The ElleGirl.com Interview:

ELLEGirl.com: How did you get involved with ELLEgirl?

Michelle Lewis: I met with the Editor-in-Chief, Brandon Holley, and she gave me a feel for the magazine; the writing and the kind of girls that would be reading it. And I realized that writing a song for the magazine wouldn’t be a stretch. I could really relate to that type of girl. The ELLEgirl was very similar to the person I was in high school, and pretty much still the girl I am right now.

ELLEGirl.com: How would you describe her, the ELLEgirl?

Michelle Lewis: I guess what I mean is that the ELLEgirl is urban, sophisticated, slightly sarcastic, and irreverent. Someone once described me as Sheryl Crow meets Janeane Garofalo. Someone who wants to think about things. Someone who goes beyond scratching the surface, and doesn't just take what they're handed; a girl who likes to question herself and what's going on in the world around her.

From what I saw of the magazine, it seemed that the vibe of the writing was very much that, and even the fashion that I saw in ELLEgirl was very irreverent. Not your typical fashion spreads, at all. I saw these models wearing these unique pieces. And something about the offbeat way they were styled and put together was very appealing to me.

ELLEGirl.com: Tell us a little bit about the theme song "Whatever that Means?"

Michelle Lewis: The song "Whatever that Means" is about all these platitudes that we, as young women, get fed. Everything from the magazines we read to the television shows we watch. I always hear cliches like "Live Your Dream" and "Make the Best of Every Day." I know for myself, when I would hear these things, I think, "What does that really mean?" It’s all about questioning the sound bites and messages we hear every day. That’s what I tell young women, never stop questioning.

What attracted me to ELLEgirl magazine was that it wasn't your every day, run-of-the-mill teen magazine. It has an original sensibility and a new way of talking to young women. It wasn’t condescending. I think that's my biggest complaint with things that are marketed to teens today. Young women are smarter than ever and they need to be talked up to, instead of down to.

ELLEGirl.com: What are some of the challenges you think that young women are faced with today? And what advice would you give them?

Michelle Lewis: The challenges are intense. Body image continues to be one of the biggest issues. It’s hard when every girl you see on television and in music videos is hyper, hyper skinny, with this hyper-idealized body. I know when girls see that on television and when they’re constantly barraged with those images, it begins to sink in after a while. They begin to think, "I have to look like that." And you don't. I would tell young women to be strong, be athletic, be yourself. It's just not worth it.

Once again, the most important thing to do is question what you’re being shown. Because when you do, you find out that those images of celebrities are not real. You have to know that the pictures you see are always modified and perfected on a computer before they're ever published. So always continue to question the images you see and try to be comfortable with yourself, no matter what size you are.

ELLEGirl.com: You’ve had a lot of success as a singer/songwriter. How did you get started?

Michelle Lewis: I was always a writer. I wrote a lot of short stories. I had teachers who always encouraged me and taught me to think outside the box. I was taught to write what comes to mind and not to censor myself. When I went to college, I never intended to be a songwriter/singer. But I started singing with the college gospel choir.

After graduating some of the choir girls and I started a group, "Shades of Soul." We got a development deal on a record label pretty quickly and we were being handed all these songs to record, which were very sub par. It was guys writing what they thought women thought and talked about. That’s when I realized that I could do better. I had a good sense of melody and I loved to write stories and poems. I had never written a song in my life, but I was determined to try.

ELLEgirl.com: Did you ever think you would be doing this as a living?

Michelle Lewis: Not for a second. This is not a job description your guidance counselor tells you about. To be a songwriter, you have to first decide whether you want to be an artist yourself.

Some people don't necessarily want to be a rock star. You may not want to be told to lose 15 pounds or be shoved in front of a camera and have no anonymity whatsoever. You want to have a life but some money, too. There's a lot of careers in music that don't involve being a household name. You can be a musician, songwriter, or singer and not have to deal with image—the superficial stuff that ultimately doesn't matter.

If want to be a songwriter, you have to find the songwriter circles. Every town has them—like open mike nights. There are certain towns that are better for it, like LA, Nashville, Austin, New York, Atlanta. And when you begin to work with other songwriters, it's like playing tennis, you rise to the level of the person you're writing with. I always say write with a person who's better then you, because you'll play up to their level.

There’s always a need for great songs. If you have a knack for writing lyrics and a natural sense of melody and finding something that sings well, you should pursue it.