She’s an Oscar nominated actress, with decades of hard-earned Hollywood fame under her belt. But facets of her artistry remained unfulfilled. There was something else she needed to unleash. So Juliette Lewis started a rock band: Juliette & the Licks.Premiering at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, the short documentary “Hard Lovin’ Woman,” directed by Michael Rapaport, explores the sacrifices Lewis made to pursue her first love, music. Through a series of candid backstage interviews and live performances, Lewis reveals what it took – physically, financially and emotionally - to launch a music career.“Throughout the film, viewers will get to witness the real Juliette Lewis: no make-up and raw,” said Rapaport. “Hard Lovin’ Woman gives a very real experience of who Juliette is and her struggle to pursue her passion of music.” Highlights from the 27-minute short include never before seen footage of The Licks sold out 2015 reunion show, and one-on-one interviews with rock legend and Juliette’s friend Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.Here, Lewis, 42, discusses her passion for music and why pursuing it is so necessary to her as an artist.On Starting a BandJL: I very much started a whole new career right before I turned 30. It was out of a necessity, a great hunger and love for music. I figured it was better late than never. I was like, you’re 30 and you have not come out as a songwriter and performer. I better get started because I never want to live in regret of, Hey, why didn't you do that thing you love?I started so grassroots, calling people I know, saying, ‘hey, I'm looking for a guitar player.’ I did it the old-fashioned way. I put a band together. I cut my teeth live. I wrote shitty songs, I wrote better songs, and, you know, learned it all by doing it.On Rock n’ RollHow do you touch the hand of God? That’s what I’m aiming for in Rock n’ Roll. I want to break myself wide open. Is that a good thing? It’s either a masochistic streak or a real healthy middle finger raising. It’s a primal, animal energy. And if people find that crazy or off-putting, then they should. [She laughs] ‘cuz I’m all about it.On ActingSuccess early on went out of my hands. So I thought, ‘what do I want to do? Who am I as an artist? Oh, well, I want to make music. So I put a band together. There are risks. What if this doesn’t work? Few movie stars become successful as musicians. And there’s always that critical voice in my head saying – they’re not buying it. They’re not buying [that I’m a musician.] It’s exhausting. But the experience of live concerts transcends that. It’s a reciprocal exchange. You all lose yourselves together. The difference between music versus acting is I wrote all those songs; so that’s my heart and soul unleashed on stage.On Being an ArtistI want to try to live and breathe all of my facets that inspire me. And that’s the challenge. As an artist, I’m looking to express exciting ideas. I’m looking – not for contentment – ‘cuz that’s impossible. But looking for some kind of … release.“Hard Lovin’ Woman” is screening now through April 23 at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Check out the trailer here. The film will be available globally on Red Bull TV on April, 23rd
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