Her name is: Kerli Kõiv, better known by her stage name, Kerli.

Her bag is: Alternative / Pop / Rock

She sounds like: Imagine Pink with a slight accent and more of a Euro dance club beat or Dolores O’Riordan from The Cranberries without the wailing banshee vocals.

Download these songs: Walking On Air, Love Is Dead

The low-down: Kerli is a beautiful, blonde (of course) Estonian pop musician who is best-known for her appearance in the 2004 Eurolaul event. She performed the song Beautiful Inside to finish in second place with Neiokõsõ trumping her to win the event. Kerli also competed in the 2003 Swedish Melodifestivalen, finishing seventh in the second semi-final.

In 2006, Kerli signed a contract with Island Def Jam (the home of Bon Jovi and Rihanna) and is presently working on her album, which should be released in 2008…

Savvy: How have you adjusted to fame?

Kerli: I have grown up this past year and learned to be independent and have total trust and faith in my instincts and my visions.

Savvy: We imagine it is quite a transition from typical girl to musical star!

Kerli: I come from a very small town, and I used to be way more naive in every way. I know exactly what I want to do now. The most important thing I've learned is that when something doesn't happen, it’s meant to be that way. You just got to set the goal and keep going no matter what. The bigger you dream, the more time it takes for your dreams to happen.

Savvy: Good advice.

Kerli: I got my first record deal six years ago, but I had no vision and nothing to say. I kept working my ass off but it simply wasn't my time. I feel like it could be now. I feel like I am ready to stand in front of people and sing like I mean it. If my career is a stair that has ten steps, I am barely taking the first one.

Savvy: Are there Kerli groupies now?

Kerli: Once I had this stalker who sent me the same letter every day for like two years. She looked like me and she asked herself questions and answered the way I would have answered. She used to call my family and pretend to be an old friend and figured out my phone numbers and where I lived. That was creepy. She still hasn't completely left me alone.

Savvy: That is weird.

Kerli: Especially sick are the ones who make accounts in different places and pretend to be me. They talk to my friends and act like assholes. I would never be rude to anyone online.

Savvy: Tell us about your first album with Island Def Jam.

Kerli: I am not very good at promoting myself, but this album is my life story. I have written 150 songs for it over the past four years and the ones that ended up on the record are the best ones. So, it's definitely not something thrown together. I did feel and go through everything I'm singing about. I've been from heaven to hell many times during this journey - that’s why there are so many different feelings on the album. And that's why I think every person can relate.

Savvy: So this album is all you?

Kerli: This album is my vision, emotion, melodies and lyrics and other people’s chords, skills and so on. I had a blast coming up with all these songs and working with all these amazing songwriters. I have learned so much from everyone and they are going to be credited for all their hard work. There are other people who deserve credit too. Like my A&R Josh Sarubin, who has been absolutely amazing and let me grow without forcing anything. Cause to be honest, three years ago when Josh found me, I wanted to make ambient music and had no idea who the f#@k I was or what I wanted to sound like.

Savvy: When and where can our readers see you perform?

Kerli: I am putting my band together in January. So I will start playing in 2008 for sure.

Savvy: Whom did you grow up listening to?

Kerli: My parents didn’t really listen to music when I was little. I had this one Bonnie Tyler cassette and some other Estonian pop crap. I listened to these all the time and wrote down all the lyrics the way I heard them cause I didn't speak English when I was five. There were a few times when music really touched me though.

Savvy: So you just picked up music naturally?

Kerli: I went to music school when I was younger and my country was still kind of Soviet so the training was really classical and really hardcore. We had this lesson that was all about listening to music and knowing whom the composer was and so on. The teacher played us Camille Saint-Saens Aquarium. That was probably the first time a piece of music gave me chills.

Savvy: What other artists do you admire?

Kerli: I admire everyone who puts their heart into what they're doing. I wish there was more good pop music out there these days though. I would love to see young geniuses, new Princes, Madonnas and Michael Jacksons. Right now it just feels like no surprises at all. I swear I can’t watch another music video where someone makes out by the beach or shows off their bling while they're in the club surrounded by women shaking their asses.

Savvy: (laughs) Where do ideas for your songs come from?

Kerli: There are ideas everywhere. There are things that people say that I find fascinating and I hear melodies absolutely everywhere. Sometimes I can't keep up with it. I'm like a sponge. That’s why I always carry a notebook and my laptop with me in case I want to write down lyrics or record something.

Savvy: How important is the image part of being a performing artist these days? Specifically, having to portray a certain look or style on the road, on media appearances, in music videos. Do you ever feel that more focus is put on style over substance or just the right amount?

Kerli: I don't think there is enough energy put in the image these days. Everyone just looks the same. There are no David Bowies anymore. I want to go to shows where I can forget about the reality. I hope I'm going to be able to do something really fantastical and amazing one day and collaborate with visual artists and other freaks.

Savvy: How would you describe your personal style? How much of it is influenced by a professional stylist vs. your own doings?

Kerli: I guess my style is like a fairy gone wrong. Or a fallen angel. I just like to be crazy and draw weird stuff on my arms and face. I like very dark and very light put together cause that's what I'm like, and I want to come across honest. I don't mind being a little disturbing. There is only one stylist I've gotten along with cause everyone tries to turn me into something that I'm not. I always end up in a big fight. I love collaborating though and if someone really gets me, I can be very cooperative. I just haven't met enough people who dare to be creative.

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On the Web:

http://www.myspace.com/kerlimusic (Her Myspace Page)

http://www.purevolume.com/kerli (Purevolume Page)


Listen to her sing!

Walking On Air

Love Is Dead