Bridgit Mendler Sounds Off

Bridgit Mendler Photo Credit: Getty Images

Good Luck Charlie’s” Bridgit Mendler isn’t just a fabulous comedic actress -- she’s also an aspiring singer and songwriter. Bridgit gets to show off her musical capabilities in the upcoming Disney Channel original movie Lemonade Mouth, which is now in production. The film is about a group of high school students who meet in detention and form a rock band, and Bridgit plays the part of the lead singer. The starlet was happy to chat with us about her evolving sound ... and her thrifty shopping habits.

Girl World Daily: What’s going on with your music?

Bridgit Mendler: It’s funny, when I first started writing music I was writing on the piano, and I started to notice that all of my songs sounded really jazzy. That was something I tried to steer away from, so I got an acoustic guitar and wound up writing songs like crazy. It was really fun for me because I thought I had found a sound. Now, as I’ve been producing a couple of the songs I’ve written, they’re all kind of jazzy! I’ll add horns or an old electric piano, which is called a Wurlitzer -- I want one of those so badly now. It’s been really cool.

GWD: Would you compare it to Norah Jones?

BM: I think it’s hard to pin down specifically what my sound is, but I think it’s cool that it’s coming back to those jazzy roots. A lot of people have said Norah Jones, but when I think of the sound that I aspire to follow, much of the time it’s Adele’s music. I think she’s so good. Many times when I’m working on my sound I pull influences from her. I think Pink is really cool because she’s all girl power and rock. I also really like Bob Dylan. He’s my all-time favorite. He’s a great songwriter.

GWD: Aside from those, what other artists do you like to listen to when you’re not working on your own music?

BM: I also like this band called Teagan and Sarah. I do like Taylor Swift, and I love that she writes her own songs and that she’s been successful with them.

GWD: When it comes to fashion, you seem to have a simple but feminine style. Where do you like to shop?

BM: I love thrifty stores. It’s hard for me to buy something if it’s too expensive -- I don’t think it’s worthwhile and wonder if I’m ever going to wear it again. If something is cheap, then I will like it.

GWD: Have you splurged on anything since you’ve become successful in the entertainment industry?

BM: I bought a couple of dresses recently. The dresses themselves weren’t too pricey -- they were all under $100 -- but the fact that I bought so many at one time was kind of a big deal for me.

Secrets to Star-studded Self-esteem

Celebrities know that the best accessory isn’t necessarily amazing shoes or a killer new bag; it’s having super-strong self-esteem that gives them that edge! Here, we’ve rounded up advice from some of your favorite girl celebs on how to get in the absolute best back-to-school mindset:

The Twilight Saga
’s Ashley Greene: Be Strong!
The actress who plays Alice Cullen remembers diffusing a bad situation with her school’s mean girl: “I said, ‘Listen, I’m not going to be bullied by you. I’m just going to be myself.’ Finally, we both realized we were being ridiculous and that we didn’t actually hate each other. We didn’t necessarily become best friends, but there was no reason to be hateful. It takes up too much time and energy.”

“Wizard of Waverly Place”’s Jennifer Stone: Be Healthy!

When the Disney Channel show’s Harper Finkle started an exercise kick, she was amazed at how great it made her feel: “I have to work out at least four times a week. It’s really weird -- I’ve gotten to a point where if I miss two days in a row, I get really cloudy. For me, working out is like clearing my head. It makes me a lot happier in general.”

Camp Rock
’s Ana Maria Perez de Tagle: Be Brave!
You know her as Ella Pador, and dancing was totally new to her when she got the movie role: “Go with some of your friends to a dance class. If you love it, you’ll have a fun time. If you don’t, then you won’t -- and you’ll figure out what you want to do and if you want to pursue it. I definitely learned that I love dancing.”

“Sonny With a Chance”’s Allisyn Ashley Arm: Be Silly!

The girl best known as Zora loves to break out of her shell: “I’m always testing my confidence. Whenever my friends come over, we put on disguises, like wigs and glasses. One time, I went to the mall dressed all punk-gothic. I wore big headphones and went to the food court, and they were like, ‘Hi, what can I get for you?’ And I said really loudly, ‘What? I can’t hear you. You have to speak up.’ It was really funny.”

Chatting It up With the Jonas Brothers!

It’s on! Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam -- starring everyone’s favorite brothers -- airs on the Disney Channel on September 3 at 8 p.m. (But of course, you already knew that!) The movie’s soundtrack is already on store shelves (and you probably knew that too!). But you might not know that Camp Rock 2 co-star Demi Lovato and other cast members are joining the Jonas Brothers for a concert tour, which starts in the United States before kicking off the world tour in Mexico in October.

The Jo Bros were anxious to chat with us about their new movie and tour, and we were all ears. …

Girl World Daily: What sets Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam apart from the first Camp Rock film?

Kevin Jonas: The theme of the film is that we’re going back to the camp as counselors, but we find out there’s another camp that was established across the lake. They challenge us to the rights to be the top camp. There are difficulties within our camp, as well as trying to survive with this other camp that’s very close to ours.

Joe Jonas: The first one was about finding yourself -- this time it’s about being able to rely on others, and I think that’s really important.

Girl World Daily: Did you guys write the songs for Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam?

Nick Jonas: We didn’t write any of the songs, but we love the music. We’re excited for the fans to hear it, and we’re excited to play it live this summer. The thing about the music on Camp Rock 2 is that there’s something for everyone -- there’s R&B, hip-hop, pop, rock -- so many different sounds that I think will really attract people to the film. We’re incorporating a lot of songs from Camp Rock 2 into the live show -- one is a duet with Joe and Demi, and one is with the whole cast.

Girl World Daily: What was your most memorable moment during the filming of Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam?

Kevin Jonas: I think performing the song “Heart and Soul” -- it’s one of the new songs in the movie -- was a blast. It was really cool because we filmed that back at the old camp, where we filmed the original Camp Rock movie. It was very cool to do that song there, and it was the song that me, Joe and Nick performed together. It was just a really good time.

Joe Jonas: My favorite scene was a water fight. It was pretty fun to film. Everyone got together, and we had a huge water fight. I think there were a few thousand kids that were part of it. I’ve never been a part of something like that, and it was a really cool experience for us.

5 Secrets About Cody Linley

Sadly, the Disney Channel’s hit TV show “Hannah Montana” is soon coming to an end. But Cody Linley’s career is just heating up. He’s breaking out of the Jake Ryan mold to star in a musical and has big plans for his own album too. Cody is filled with surprises, so he filled us in on a few things you probably didn’t know about him!

1. Cody won’t respond to “Jake.”

“It’s definitely interesting with the girl fans, especially when they call me ‘Jake.’ I never respond to ‘Jake.’ But of course, I stop and say hi to fans.”

2. Working with Miley Cyrus is a gas.

“Larry, the props guy, has a fart machine that he’ll hide every time Miley and I do a kissing scene in front of the audience. He’ll always set the fart machine off, and Miley screams at him!”

3. Music gets Cody totally stoked.

“I’ve been playing guitar for five years. I sing and write a lot of music about my family, my friends, the world -- everything gives me inspiration. It comes from inside of me. My girlfriend really likes it when I serenade her.”

4. Cody believes in love at first sight.

“I met my girlfriend at a party. The second I saw her, I knew she was the one for me. I pursued her for a month or two before she was like, ‘All right, you’re for real. Let’s be boyfriend and girlfriend.’”

5. Disney stars are Cody’s BFFs.

“Other Disney stars Anna Maria Perez de Tagle and Demi Lovato are some of my closest friends. Roshon Fegan, Miley Cyrus and Emily Osment -- they’re all really close to me. I care about them. We talk to each other a lot. Anna Maria, Roshon and I go bowling. I go over to Miley’s house all the time, and I just went to Demi’s birthday party.”

Hot New Music for Your Playlist!

Tired of listening to the same tunes over and over? Or maybe you’re just outgrowing a lot of the music you’ve loved in the past. Here’s our guide to some new music you’re guaranteed to dig.

If you love Taylor Swift, give a listen to Melissa Etheridge.
Teenage country crooner Taylor just scooped up four Grammy awards -- twice as many as Melissa has to her name, but rocker Melissa is a near-legend. Now, Etheridge’s new CD is titled Fearless Love, just one word shy of Taylor’s Fearless. The title track serves up a twinge of teen angst, yet Melissa’s words have a strong air of emotional maturity.

If you love Justin Bieber, give a listen to Sean Kingston.
We like My World 2.0 just as much as you do. And you’re probably all over the new single “Eenie Meenie,” a collaboration between Justin and Sean. So, if you haven’t already, why not check out SK’s most recent CD, Tomorrow? Have you seen the video for “Face Drop”? Sean proves that hot talent comes in all shapes and sizes. Love!

If you love Miley Cyrus, give a listen to Shannon Curfman.
Miley’s cool and all. So is Shannon, but with deep, deep soul -- and a killer voice. She first came on the music scene a decade ago when she was only 14. Ten years later, Shannon has just released another CD, What You’re Getting Into. Shannon’s style is more blues-y compared with Miley’s pop slant.

If you love Jonas Brothers, give a listen to Pet Shop Boys.
Pet Shop Boys’ Pandemonium Live CD/DVD was recorded at the O2 Arena in London late last year. The group manages to provide a load of eye candy with their ultra-theatrical stage show, while the ear candy is in the fabulous roundup of modern-classic electronica.

If you love Nick Jonas & the Administration, give a listen to Jonny Lang.
We’re really impressed with Nick’s solo effort, and we hear a lot of Lang-influenced hooks on Who I Am. Indeed, Nick’s keyboardist and guitarist have both played with Jonny. Jonny’s Live at the Ryman CD just dropped, offering up a wonderful shuffle of songs. When he debuted in the mid-’90s, Jonny, like Nick, was a teen music sensation. Now? A lotta blues, a little soul and a drop of urban flavor … nice.