PropertyOfZack had the chance to sit down with Juliet Simms from Automatic Loveletter for a brief interview at this year’s Vans Warped Tour. Juliet and I discussed how being the only acoustic act on the tour has been, Truth Or Dare, The Kids Will Take Their Monsters On, and more. Read up and enjoy!

We’re just about a month in on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour. How have all the shows been so far?
Really great. I’m the only acoustic artist on the tour, so it’s very different.  We didn’t really know how it was going to pan out, but it turns out that kids like acoustic music.

Last year you did Warped with the full band, so is it a cool change?
It’s a great change. I’m back to my roots and the basics and I’m very happy.

You were definitely a late addition to Warped Tour, at least in the minds of fans. Have fans been coming out?
Every day I’ve had packed tents. When I do play a stage it’s packed with kids. It’s great.

Last year you were out supporting Truth Or Dare. A year later, how has the reception to that been?
It’s been good. It’s doing really well in Japan and Australia. The Kids Will Take Their Monsters On I think is something fans were craving more from me.
POZ: Do you think it hits harder because it’s acoustic and back to basics?
Juliet: It’s back to my roots. There are no other cooks in the kitchen besides me and the producer I worked with. They’re new songs that didn’t go through three different record labels and get re-recorded a thousand times. It’s just pure.

Was the writing process fresh as well just for those reasons?
Yeah, I get to play these songs that I just wrote and I’m definitely getting to convey more of who I am as an artist on this album than I got to do on Truth Or Dare.

Shane Henderson from Valencia co-produced the record. How was it in the studio with him?
It was amazing. He’s one of my best friends so it was a lot of fun to be in the studio with him.

Did you feel a need to put something out quickly?
Oh god, yes. Last year on Warped while I was promoting it I felt I needed to do another record. It was four or five years old and I was dying inside from it. I was so not happy, and then I decided I was going to do it.

Truth Or Dare marked a break for you after years of getting thrown around in terms of being on Sony Records. The catastrophe in Japan however knocked the label off of their feet and sort of once again knocked you down. Obviously it’s understandable, but was that a large blow to you?
It was. We were supposed to go over there for Punk Spring and to do a bunch of shows for all my Japanese fans and it’s just been postponed and postponed. It wasn’t in anybody’s favor at all.
POZ: Do you think you’ll ever work with Sony again?
Juliet: I’m still with Sony Japan. Here I’m with Paper + Plastick, which I feel is more my type of label

Paper + Plastick Records put the album out. Some kids were definitely surprised by you teaming up with them. How has it been releasing the record there?
I’m stoked I’m on an indie here.

What does the title and the songs as a whole mean to you?
Ultimately this album is everything from apologies to redemption to it being my own personal band aid or stitch. It’s a record to help kids. The day and age we live in now is people being afraid to come out or feeling that you have to look this way or depression and drugs and cutting yourself. All this fucked up crap on this planet, and I have so many strong feelings about helping kids with those problems. Some of the songs are very much in that direction.

What can we expect in terms of touring from you after Warped?
We’re in the works of putting the next tour together as of today. Right now I’m focusing on this record. The plan is to keep writing and do more shit like this.