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Hailee Steinfeld: “I Would Love To Be Remembered As An Artist That Truly Cared About The Art”

Hailee Steinfeld is this month's MTV Push act! Check out our exclusive interview with her here...

Hailee Steinfeld first came to attention when, aged 13, she starred alongside Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges in 2010’s 'True Grit'. Directed by the Coen brothers, two of the most celebrated filmmakers of modern times, Hailee went on to be nominated for an Academy Award.

Not too shabby for a person whose peers were just in their first few years of high school, but asthe precocious Californian told us, she'd been acting – and making music – since she was “8 or 9 years old.”

“Music became more of a side project over the years as my acting took up more of my time,” Hailee said. “Until the movie Pitch Perfect 2 (released 2015), which was the perfect segway into making music.”

“I’m now on my third single, which is crazy.”

But what kind of music does Hailee – this month’s MTV Push artist - actually want to make?

“I never wanted it to be out of left field. I wanted it to make sense. I’m so incredibly proud of and so excited about my new single, ‘Starving’. I’ve been a huge fan of Zedd for the longest time. We’ve talked about collaborating before and we really were trying to be in the same place at the same time and find a way to make it happen."

“He is such a great friend and it was so much fun working with him. It was amazing.”

Even though she might be best known for her acting, Hailee seems to be really at home in the studio, making music: “There’s something so freeing about going into a studio. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, doesn’t matter what you’re wearing or whether you’re wearing make-up or not.”

“You go into a room with people that you love and you feel comfortable with, and can be yourself around and be vulnerable and open up and talk about experiences. Magic happens in those moments.”

Despite being only 19 years old, Hailee is already thinking about her legacy, “I would love to be remembered as an artist that truly cared about the art,” she says. “I think that some of the greatest artists of all time, and ones that I’ve had the honour of seeing, you can feel the passion, the persistence and the hard work.”

'Hailee Steinfeld is this month’s MTV Push artist. Check out exclusive videos and more with Hailee over here.'

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