t's hard to believe that singer Jenny Lewis had time to make a solo record. Besides being in her popular indie band Rilo Kiley, she's also contributed her sweet, lovely voice on many other artist's discs including Bright Eyes and The Postal Service. But as she slips into her warm Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love Records) Teen Tribute asks Lewis what it was like to create a work of art filled with sweet melodies and enchanting lyrics, plus what it feels like to be a girl in music. Where are you right now? I just got back from a European trip and now I'm back at home hanging in L.A. You were a child actor, what was that like? I was a child who worked and it became uncomfortable. It wasn't an emotional reaction or a passion for me. It was just something I fell into. What made you jump into music from acting? I've been playing music and singing since I was three. It was something that was natural and something that I'd just chosen for myself. I heard that Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst played a part in you making Rabbit Fur Coat? When Conor started his own label (Team Love Records) he asked me if I was interested in making a solo album. I was flattered, but at the time I wasn't ready. But after a few years, when all the songs started coming together, I felt like I had more confidence so I decided to do it. How did you decide on the songs? When I finished recording the last album with Rilo Kiley these songs were left over and I started to build on them. When they started mirroring each other it became clear they should be together on an album. What inspired your lyrics on Rabbit Fur Coat? I think a number of things. Some of the songs are storytelling songs. There are characters I've created. There's also some personal feelings involved. It's hard sometimes to differentiate between fact and fiction. What's it like being a girl in the music industry, especially in a band of guys? With the band, it's a balanced situation. But in the industry there are still some inequalities and I'm still having to work a little a harder at things. But as a woman playing music and guitar I try not to pay attention to that. You have a great sense of style. Is stage presence important to a musical act? Oh absolutely! It's something I'm still learning. But if I didn't want this I would have people in my living room watching me play in my pajamas. I think it's fun to dress up. What actors do you love? I really like Naomi Watts, William H. Macy and Philip Seymour Hoffman. There's a scene in P.T. Anderson's Magnolia where actor John C. Reilly has a book of matches in his back pocket and they just catch on fire. It's those quirky things I love in films. Who would you like to sing with next? I would love to sing with Feist. When she opened for Rilo Kiley, we became friends. She recently brought me on stage at one of her shows to sing with her and I was so honoured. - Toni-Marie Ippolito