Victoria Duffield has “That Something” – she is a talented singer, dancer and all-around performer who just got off tour with the Backstreet Boys (swoon) and released her sophomore album, ‘Accelerate’. Her latest single “More Than Friends” is a hit and the music video has more than 123,000 views on YouTube. Now, this Canadian songstress is preparing for a summer filled with more shows, more appearances and more charity work.
THE MAGAZINE sat down with Victoria to chat about ‘Accelerate’, being more than friends with a guy in Los Angeles, fangirling over the Backstreet Boys and One Climb.
You released your new album, ‘Accelerate’, June 3. How are you feeling now that it’s out?
It’s exciting! It’s always nerve-wracking before music is released because you don’t know how people are going to take to it but I’m confident in the song choices that were made. I’m really excited to hear what people have to say about it.
Describe ‘Accelerate’ in three words.
Energetic, danceable and accelerating.
This is your second album, so how has your music grown over the years and how was the recording process different this time?
I got to spend more time on this album and work with more writers and producers in more countries. Being 16 then and now being 19, I have grown up and I think that growth shows in the album and the maturity is heard in the music and the lyrics. I was able to put more of me into the album with more life experiences that I’ve had over the past 3 years. It was great to be able to tell those stories and express those feelings in the album.
“More Than Friends”, the debut single off the album, is a fun track about wanting to be more than friends with a guy. What was it like shooting the music video in Los Angeles and how did you get the story across?
It was a lot of fun! It was my first video to be filmed outside of Toronto and it was fun to film in LA. It was a two-day shoot. The first day was all the choreography and all the dance shots, and the second day was more of the narrative parts. All the dancing parts were so much fun and the guy I worked with was super nice. The song plays off social media references and we showed those technological advances in the video with Google Glass. I’m happy with how it all came together.
Which song on ‘Accelerate’ are you most proud of?
“Bulletproof” stands out to me as one that I wasn’t expecting to have written. It was actually written near the beginning of the whole year of writing and the edginess and the vibe it has kind of took me by surprise.
Which song would you see yourself blasting most often in the car?
[laughs] Well, I typically don’t blast my own music, but when you’re still getting used to the songs, you’re proud of them and you like to listen to them. I think “Holographic” is a really cool song and it’s a really fun one to dance to.
You just wrapped up a Canadian tour with the Backstreet Boys! How was that and how did they inspire you?
It was an incredible tour. It was such an honour to share a stage with them across the country and being such a huge fan of them, it was pretty unbelievable. I started off in Moncton then ended off in Vancouver, and it was great finishing off with a hometown crowd. The guys were really nice. They have an amazing ability to captivate their audiences and really make them feel important and pull them into the show. Just to see that connection between artists and fans was amazing and it’s definitely something that is important.
What’s your favourite Backstreet Boys song?
It’s hard to pick one. I absolutely love “I Want It That Way”, “Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely” and “Larger Than Life”. Those are my three favourites and it was so exciting to hear them sing it. I was like, “Oh my gosh!”
What’s your favourite song of yours to perform live?
I love to perform “Break My Heart” live. It’s neat to see the audience’s reactions when the music first starts. They really seem to connect to it right away, so that’s always a fun one to sing. The crowd will sing along with me, which is always a thrill.
What sparked your interest in performing?
There always just was a spark. It was always in me to want to perform. I started dancing when I was 2 years old and I always just loved being in front of crowds and being in front of an audience. When I was 5 years old and my parents would have family or company over, I’d sit them all down and be like, “Okay, it’s time for me to sing! It’s performance time!” It was always just in me to want to entertain people.
Because of the fact that you are an amazing dancer, do you do any of your own choreography?
I don’t do any of the intense choreography parts. I leave that to my choreographer Luther Brown, but there’s parts where I’ll sort of break out of the choreography and do my own thing and that’s kind of just what comes naturally at the moment. For the main choreography parts, it’s great to have Luther to lead me through it and help me grow. If I were to choreograph for myself, it would be what I know now, whereas Luther can teach me more and help me to become a better dancer as well.
Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
Growing up, Britney Spears was a huge inspiration of mine. I also looked up to Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake and all the artists that have that awesome, danceable music. There are also songs that are a bit more emotional or ones you wouldn’t think of as a dance song but it still has that rhythm to it. Those are the kinds of songs that I love and really appreciate. I hope to create music like that.
What was the first CD you bought and first concert you went to?
I think the first CD I bought was a Britney Spears CD. I still have her first CD and it’s crazy how I can play the CD now and still know the words to all the songs. The first concert I went to was the Jonas Brothers! I went and I was like, “This is so cool!”
What are some of the most played songs on your iPod right now?
Some of the songs that I can’t get enough of right now are “All Of Me” by John Legend, “Latch” by Disclosure featuring Sam Smith, and “Turn Down For What” by DJ Snake featuring Lil Jon.
Do you have any favourite songs of the summer yet?
“Summer” by Calvin Harris is a really cool song and it even says summer in the name. It is super catchy.
Can you tell us about your work with Free the Children?
I’m an ambassador for Free the Children and it’s great to continue to support them. I’m a part of a project right now to help build a school in Kenya. Donations are going to build a school brick-by-brick. Also, I’m participating in One Climb at Grouse Mountain in Vancouver on June 14. They’re supporting Free the Children’s campaign to have clean water supplies in Kipsongol, Kenya because they are without clean water for sanitation, drinking and hygiene which we take for granted. It’s an event people can be a part of with a minimum $20 donation. It’s going to be a fun day. There’s going to be performances, I’m going to be there, some other cool groups and artists are going to be there, there’s going to be some awesome and inspiring speeches, and there’s going to be a fun walk up the Grouse Grind.
What’s next for you?
I’m looking forward to doing lots more shows and hopefully more tours. I have the MMVA’s coming up too which is exciting. I’m nominated and presenting, so it’s going to be fun! I’m just looking forward to what’s next now that the album is out and seeing what else I can do.
Thank you, Victoria! Pick up ‘Accelerate’ in stores and on iTunes now.