Friday, August 28, 2009

Kris Allen: Homegrown Talent (Front Porch cover story)

Kris Allen is in many respects an all-American kid from the south, who grew up around fireflies and campfires.

So, it’s no surprise that a few of his favorite past-times include camping, swimming and hiking Pinnacle Mountain, one of the states most popular attractions.

“We have that nature thing going,” Allen said. “I’ve always loved that about the state.”

The organic, earthy charm of this American Idol superstar has deep roots. He is a true native. Born in Jacksonville, he lived there until the age of 16 before relocating to nearby Conway. One could say he’s holding onto the folks in this state, the way tree sap sticks to the hand. That’s a dedication that’s hard to find.

His memories are sweet and robust. They include trips to nearby lakes, playing baseball games and vast amounts of time devoted to music.

“My dad was a musician, and he had a tremendous influence on me,” Allen said. “There was always music in our house.”

Its effect made Allen want to play. He took up the viola at age 9. He credits his success with that instrument to his music teacher Jim Hatch.

Read the full Front Porch article (pages 6-9)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Kris Allen: Idolatry interview, part 5

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen interviewed for Entertainment Weekly's "Idolatry".

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Kris Allen: Idolatry interview, part 4

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen interviewed for Entertainment Weekly's "Idolatry".


Kris Allen: Idolatry interview, part 3

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen interviewed for Entertainment Weekly's "Idolatry".


Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Kris Allen: Idolatry interview, part 2

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen interviewed for Entertainment Weekly's "Idolatry". Part 2.


Kris Allen: Idolatry interview, part 1

American Idol Season 8 winner Kris Allen interviewed for Entertainment Weekly's "Idolatry".

Monday, August 24, 2009

American Idol winner Kris Allen is mastering the fame game

And you think you've had a crazy year.

Give this whirlwind a whirl: In six months you've gone from unknown college dropout to ubiquitous music star, headlining arenas across the United States. Americans by the tens of millions handed you a first-place finish on the country's most popular television program, and more than 20,000 lined the streets to help you celebrate with a hometown victory parade.

Last fall you were another anonymous dude playing bar gigs, just hoping somebody would notice; today you phone up Chris Daughtry for career advice.

If 2009 has been a big, surreal blur for "American Idol" champ Kris Allen, surely you can forgive him. Point out to Allen that his upcoming concert will mark his second Detroit-area visit of the year, and he pauses, silent. Nudge him with a reminder that he was here in March, when "American Idol" filmed a dedicated Motown episode, and he pipes back up:

"Yeah, that's right!"

The 24-year-old singer-guitarist will lead the 2009 finalists, including runner-up Adam Lambert, as the latest "American Idols Live!" tour winds its way into the Palace on Wednesday. Allen spent the first half of the year learning what it was like to star on a major television show. This summer is now a crash course in the one-of-a-kind grind of concert touring.

"It's not the easiest thing in the world," concedes Allen, who married his longtime girlfriend in September, just months before life abruptly veered down the "Idol" track. "There's not a whole lot of sleep, and you're not on any kind of schedule. You arrive in some places at 5 or 6 in the morning, then some places at 1 or 2 -- it's always different. But every night is totally worth it. The shows are what we do this for."

Read the full Free Press article

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Kris Allen: The Ultimate Interview, part four

In the final part of this four-part interview, "American Idol" winner Kris Allen reflects talks about the "Idol" tour and discusses what's next in his music career. (check the archives for parts 1-3)

LAT: Before you auditioned for “American Idol,” was there ever a point where you were ready to give up music and get a 9-to-5 job?

KA: I don’t know if there was a time when I was going to give up music completely. I was going to give up trying so hard, because whether it would be playing at a church or playing at weddings or anything like that, I felt like music would always be a part of who I was, but yeah, I was totally ready. I was going back to college and was going to finish and hopefully get a decent job so me and my wife could have a comfortable life together, which would have been fine. But things worked out this way. I’m really happy.

LAT: And now you’re working on your first album for a major label. What is your vision for this debut release?

KA: I think the vision that I have for the first album is so hard to put into words. I know that it’s going to be music that people like and something that is hopefully different than maybe people have heard in a while or maybe ever. I hope that it’s something that grabs people lyrically-wise, subject matter and even musically as well, but something that’s different from what people are doing right now.

LAT: Are you writing songs for the album?

KA: I pushed for that. I wanted to be part of the writing process. I don’t know if I can. There’s so much going on right now with the tour and all that. But yeah, we’ve done a lot of co-writing sessions and it’s been an experience because you learn from people who have been writing songs for a long time.

LAT: Are you happy with how it’s going so far?

KA: The first session I had went well, but the song didn’t end up as something I wanted to do on the album. I was intimidated, so I didn’t put my two cents in as much as I should have, and then the next one went really well and I got more comfortable. Same thing with the song though. Closer to what I wanted, but not completely there. And then I was with somebody yesterday and it was weird, but it went really well and I think it’s getting there. I really do. I’m excited.

LAT: Before the summer tour started, what was the biggest audience you had played for?

KA: I played for 20,000 at the home visit [to Conway, Ark., during top three week on “American Idol”]. That was definitely millions of percent bigger than anything I’ve ever done and it was very cool to sing in front of that many people. And then I sang at the Wal-Mart shareholders’ meeting and I think there were 16,000 people there. I did the national anthem at the Lakers’ game. I don’t know how many people were there. But before all that stuff, maybe like 200, 300.

LAT: Is there a different energy playing for 20,000 people instead of 200?

KA: It’s a completely different energy. I had a best friend that I’ve been playing music with and we always talked about what it would be like to be playing in front of arenas of thousands and thousands of people. When you’re singing in front of that many people, the energy they give you is so captivating that you want to give them something to cheer about.

Read the rest of The Ultimate Interview, Part Four

Friday, August 21, 2009

Kris Allen, The Ultimate interview, part three

In the third part of this four-part interview, "American Idol" winner Kris Allen discusses his experience on the show and his notable song choices that helped him clinch the season 8 crown.

LAT: You earned a reputation on “American Idol” for taking well-known songs and making them your own. Is that something you’ve always done?

KA: Yes. When you play in bars and you have to play for three hours, you have to play songs people know. I never wanted to just play a song that people know. I wanted people to think, “That’s a cool way to sing that song” or “That’s a cool way to play that song,” and so it’s always been a part of what I do as a performer.

LAT: What are some of the songs you would interpret while playing clubs?

KA: I used to do “Man in the Mirror,” which I sang on the top 36 night. R&B songs are always fun to do, to have people hear it from a white guy on the guitar.

That song has always done something for me for some reason. It has a good message. It’s Michael Jackson. It’s a great song. There were a couple songs that I wanted to do that week that I wasn’t able to due to clearance problems. I went through this list of 300 songs and that one wasn’t on there. I didn’t want to do anything on that list. I think there were more songs than that, but there was nothing that I wanted to do. That song popped in my head and I thought, “Just go with it.”

LAT: Describe the process of making songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Heartless” your own.

KA: I completely forget about the song as [the original artist] does it and I think how I would play the song phrasing-wise, chord structure-wise and feeling-wise. It all comes together. I hear what it’s going to sound like in my head and I run with it.

LAT: So you’re hearing your version in your head before you play it out loud?

KA: Once I hear it in my head, then I’ll start playing something on my guitar and singing along with it and it still sounds like the song but it’s not the way that person did it. Hopefully it’s a way that no one has ever thought of doing it before. That’s the way I like to do things. I like to be weird.

LAT: Let’s talk about some of the other songs you performed this season. During Grand Ole Opry week you sang “To Make You Feel My Love.”

KA: When I got onto the live show, it was one of those songs I wanted to do and I was hoping a week would come up where I could sing it. It worked well for country week. I beat the system a little bit, because Bob Dylan’s not completely country but Garth Brooks had done it before.

LAT: So you knew the Garth Brooks version?

KA: Yes, it’s one of the prettiest songs ever.

Read the rest of The Ultimate Interview, Part Three

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Kris Allen, The Ultimate Interview, part two

In the second part of this four-part interview with winner Kris Allen, the "American Idol" winner talks about auditioning for the show and the experience of using the bathroom in between Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.

LAT: When did you start watching “American Idol”?

KA: My wife and I don’t have a TV, so it was hard to keep up. But I was living with my mom last year around the time they were down to the Top Five of Season Seven and I started watching. And once you start watching “American Idol,” you really get into it. I didn’t know if I cared who won. It was interesting to watch and see what everyone was going to do. It’s a great show. And it catches you.

LAT: Had you seen some episodes here and there before that?

KA: I had. I started watching Season Six. A friend made it to Hollywood but didn’t go any further. His name was Sean Michel and it was cool to watch someone like him. He’s got this beard that’s down to here and long, long hair. An amazing voice though, and he kind of wowed people. It was cool to see someone from Arkansas make it to Hollywood.

LAT: Did you get a chance to talk to him about his experience?

KA: Yes, we did a couple shows together.

LAT: Were you encouraged or discouraged to audition after talking to Sean?

KA: I don’t know if it encouraged me. It was cool to hear someone from Arkansas being a singer/songwriter and doing his thing to make it a little bit on the show. When I think about it, it is inspiring to have someone like him who is very different have success on the show.

LAT: When did you decide to audition for “Idol”?

KA: My brother wanted to audition and he said I should come with him. I didn’t have anything else to do. This was in July of ’08. Me and my friend [Cale Mills] and my brother were just going to have a road trip. We got to Louisville and there were 12,000 people standing outside and we were the very last ones to pull up. I think we were the very last ones to sign up as well. It was intimidating.

Read the rest of The Ultimate Interview, Part Two

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Kris Allen: The Ultimate Interview, part one

"American Idol" winner Kris Allen sat down with writer Fred Bronson for an in-depth interview. In Part 1 of this four-part interview, Allen talks about his first musical influences and early musical ambitions.

Season 8 “American Idol” winner Kris Allen was born June 21, 1985, to Neil and Kimberly Allen in Jacksonville, Arkansas

LAT: Anyone who watched this season of “American Idol” had good reason to think you grew up in Conway, but that’s not true, right?

KA: I lived in Jacksonville for most of my life. My high school was in The Rock, but I lived in Jacksonville forever until college, and then I moved to Conway.

LAT: What is your earliest memory of music?

KA: Music was always in the house. My dad was a musician. He played guitar and was in a band. The earliest memory I have is somewhere around 6, 7 or 8 years old, listening to a Michael Jackson record. I think it was “Dangerous.” Just sitting in my room by myself dancing and singing and having hats on and trying to do the moonwalk in front of the mirror but it’s not working. Then my dad would walk in. Everything would stop. He would catch me, and he thought it was hilarious. So thank you, Michael Jackson.

LAT: What kind of record collection did your parents have?

KA: My dad had a lot of CDs. I remember having tapes. I didn’t even own the “Dangerous” CD; it was the tape.

LAT: Did you listen to your parents’ music?

KA: As a kid, I would listen to a lot of the music my parents owned. They were into country then, so a lot of Garth Brooks. I think my first concert was Reba McEntire. And my parents listened to old rock bands like Journey and Queen and Foreigner. I grew up loving Journey. I’m a big huge fan.

Read the rest of The Ultimate Interview, Part One

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Kris Allen's Secret Songwriting Weapon? Adam Lambert

Every "American Idol" champ's debut disc is a make-or-break affair. For every David Cook, there's a Taylor Hicks. The stakes are high, and the odds of success are slim, which is why, for his post-"Idol" debut, season-eight champ Kris Allen is hoping to increase his chances by getting a little help from his friend Adam Lambert.

"Adam will get a song, and he'll be like, 'Listen to this,' and I'll tell him what I think about it, whether I like it or not. And we were actually doing that last night. ... He was listening to some things of mine," Allen told MTV News. "He had some good things to say, some critiques to say as well. We do that to each other. ... We're just trying to help each other out."

And Allen has needed the help. By his own admission, he's struggled while balancing writing and recording with all the duties that come with being "Idol" champ. But every day, he's getting a bit better at it.

"The time thing is crazy. When you dream of making your first album, you don't dream of making it on tour. ... It's nuts, but we're finding the time to write, and writing is putting my stamp on [my album], so it's happening," he said. "To be honest, at first it was hard, because they stuck me in these co-writing sessions, and I was like, 'I've never done this before.' It was weird. I'd get in there, and I'd be like 'I don't know what to do. ... I'm sorry.' But I've gotten used to it, and it's good to bounce ideas off each other, and so I've been writing a lot with other people, and writing some stuff on my own too."

Allen has already worked with Fray guitarist Joe King, hip-hop producer Salaam Remi and famed songwriter Claude Kelly on the album, which is due in the fall. And while he's still not sure of just how many of those collaborations will actually end up on the record, he's already made one track-list decision: "No Boundaries" — the clunky, Kara DioGuardi-penned "Idol" victory single he's already stopped performing live — won't be on the album. Probably.

"I doubt it'll end up on there," Allen said. "But who knows? Maybe as a Wal-Mart bonus track or something. I love Wal-Mart."

Monday, August 10, 2009

Jonas Brothers host, Miley Cyrus sings on the Teen Choice Awards! Watch tonight

Miley Cyrus is doing her newest single, "Party in the U.S.A.," at TC 09. That's right, the pop Mega Star is all set to sing for you!

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen are up for the Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star award, and Adam is up for the Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon: Male award.

And, of course, you won't want to miss Dare the Jonas Brothers! That's going to be hilarious!

And, it's official. The casts of "Twilight" (Robert Pattison, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Ashley Greene, Nikki Reed and Kellan Lutz) and FOX's new comedy series GLEE (Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Jenna Ushkowitz, Chris Colver, Amber Riley and Kevin McHale) will appear on the show too!

Also... David Beckham, Zac Efron, Megan Fox, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Morrison, Keke Palmer, Alexis Bledel, Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester, Ellen DeGeneres and Ashley Tisdale all be there- so you'd better be there too!

Your votes pick the winners of the Teen Choice 2009 so be sure to tune in Monday, Aug. 10 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX and see how your favorites did.

Friday, August 7, 2009

'American Idol' Kris Allen plays Nassau Coliseum - Interview

Since Kris Allen's victory on "American Idol," the laid-back 24-year-old singer-songwriter from Conway, Ark., has been working nonstop, moving back and forth from the "American Idols Live" tour to working on his debut album.

"It's tough," says Allen, calling from a tour stop in Washington, D.C. "It's almost like you have to switch your brain over to the other side. It's a whole different animal. Touring is a whole different mind-set from recording."

Newsday: Is touring what you thought it would be?

KA: It's probably a little more work than I thought it would be, but other than that, the traveling is great. We're having a blast.

Newsday: Can you talk about who you're working with on the album and what it will sound like?

KA: I think I'm going to keep that under wraps for now. We are working hard with some artists, some pretty big writers in L.A. and we're getting in some songs as well. We've got some pretty good stuff so far. . . . I would say it's in the pop-rock genre - that genre is huge, but somewhere in there, with something a little bit different that I think people will like.

Newsday: There was some controversy about you not singing "No Boundaries" in the set anymore. What happened?

KA: We had it in there and the tour director came up to me with some other people and were like, "What if we put something a little bit more energetic in place of it?" I was like, "OK, let's see what we've got," and I came up with the idea of doing the Killers' song "All These Things That I've Done" and we just kind of ran with it. It was kind of a boost in my set.

Newsday: So how do you feel about the song [co-written by "Idol" judge Kara DioGuardi]?

KA: Um, no comment. I think it's a really good song.

Newsday: Have you had any surprises on the tour?

KA: I think the fans are a little bit crazier than I thought they were going to be. They like to touch you and sometimes in ways that maybe they shouldn't .

Source: Newsday

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

American Idols Live at D.C.'s Verizon Center: Kris Allen and Adam Lambert both shine

IF YOU WATCHED "American Idol" this year, you know that the TV singing competition came down to a one-on-one between two guys: Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. Both brought, as competition judge Randy Jackson might say, mad skills (dawg) to the proceedings, but only one could be crowned the winner.

It was Allen. And if you think many of Lambert's fans don't still insist their guy got shafted, just do a Google search or two. There's passion there. And maybe just a hint of crazy for flavor.

So, one might ask, what happens when you put both men on a stage and let the fans vote with their voices? That's exactly what was on the menu at the American Idols Live show Tuesday night at the Verizon Center.

The shocking results: People, um, kinda like both of them. And for good reason. But there was a lot to enjoy in an evening that drew in an audience from tweens to bluehairs and everything in between.

The Idols stage show is, unsurprisingly, a lot like the "Idol" broadcast — but only if you remove the judges, delete Ryan Seacrest, pump up the volume and give the contestants another month's worth of on-stage seasoning. What you get is a show that's not only more vibrant than the TV show, but — for all its obvious and necessary staging — more indicative of the contestants' personalities.

Read the full Express Night Out review

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Paula Abdul leaving "American Idol"

After much speculation, Paula Abdul will not be returning to “American Idol” next season.

The “Idol” judge hit her Twitter page on Tuesday night to break the news.

“With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to #Idol,” she posted on her Twitter page. “I’ll miss nurturing all the new talent, but most of all being a part of a show that I helped from day 1 become an international phenomenon.”

Following the announcement, FOX issued a statement of their own to Access Hollywood confirming Paula would not be in her judge’s chair next season for the first time since the show began in 2002.

“Paula Abdul has been an important part of the ‘American Idol’ family over the last eight seasons and we are saddened that she has decided not to return to the show. While Paula will not be continuing with us, she’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best,” the statement from FOX said.

Paula’s negotiations with “Idol” producers reportedly came down to money. According to a previous report by Radar Online, the veteran reality judge was asking for $20 million to return to the show – “Idol” was reportedly willing to offer half of that amount.

Meanwhile, last week it was confirmed that the newest member to the “Idol” judging panel, Kara DioGuardi, would be returning to the show when Season Nine bows in January.

Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and David Cook live concert on Good Morning America

This year's American Idol stars Adam Lambert and Kris Allen will join last year's winner David Cook for a free concert at the Central Park stage of Good Morning America on Friday, August 7th, on ABC.

Good Morning America starts at 7am, and the concerts usually start at 8.30am. If you're in New York City on the 7th, Central Park opens to the public at 6am.

Access Atlanta talks with Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, Anoop Desai, Michael Sarver, and Scott MacIntyre

Kris Allen said something album-related fell through so he actually had a few hours off. So his decision? Go see “The Hangover” at Phipps Plaza at 8 p.m. — by himself. Yes, the winner of “Idol” sat by himself in a dark theater alone, save for a few other souls who caught the film on a Thursday night. He said he went unrecognized as well.

“No one wanted to go with me,” he said. He said he had never seen a movie by himself. “If I want to go to movies, I want to go with friends,” he said.

So far, the album is going well. At least that’s what the honchos are telling him. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never done this before. I keep asking, ‘Is everything going okay?’ They say, ‘Everything is going great.’ Okay, good!”

He said he was getting used to co-writing. His favorite person to co-write with? Guitarist Joe King of the Fray. “That was very very fun,” he said. “We spent two days in Virginia. I came to their show. He went to our show. ”

Read the rest on Kris and the other Idols

Monday, August 3, 2009

The Golden Idol: Kris Allen

» EXPRESS: You've said before that your love of music and experience with it began at a young age. Was there ever a specific moment when you knew that music was what you wanted to do with your life?
» KRIS ALLEN: [When I was] around 6 or 7, I bought the "Dangerous" album by Michael Jackson on cassette and listened, danced, sang to it non-stop. The moment that I knew that music [was] what I wanted to do with my life was the summer after freshman year of college, when I wrote my first song.
» EXPRESS: While on "American Idol," you performed with huge artists like Keith Urban and Brian May of Queen. What were those experiences like, and are there any artists out there right now who you would dream of performing with?
» KRIS ALLEN: Performing with Keith was a cool experience because he is so down-to-earth -- [an] amazing musician and a nice guy who was easy and fun to work with. Singing with Brian May was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had because I'm a huge fan of Queen, and he is incredible. My dream would be to work with Paul McCartney.

Read the full Express Night Out interview

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and gang rock Charlotte

If “American Idol” the TV show is one five-month-long education, then consider its concert tour the graduation ceremony: Freed from the pressure of being graded – er, judged – it's one last chance for a disparate group to celebrate what was before heading their separate ways.

Saturday's stop before a nearly full house at Time Warner Cable Arena provided plenty of clues about what awaits the top 10 contestants from the most recent season.

“Idol” winner Kris Allen was the anti-artifice, a straightforward proposition who took the stage sporting a plaid shirt and jeans. Starting with a muscular cover of Kanye West's “Heartless,” he provided the life-affirming valedictory after Adam's glitter rave, with natural stage presence and a stronger voice and piano and guitar ability than was apparent on the show. And mercifully, he ditched the overwrought “Idol” ballad “No Boundaries” in favor of the Killers' “All These Things That I've Done.”

All of that makes Allen's post-“Idol” musical direction completely clear: He's mainstream soft rock. Lambert, on the other hand, is a trickier proposition: Of all the show's contestants, he has the greatest potential to be a transformative male solo pop-rock star in a landscape that has produced few in recent years.

Read the full Charlotte Observer story

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Time for Kids chats with Season 8's American Idols

The American Idol Top 10 contestants discuss life on the road, the importance of staying true to yourself and the lessons they have learned. Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud, Megan Joy, Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai, Scott MacIntyre, and Michael Sarver interviewed by Time for Kids.