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--------- ELEANOR LAMBERT INTERVIEW ---------

1. What brings you to NYC? 

I moved to NYC in 2011 for New York University, where I am currently a senior studying music journalism. The transition was tough, but I finally love it here. 

2. What’s your daily like in the city? 

Well, I have school Monday through Thursday, so that consumes the most of my time...although modeling with Wilhelmina is a close second! I also write for the Village Voice writing music briefs and doing interviews from time to time. In my free time I am either busy making Netflix a verb, or I am kicking it with my friends. 

3. What do you care about the most?

I care about maintaining the relationships in my life that are important to me. Having meaningful connections with your loved ones is immensely important, for all parties involved! Selfishly though, I care a lot about music. I NEVER go anywhere without my headphones...literally nowhere. I have turned around halfway to school when I realized I'd forgotten my headphones, and yes I do realize how ridiculous that is.

4.So, you adore music. How do you start a love affair with music?

It's important to know what you like and never make excuses for your preferences. Never be embarrassed of your personal taste! It's yours and you have to own it. Also, get an iPod. I don't care if your iPhone fits all your music - your primary means of music access should have a battery life that allows you to go a few days sans charging. 

5.How would you describe your music style? What is it inspired by?

Okay, genre wise, I mostly like hip hop and rap, think 90s mavericks like Tupac, Wu Tang Clan, Nas (then and now!) Also, YMCMB and Lil Wayne circa 2009 is some of my favorite rap out there. Right now I'm also still totally obsessed with Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid M.A.A.D City was my favorite album of the year for sure. Also, I love many sub genres of EDM...I adore trance, which is my favorite, can get down with some proper dubstep, some big room house, some deep house... Aside from my favorited genres, a few bands I like are The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, and obviously my guilty pleasure, Coldplay - Chris Martin is an angel, I swear. Generally though, my music style is generally pretty fun, upbeat, beat-driven. I love to dance, even though I usually look pretty ridiculous when I do, so almost anything with a heavy bass will sit well with me. I'm a genre-jumper, meaning I'm not going to hate everything in a genre I know I don't usually like, and I have no issue admitting I don't like something just because it's in a genre I like or by an artist I usually enjoy. 

6. What musicians or songs motivate/inspire you?

Well, I would go ahead and name all my favorite artists, but I wanna call out two people, one who used to be a favorite and another who I definitely like but haven't gotten a chance to know that well... Although I am personally not a fan of the path she's chosen in these past few years and will always love and remember her as the baddest rapstress out there, I love how little Nicki Minaj cares about her haters. She's 1000 different characters, she's singing, rapping, yodeling, it doesn't matter - she does her and she couldn't care less if you don't like it. And she's got the entire world's attention right now, she's breaking Vevo records and doing it her way in a tiny G-string and sports bra, and that's dope, even if I'm not personally the biggest fan of the transition. Also, A-Trak. Most summers I vacation with my family in Ibiza, and last summer I saw him play live at Space (club), and it was insane. That guy is a genius and a master - I mean every single sound I heard come through the speakers I personally watched him produce right in front of me. A true artist right there.

7.What is the first song you ever remember hearing?

Grey Seal by Elton John in the backseat of my mom's car.

8. By the way, what are you listening to right now?

I've had My Krazy Life by YG basically on repeat since its release - it's honestly great and SO real... mad props to him. Also earlier in the summer I found a great remix to the song Gold by Gabriel RIos, the remix by Thomas Jack. His other tracks are a little too jungly/tropical for me, but that remix to Gold is too on point. Also I just re-immersed myself in the awesomeness that is Biggie's  Ready To Die - always a classic. 

9. What does success mean to you?

Success is a feeling. Sure, you can try to quantify success, but at the end of the day success is a feeling of self-fulfillment and pride that no one can give to you but yourself. Only you know your true potential, and when you've done your best, you just know - and that feeling right there is success. 

10. Other than people you’re with now, if you could get any musicians,who would be in your dream band? 

As a writer, I usually want to write the mushy love letter type of reviews because praise is totally under-rated in music writing. So, for me, it would have to be my #1 love, Armin van Buuren. I would literally drop everything to travel the world as his personal writer (only good things, obviously, because he can do no wrong!) Another dream of mine would be to write about Lil Wayne. And not just a song or album or performance review, because a man like that deserves an essay. His work between Dedication 3 and No Ceilings is truly my favorite rap ever. I would love the chance to sit down with him and understand his process as a rapper, especially as one who doesn't write anything down and has some of the most brilliant lines out there. 

11. About your life, people think you have a glamorous life. Does a gap exist between a real life and a life people think?

Of course! We're all only human after all...it's like that horrible section of all the rag mags - stars, they're just like us - it's like, well of course they are! They are human beings inhabiting the same earth as us, aren't they? 

12. Being as a celebrity in your life situation like being surrounded with celebrities, how does being a celebrity and being around celebrities influence (your thought/attitude/spirit) ?

In terms of my peers, it certainly helps me keep myself looking more put together, haha! In terms of my parents, I consider myself very blessed in that department. My mother never pushed me into the limelight in any way, at any point, and waited until I was of an age where I could make my own, informed decisions about how involved I wanted to be in their world - I was probably about 15 when I began really attending events with my mom or my stepdad or even my father, who is usually in France. I am so grateful that I was able to make my own choices and decide on my own how I wanted to present myself in that regard, because I believe it has allowed me to be spared a great deal of drama, from a lack of privacy to the potential of getting mixed up with the wrong people, you know...it was so important to my mom that I be the one in charge of that choice and not her, and I'm so happy she did that!

13. What is your relationship like with your parents?

I have such great relationships with all the parental figures in my life, and for that I am so grateful. I say this because my family is so confusing and extended... to put it simply, I also have a step-dad and a step-mom - sort of. Like I said, maintaining relationships is incredibly important to me, and even though these people are not legally bound to me as parents anymore, they are still obviously parents to me, and I an offspring to them. My father and mother have always, always been incredibly accepting and supportive of me, and helped me flourish into who I am today through their consistent love and encouragement to be exactly who I am. My step-dad helped me access a deeper understanding of and appreciation for family, and my step-mom helped me to learn and respect other walks of life. I truly believe I am the luckiest person alive to have these people in my life as role-models and parents. 

14. What is the most memorable episode with your mother?

Okay this may not sound so bad, but at the time it was literally the worst thing I could imagine happening. Growing up my mom was incredibly strict, and before she finally let up, there was a Halloween party being thrown at a friend's house. I told my mom I wanted to go, and she told me I couldn't go unless she spoke to a parent who would be there. Obviously there weren't going to be any parents, so when she went ahead and called the parents of the kid whose party it was, well, you can imagine what a disaster that was. Long story short, I got the party shut down before it even started...and as a sophomore in high school, I have never been so embarrassed in my life!

15. What does your family mean to you?

Everything. They keep me grounded, and will always be incredibly important to me - always! 

16. About your future, where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope to be on the cover of Vogue AND the cover of Rolling Stone, one as the world's best model, the other as the world's best music journalist! Haha!! Okay but seriously, I do hope to be both a model and a music journalist. Also, I think it would be awesome to take my own pictures to go along with my writing - I love shooting film photography, and I think the two go hand in hand! In addition, I really want to get involved in charity, particularly in maintaining peace and sustainability our world and protecting out environment and oceans.

17. Do you have any up-coming projects?

I currently am a part of the Teen Vogue Style Set, a group of girls and women who have made and will continue to make a mark in the fashion world. We've teamed up up with Teen Vogue and we promote various brands/charities, help host events, things like that. Other than that, I am always modeling, and am always writing, either for school, my job at the Village Voice, or of course for my blog, eleanorlambertmusic.tumblr.com. You can also see some of my film photography there, a hobby I have been doing for about 3 years now.

18. Do you have any life tips that you keep in your mind to share with our readers?

Be NICE! One of the best quotes I've heard says everyone is going through their own personal battle that you know nothing about, so always be kind to others - and it's true! Being nice is immeasurably important. Other than that, I would want to remind people to not judge themselves for the thoughts that run through their head. This was something I struggled with a while back, constantly judging myself for what I thought were superficial or kind of useless thoughts. But honestly, if you can't be 100% relaxed and honest with yourself, you've got a long road ahead of you! 

WRITTEN BY: AYA HINATA

EDIT BY: EMILIA LIU

PHOTOGRAPHY: CHAMA

STYLING: HISSA IGARASHI

HAIR & MAKE UP: KENTO UTSUBO

PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS: COLIN HUGHES, CHIAKI KATO

STYLING ASSISTANT: GRACE KIM

PRODUCER: DORA CHI 

 MODEL: ELEANOR LAMBERT