There was a time when the word 'pop' was deemed a dirty word in the music industry. Although the genre is enjoying a steady climb back into both the charts and our download lists, there is one artist out there who is not afraid to remind us that pop is not a guilty pleasure.

Proving that Pop Princess's can have both brains and beauty, Ariana DiLorenzo, the front woman from the band Ariana and the Rose, is a woman who knows what she wants and what she has to do to get it. She argues that to be successful in the industry, you don't have to choose to either  "wear a latex body suit or be behind an piano." You can simply be who you want. TWELV was fortunate enough to catch up with the lady herself as she makes her way around London, Paris and her hometown of New York, to talk about writing, the industry and the Roses. 

How did the name Ariana and the Rose come about?

I always knew I wanted to perform with a band. So, because of that I knew it should be Ariana and the… I didn't want it just to be Ariana. I felt not being a one name deal left a little more room for me to grow artistically. I felt like for some reason that name allowed that. My best friend was like, “I don't understand why you just wouldn't call it Rose.” Rose is my middle name. Rose was my grandmothers name. We have a big Italian family so all my cousins, our middle names are Rose. It seemed appropriate and it had a lot of meaning behind it. 

How did you discover music?

I started in musical theater so my experience with music has been an interesting journey, where theory and musicianship was something I knew very young. I was trained loving harmonies because I was in shows but I loved popular music on the side. The first time I was in the studio I was 13. And I started doing jingles and things like that. That got me into a little world of producers. For a long time, while I was in the studio, writing music on the side, I was actually acting full time. I think that allowed me to cultivate a wonderful relationship with music and writing music. It became an outlet for me. It wasn't until I went to college when I sat down and thought this is what I want to do. 

How would you describe Ariana and the Rose's sound?

I would say Electro Dance. I've sort of been describing it as slow dance music. It's dark synths, with singer songwriter melodies.  

As a songwriter, how do you go about writing your songs, what's usually the process? Do you have any rituals?

There really is so many different ways, I don't have just one true way I write. I have a lot of voice memos. I literally live on my cell phone! I do a lot of co-writing sessions with other writers and I prefer to write that way. I personally like to work with someone and get ideas.  

How do you see yourself fitting in the industry? What void are you trying to fill - do you even see a void?

Totally. It's funny because I think the void was way more when I first started out, when I first decided I wanted to do music. I've been asked by several different people in many different ways, "Are you going to go the pop route and be super poppy and wear a latex body suit? Or are you going to be behind an piano?" I was like, why are these my options? And I felt that very firmly there was a void. There was no women in the middle, sort of being strong and sexy and having showmanship in their shows but writing music with something to say. Pop music for a little while became too much of a guilty pleasure. People felt like if I said I was a female pop artist, people would turn their nose up at it. And I really think that's changed a lot in the last few years. Obviously we have artists like Adele and Florence and the Machine. Even people like Haim now, and Lorde. I think that sort of spot that I see myself sitting in. But I see myself even more feminine than that. A little pop-ier than that and really standing up for the pop girls. Saying, no, this is cool - and I don’t have something to say. And I am smart, and I love pop music. I think there hasn't been someone of the industry who isn't kitschy. I describe it as "Intelligent Pop". 

Who in the Industry do you look up to? Who do you admire?

Alanis Morissette is someone I model my career and outlook on. I don't think I'm able to write in quite the same way she does. I idolize her, and I love what she stood for and what she did. I guess to refer back to your question on filling the void, that sort of person doesn't exist strongly in pop music. She's a real model for that, for me. 

If you weren't in the music industry, what else would you be doing?

I don't know… sleeping more I guess! It's a funny thing, I grew up in the city, so I have absolutely no idea what it is to not live in the city. But I'd have a small shop in a little town, being really normal. Like maybe a flower shop! I also went to school for journalism, so maybe that’s more realistic. I'd probably be writing.  

What advice would you give to young developing artists, trying to get their music heard?

I would say; keep making music. I feel like that was a big mistake I made in the beginning. I didn't realize things were so cyclical. Material is your ammo, it's your way to go into the world and to be like, this is who I am. I still believe this, and think it's more true now in music than it has been in a while. If you have great material, I mean, it is about knowing people, but great material can open doors for you. If someone hears something they love, that gets people excited far more than having a cool photo. 

What do you think about when you're on the stage?

It's really funny. At this point my voice is a straight connection with the music for me now so I rarely have shows where I feel like I'm not present. But sometimes someone will whisper something, and you can see people. I feel like people forget. Sometimes, people say something to each other, and I'm like, I can see you! What did they say? These are the things you think about. Or lighting. Sometimes when the lighting people do something, say shoot red on the stage and I'm in red, I think "God, do I clash? Does it look ok?" It's not like you go blank. It's not like your mind shuts off. 

Finally, what are you working on at the moment? What can we expect from Ariana and the Rose?

Well, you can expect an EP, which is really exciting. The first single comes out in a month, and then we have video and a ton of content, which I'm so excited to be releasing. The record will be out, at the beginning of 2014. Then I go into writing again. It's really been fun to go back into the studio to go back into the studio even before any of this has come out. But I feel like I'm starting to find my way. It's been exciting to push it further and keep going rather than "Oh no, I feel like I've started one way and I have to change". It's more like, I've started this thing and all I want to do is discover it more.  

Ariana and the Rose's next single 'Heartbeat' is out November 19. 

By Lucy Rogers

Photography by Miliken Gardener

All clothing by Erdem.

Styling by Sarah Granetz, Assist. Stylist: Noa Ben-Yehezkel

Hair by Lexi

Makeup by Kuma