In a pure twist of fate, verging on miracle status, I got the chance to sit down with four of the top 10 “American Idols” before their concert Sunday night. Chekezie Eze, David Archuleta, Michael Johns and Kristy Lee Cook dished on the tour and gave sneak peaks into their future albums.
Chekezie Eze
This 22-year-old tenth place finalist, from Inglewood, Calif., who barely squeezed into the tour line-up, was best known for his eclectic styling’s while on the show, ranging from old-school R&B to alternative rock in his list of influences. Looking a bit haggard with drooping eyelids and a soft spoken demeanor, Eze gave some insight into possible woes of the road.
“It’s not difficult for us but it’s difficult for our families, they kind of don’t get how stuff works out here and how you have to really focus,” he said. “When you’re on tour that’s your main concern. It’s not that you don’t care about them it’s just your working. It’s like if someone calls you at your job.”
Question: What’s the tour schedule been like?
Answer: Generally we’ll get to a city at five in the morning and sleep until about 11 and leave to go to the venue. Then we’re working at the venue doing press and meet and greets, and hair and makeup. Then we start the show and do more meet and greets at the end until about midnight then we go to the next venue.
A: Every few cities we get a break, but we don’t ever get to go home. They’re going to keep us going full speed ahead until the end of the tour.
Q: What would you say the largest difference is between being on the show and now being on tour?
A: It’s a lot more real now. The crowd is humongous, when someone says there’s 20,000 people in the audience tonight, you see those 20,000 people. As opposed to someone telling you, ‘oh there’s 26 million people who watched the show tonight,’ and you only saw like maybe a thousand.
Q: What are your plans for after the tour? Are you working on an album?
A: I’m writing right now, since we’re still on a contract with the show I’m waiting for that to be over so I can start doing some real shopping, but it’s mostly talk right now.
Q: Have you thought about what kind of direction you would like your album to go in? Or what kind of sound you’d like to have?
A: An idea that keeps coming into my head is the word, 'revolutionary.' A lot of what’s going on in the industry right now is same ol’ same ol’. It’s an ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ type of mentality; everyone’s just sticking to the same old tricks. Yeah, they work, yeah they’re enjoyable, they’re entertaining, but it just seems like everything’s on a standstill like we’re on a treadmill.
Q: I remember on the show you and David Hernandez became friends. Have you heard from him? Are you guys still close?
A: Yeah that’s my brother. We’re still cool and everything but he’s just busy doing his thing right now and I’m busy doing mine, but when it’s all said and done we’ll get back together.
David Archuleta
The 17-year-old runner-up from Murray, Utah is a true teenager, who just happens to be able to sing. If you’ve wondered if his “oh gosh” routine is a act you can stop, because it isn’t. Like much of the ADD diagnosed youth of America, Archuleta twiddled his thumbs and fiddled with his t-shirt, unable to hide his adorably awkward immaturity. I chatted at length about his future and how “awesome” it is to get fan mail.
Question: How have things been going, looks like they’re keeping you guys pretty busy?
Answer: It’s a lot of work, but its all fun. It’s kind of been more of a laid back feel now that we’re used to it, and kind of in the routine.
Q: After the show I know you signed a record deal with Jive [Records] and are working on putting out an album. How is it trying to do that and be on tour?
A: When I do have breaks that’s when I work on it, which is kind of difficult because it takes a lot of work to make an album, so when the only time you have to do it is during your breaks it gets pretty crazy.
Q: What’s this album going to sound like?
A: It’s going be a pop album for sure. We’re going to try to put a little soul in some of the songs, a kind of R&B flavor, and more of an alternative feel to some of the others, but mostly kind of a pop sound.
Q: Are you going to be doing any major collaborations with other famous pop stars?
A: Yeah, but I don’t know if I can talk about it yet. I don’t want them to be bothered with people asking about it yet (chuckles).
Q: What’s been the hardest thing to get used to while on tour?
A: Signing stuff.
Q: Really? Why?
A: Because they’re so many people you have to get through and sometimes we don’t have time to go out and people get mad.
A: It’s amazing how something that no one else pays attention to is so important to do. They’re hundreds of people out there and they’re the ones on the fan sites telling you how everything went to everyone else. It’s like, ‘this person wasn’t nice,’ and ‘this person didn’t come out to say hi,’ so it’s like, oh boy (chuckles).
Q: What’s been your favorite part of the tour?
A: Well, singing is a lot of fun for me and getting to spend time with every one here, and also even though it gets hard trying to get to all of the fans its fun meeting them, cause a lot of them are little, and we get a lot of letters and those are great.
Q: You must get a ton of fan mail do you actually have the time to read all of it?
A: I try to read them as soon as I get them, because who knows when you’ll have time to read them again. In my down time I usually just try to read, because they made an effort to get it to me and say what they had to say and there’s some really special and cool letters that really get to you.
Kristy Lee Cook
The 24-year-old down home, country girl of Selma, Ore. came in perky as ever, though she admitted she hadn’t slept much. However, it didn’t show in her picture perfect makeup and beaming smile. She geeked out over her new Mac book, signing with Arista Nashville and her debut single, “15 Minutes of Shame."
Question: How have you been since the show? Have you signed with anyone or started working on an album?
Answer: Yep, I signed a contract with Arista. My single is coming out next month, and I have the album soon to follow I think its going to be in September.
Q: Really? Already? How did you have the time to record an album?
A: (Giggles) Every day that I had off I recorded. I think it was like four days total, yeah in four or five days total I got my album done. So, now we’re just picking what sounds we want, mastering, mixing, photo shoots, we just did a photo shoot on my day off in Portland.
Q: Is it strictly a country album?
A: Well, the country these days is kind of fun up-tempo, it’s more hipper country, so that’s kind of what it is. It’s going to have some slow songs and its going to have a patriotic song. But we’re still mixing and seeing what songs we want.
A: It’s all really exciting. But it was leaked online so you can hear it on you tube, unfortunately.
Q: I know you were just engaged. Have you been able to keep in touch with family since the tour started?
A: I actually haven’t been talking on my phone much I talk to my fiancé every now then. I’ve been mostly just messaging on my Mac book. It’s kind of cool because I have the web cam thing so they can see me. I love it, I just got it and I love it. My mom will get on there, and she’s like “we like to see you on your web cam,” and I’m like, “hi” (giggles). So, they at least get to see me.
Q: What do you like most about being on tour?
A: I think the thing I like the most is just being with everybody. We all got closer as friends. I’m really not looking forward to the end of the tour. Right we’re all hanging out, we’re all there for each other, we’re all friends and then all of sudden everyone’s going to be gone. Everyone’s like, ‘what are we going to do when this tour is over?
A: Also singing in front of everyone that voted for us and giving back to them. Everybody that has a sign for me I sign a hat and give it to them, or some signed t-shirt or something. I’m trying to give back as much as I can.
Q: What’s been the hardest part of the tour?
A: The hardest thing to get to used to is sleeping on the bus. I’ve had like four hours in three days. I’m serious, I cannot sleep on that bus (giggles). It hasn’t been very good for me.
Q: On the show fashion, especially for the females, was very important. I know you all had a budget and were able to kind of play around with your wardrobes. How important are your fashion choices now that you’re on the tour?
A: Actually we each only have two outfits that we wear for the whole tour. That's our budget (giggles). We stick to what we got, so, it’s pretty simple.
Michael Johns
Cut short due to time constraints, the 29-year-old debonair, rock crooner, of Buckhead, Ga. via Australia, quickly told me about his new album and how he’s refusing to go after a major record deal.
Question: So, I heard that you and Carly have already secured record deals.
Answer: Nope, not I.
Q: Really?
A: Yeah, I’m going to make the album by myself.
Q: So you’re going the independent route?
A: Yeah, I’ve been burned by three labels, two major, one independent, and I just don’t think I have it in me to face that rejection again. So I’ve been writing and I’m going to make it myself. We’re really not supposed to be writing while we’re on contract, but I don’t care I’ve been doing it anyway.
Q: I see you came in listening to an iPod what sorts of music are u getting into?
A: Actually I was listening to music that been submitted to me for the album. I’m accepting stuff from anyone that’ll write for me. You know when I was 21 it was like I want to write it all myself but now that I’m a little older I’ve started to understand that I can’t do it alone.
Q: What kind of record are looking to make?
A: It’s going to be your classic rock record with a lot of soul background. I’m really excited it’s going to be great.
Q: How have things been going on the tour?
A: It’s been great. I’m the oldest one here so I think I’m the only one that kind of really gets that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I hear some of the guys complaining about this and that and I’m like, 'guys you can’t do that,' because this is as good as it gets.
Check out my review of the "American Iold Live Tour 2008" concert at my entertainment blog, Columbus After 5.
