Music put Willa Ford into a battle with depression. Music also took her out.

While in the middle of writing her upcoming album, she went through a bout of depression. Instead of taking time off to build up her strength, she continued writing, using her depression as a way to make her album more eclectic.

“I think part of being able to become depressed is being a true artist,” she tells andPOP. “It’s just like being a method actor and being able to put yourself in that place so you can write something fresh. I know that sounds weird and it’s demented to do that for your job but I think that it’s part of my job.”


“I can be depressed in five minutes
if that’s what I need to be.”


She admits that while depressed, it was hard to continue working.

“There came a point where I was like, ‘what am I doing? I’ve really got myself down in the middle of this record.’ But I picked myself back up. You have to put yourself on this roller coaster in order to really pull the material out that you need for a complete record.”

Artists have writers at their disposal, but Ford wanted to write the entire record herself. Every time a song would require a different emotion, she would find that emotion in herself.

“When I get on stage still, I go into that mode. It’s just like a part. It’s like an actor, I can literally remember something and put myself back in that position. I can be depressed in five minutes if that’s what I need to be.”

But for the album, tentatively titled “Sexysexobsessive,” don’t expect one sad ballad after another. If the first single, ‘A Toast to Men,” is any indication, her “I Wanna Be Bad Days” are not entirely behind her.

“Willa Ford is still this bad chick, putting it the way it needs to be put. I’m just growing with who I am. I’m still at the point where I can keep people on their toes because I change myself so often that I don?t have to worry about what I’m going to do next.”

Taking a look at a few lines in the song, which she describes as “a playful way of going at the guys,” it seems like career suicide: “Here’s to the men we love/Here’s to the men who love us/F*** the men, let’s drink to us.”

It sounds like she scorns every male. And judging by her scantily-clad music videos, a lot of her fans are probably male. Is this career suicide?

“Even though it’s like ‘f*** ‘em,’ then why am I wearing this tight mini skirt?” Good point.

Losing her male fans over the song is something Ford is not worried about. Had she written a song cussing out females, finding a new profession would be next on her agenda.

“Chicks would be like, ‘I’m never buying her record again.’ Guys are like, ‘that’s kind of funny.’ Guys take it as humour. It’s a win-win situation because the girls love this song because it’s something they can thrash guys with and guys love this song because I’ll put hot chicks on stage and in the video.”

Other songs on the album include:

  • the title track, “Sexysexobsessive” (about people obsessed with sex)

  • “Who I Am, Who Am I” (”It’s about being gay. Now everyone’s like ‘are you gay?’ No, at least not yet.”)
  • “I See You” (about previous relationships)

Compared with her 2001 debut, “Willa Was Here,” she says this album is more acoustic and melodic, with more guitars and pianos instead of studio-produced tracks. The overall sound she says is “rock with an electronic-vibe to it; Madonna meets Linkin Park with a Willa Ford vibe.”

Although she wrote the album over a year ago, there still is no official release date set.

“God waited for a reason so I figure I’ll just go with it.”






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