LUCIDMEDIA

Emily Osment Makes All the Right Wrongs

Written by Emily Santos Tuesday, 10 November 2009 09:43

Some say that big dreams are born in small towns, but not in Emily Osment’s case. The 17-year-old actress turned singer was born and raised beneath the glitz and glamour of the hot Los Angeles sun. With a slew of family members who have  – at some point or another – found themselves dabbling in the “biz,” Osment grew up with first hand knowledge of the pressures and passions it takes to make a career in the limelight successful. And with the release of her EP, All the Right Wrongs, it’s clear Osment isn’t taking any shortcuts. 

The singer/songwriter – who seems wise beyond her years - reveals a very intimate side of herself in All the Right Wrongs. From love, friendship and the pressures of high school, Osment explores teenage growing pains and aims to share her personal experiences through lyricism. “I named the album All the Right Wrongs because it is about all the wrong decisions I’ve made,” she says. “But they turned out being right because I learned something really important from them.”

Osment’s career began back in 1998 where she landed starring roles in a number of commercials. By 1999, only one short year later, she made her way onto the big screen, where she acted alongside Canadian funnyman Eugene Levy in the film The Secret Life of Girls.

Since then it has only been uphill for the young actress. In 2006 she got her big break when she was cast as the role of Lily Truscott in one of Disney’s most successful sitcoms to date, Hannah Montana. Today, Osment is a household name to kids and their parents alike. This year the actress even took home “Choice Sidekick” at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.

“I’ve been with Disney for about four years working on the show and I decided a while back that I wanted to pursue a career in music. I’ve been writing music and working with some people for a while,” says Osment. But during all that time, she confesses, she was still confused. “Do I go with that path still or do I do something else?” were the burning questions that nagged at her on a daily basis.

While meeting with a number of music labels, Osment says she decided to sign with Wind-up Records, a label known primarily for signing indie musicians. With other Hannah stars signing to labels like Hollywood Records and Walt Disney Records, the choice managed to surprise many fans and critics.

Osment decided she wanted to branch away from her “teeny-bop” image and show off her mature and sexy sound. Fearing any other label would coax her into being someone she isn’t, Osment says when it came down to the wire, there was no one better. “Wind-up made such an impression on me and I really felt like my heart has always been set on signing with an indie label,” she explains. “[With Wind-Up] I get to say what I want and I get to express how I am feeling.”

Wind-up Records wasn’t only appealing to the singer because of their “indie” status, but their track record is also pretty impressive. The label – one of the biggest indie labels in North America – has helped kick start careers for artists like Finger Eleven and Evanescence. So, it is no surprise Osment didn’t pass up the deal.

For the debut single off the album, “All the Way Up,” Osment teamed up with one of her good buddies and well-known producers Matt Squire (Panic At the Disco, Taking Back Sunday). The single premiered on Radio Disney in the summer and has already been receiving positive attention from radio stations across the United States and Canada. “All the Way Up,” meshes the best of alternative rock and pop together to create a catchy and contemporary tune. 

Osment says half of her friends are still shocked to even hear she has an album. “My best friend is probably the only one who is really affected by it. All of my other friends are like, ‘you have an album?’” she laughs.

Osment says one of her best friends is her older brother, actor Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense). As a team, the two have managed to keep focused and grounded all from living by one (almost) simple rule: never ever talk about work! “We just never talk about the business,” she says. “He lives in New York now so when I see him I don’t want to talk about what he is working on. I want to talk about what we’re doing as a family.”

However, when Osment isn’t hanging out with her big bro, she says she still tries to live an average teenage life – if she can find the time that is. “If I had a day off, I’d get into so much trouble,” she laughs.

But she did manage to find some down time during her stay in Toronto. Before her Breakfast Television appearance and her free show at the Markville Mall in Markham, Ontario, Osment says she had some down time to enjoy the city lights, sport her panda snowboarding hat and to catch a bite to eat. “The band and I had a night to ourselves,” she says. “We went out and walked like seven blocks and I got Chinese food.”

This was Osment’s third time north of the border, but her first time performing a free show in the Greater Toronto Area. With hundreds of people packing the shopping centre to catch a glimpse of the singer, it is no doubt Torontonians will be begging her to come back soon.

Osment’s EP, All the Right Wrongs, is now available to buy online or in store across North America. You can also keep up-to-date with the star at twitter.com/EmilyOsment.