“….I realized happiness has nothing to do with success. Of course being able to wake up and make music everyday is part of my happiness, but the actual process of writing a song is what makes me the happiest. It’s not the Grammy that it could potentially receive in a year….” – Skylar Grey

A new interview piece with Kirby Kelly of NYLON is out, this time talking with Ms. Grey about finding her sound with “Picture Perfect”, experimenting with 360-degree technology with her “Off Road” music video, and which natural element she most identities with and why.

After you’ve perused the excerpts below, be sure to click NYLON‘s logo and check out the full interview piece!

Skylar Grey Interview w/ Kirby Kelly | NYLON ::“….What is your favorite song on Natural Causes and why?I think “Picture Perfect” is my favorite song on the album, because musically, it’s the sound I’ve been searching for for years. I finally accomplished it, so I’m very proud of that. It’s got these layered vocals and harmonies à la Bon Iver, but the drums and percussion have a hip hop feel. I always wanted to combine those two worlds. I experimented a lot and never came up with it until “Picture Perfect.”

The “Off Road” video uses 360-degree technology, which artists are just starting to get into. As one of the first to use this kind of innovation, where do you see the convergence of music and technology headed?I think we’ll see more 360 stuff. It was interesting to film that video, because it was a totally new way to think. You have to consider what’s going on all around instead of just what’s in the frame. I couldn’t see the director the whole time we were filming because otherwise he’d be in the shot. It was a very strange thing to wrap your head around, but the more people do it, the more of a feel they’ll get on how to use it.

Technology and music have always worked together and played off of each other, though. It’s important for people to see technology as a tool to experiment and do new things and push boundaries, but not necessarily rely on it. I always say that it’s not what you have, but what you do with it. It’s like my friend, who’s a terrible photographer and keeps buying the most expensive camera because he thinks it will make a difference. You think that’s gonna help you as a photographer if your eyes suck?

Which natural element do you most identify with: earth, water, fire, or air?Probably the earth aspect. I grew up in the woods of Wisconsin, so I always feel more at home when I’m surrounded by trees. The thing that really gets me about nature is the innocence in it. We’re surrounded by people with agendas and ulterior motives, but nature is just doing its thing. In the opening of my record on “Wilderness,” I say “Everyone’s an animal.” I like to compare myself to wildlife and think about how to act in a situation. Robert Redford said it best: “This place in the mountains, amid nature’s casualness toward death and birth, is the perfect host for the inspiration of ideas.”

I love what he says, because it’s so true. Humans are the only ones who have funerals—people gather and sob and make a big deal about death. It’s okay to grieve, but I think it can help to realize that death is a part of life and we have to accept it. Like anything in life, there are things that are out of your hands that you can’t control. Don’t let it weigh you down. Nature is a great sounding board to bounce your emotions off of and get inspired to be happier….”