Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past four years more likely than not you’ve heard of the Disney Channel hit Hannah Montana which made Miley Cyrus a star. If you’ve seen the show, you’ve seen Lilly Truscott, played by actress/singer Emily Osment, Miley’s clumsy but insanely loyal best friend and sidekick. Now, Emily is striking out on her own with a new record deal and brand new single “All the Way Up,” an extremely catchy tune sure to captivate any music lover’s attention.
Kate: First off, congratulations on winning at the Teen Choice Awards. How does it feel to be considered TV’s best sidekick?
Emily: Oh, thank you! It’s pretty awesome; I was up against some pretty tough people in that category, so yeah it was definitely pretty cool!
K: Do you have any crazy stories from the Hannah Montana set?
E: When it comes to the Hannah Montana movie, well, it was shot so long ago that I really couldn’t tell you. I’m sure Jason [Earles] has mentioned that he got bit by an ostrich; that’s a fun story we like to tell. Miley [Cyrus] horseback riding is a very funny experience. There were some really good times; a lot of ad-libbing and a lot of great bloopers that can be seen on the Hannah Montana DVD.
K: Your new single “All the Way Up” premiered on Radio Disney on August 14th. You’re now involving yourself more in your music. Are your lyrics autobiographical and/ or tell a story?
E: Yeah, that’s a good question. I wrote “All the Way Up” about two years ago. I sat down with Max Collins and Tony Fagenson (formerly of Eve 6) and we were like let’s write a song about breaking up and just being weird. If you listen to the lyrics it’s like “I like walking in the pouring rain, I like to bite my nails and I like to call all of my friends in the middle of the night”. It’s just strange; you know, talking about the weird habits of people.
K: You recently signed with Wind-up Records; why not follow the footsteps of other Disney Channel stars such as your Hannah Montana costars [Mitchel Musso and Miley Cyrus]and sign with Hollywood Records?
E: When I had a meeting with Wind-up, they honestly felt like a family. When I sat down with Alan Meltzer and Diana Meltzer [owners of Wind-up Records], I realized they were the most amazing people and I truly felt like I was a recording artist. They sat down and talked about everything with me and we talked about how I was inspired and what we were going to do and what they were going to do with my music. They’re just such amazing people. Wind-up has a lot of pretty cool people signed to the label such as Evanescence, Creed and Finger 11. Despite all of that they were so down to Earth and really seemed to care about me as an artist and I didn’t feel as if I would get lost in that. I’m taking a different route and I am okay with that. I’ve been with Disney for almost four years now just working on the show [Hannah Montana] and I feel like it is time to start something new and go in a different direction.
K: In terms of Wind-up, do you feel as if by signing with a label that isn’t as large as others, you have more control over what happens with your album?
E: I co-wrote every song on the EP which is coming out in October and with them I really feel like I can take risks which is great musically and lyrically and they’re okay with that. They back me on everything and we talk about it. I literally text Diana Meltzer all the time and I’m like ‘what do you think about this?’ and ‘check out this!’ We talk all the time which is great. They’re just such great people.
K: You recently appeared in Push Play’s “Midnight Romeo” video. How did you get involved with them?
E: Push Play is on Wind-up; I met them through the label. They recently signed with Wind-up and it’s funny because they’re the only other people on the label who are like me. They’re all teenagers; we’re all kind of the same age which is nice. Everyone else on the label is a little bit older so it’s nice to have people to relate to. Wind-up had this idea and they were like ‘you guys should meet and hang out and be in each other’s videos!’ That’s what happened, and they appeared in my video which premieres on the 24th (of August).
K: So I guess it’s safe to say you’re a fan of theirs?
E: Oh yeah, definitely! They’re such nice guys; honestly really, really great. I went out to dinner with them and they were like “Can I get some Wooter” (water) and I’m like “Wait, say what?” and they were like “Oh yeah, we’re from New York.” [
Laughs]
K: Tell us one crazy thing about yourself.
E: My closet is color coordinated.
K: I wish I was that organized. Do you plan on going to college at all?
E: I do, I do. Going to college is definitely something I’m planning on.
K: Do you have any schools you’re interested in?
E: I’m still trying to figure it out but I do have a lot of favorites. We’ll see how it works out. I’ll be a senior this year so that’s when I’m going to really start looking into stuff.
K: Do you have any advice to fans who are trying to make it in the industry?
E: Yes! Don’t make it in the industry to make it in the industry. Get into the industry to be creative and have a source for all of your energy. Acting and singing is my outlet; it’s where I go to release things. That’s why you should get into it; not to be famous.
Be sure to vote for and request Emily’s single “All the Way Up” on Radio Disney, check out her debut music video on Yahoo on August 24th and grab it on iTunes starting August 25th. Her EP will be released in October. Check out http:/officialemilyosment.com for all the latest on Emily and check out her official store at http://www.emilyosmentstore.com! 
