go do my thing.

PG: What do you hope to accomplish with the second album?

JH: The first record was great for what it was. It was very rushed and very light-hearted—there wasn’t a lot of depth to it, but it was great for what it was and showed my personality. This next one, I really want to get great songs. It’s all about the songs and I feel like there’s a lot inside me that I can do, but it starts with a song.

I feel like my songs, this time around, have a lot more meaning and they’re really true to who I am. And they’ve got the groove, with me being a dancer, I want to have some groove to everything. And it’ll have the country lyrics that everybody loves—the storytelling and the realness of everything. I really hope people will see a more mature—not edgier as in rock and roll, but edgier as in mature—side of me.

PG: You’ve teamed up with Venus to help co-author a book and provide tips to girls to help feel better about themselves. Could you talk about that and how it feels to be a role model for young girls out there?

JH: Well, that’s the thing. I feel like I hold a lot of responsibility to be role model, so I want to make sure that things that I say are actually true to what I believe in and that will hopefully help girls with their self-esteem and confidence. This Goddess Guide definitely does that as far as giving tips from beauty to health to fitness to your finances and dating. But it’s all about being that confident woman and making sure that you’re really happy with who you are.

There’s tips that I use for myself that I put in there as far as the fitness ones and dating ones. It’s fun, it’s young and it’s something that a lot of girls will find like “oh, man, I’ve never tried that, I’m going to try that this time.”

Of course, as far as the beauty goes, the Venus Embrace, for me, is one of my key things—not just for the summer, but all year long. Especially going into winter, when you’re skin is a lot dryer, the Venus Embrace keeps your legs so smooth and silky… well yeah, you’re such a guy, it feels weird talking to you about that. (laughing)

PG: No worries, we have females read The 9513, too.

JH: It’s just my tips. I’ve got a fitness DVD coming out December 15—that’s just like a work-out video. So, it’s fun! It’s all about being true and self confidence and being true to yourself.