Category: Interviews

Backstage With ‘American Idol’s’ Paul McDonald

Last Wednesday, hours before the Top 11 from American Idol season 10 took the stage at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, I had the opportunity to talk with one of the more unique and interesting voices from this past season.

Cool, calm, and collected, 26-year-old Paul McDonald from Nashville, spoke candidly about the American Idols Live! Tour, including which contestant fell victim to the first tour prank of the summer, and working on his solo music while out on the road.

How has the tour been going?

It’s been excellent so far. We’re only like, I think, five shows in, and we got about a thousand more to go. [laughs] We go through September, and we do a handful of Canada dates, maybe one or two. Then they take us over to the Philippines.

Wow, I’m pretty sure that’s a first with taking the tour overseas. What has been the most fulfilling part of the tour for you so far?

Oh goodness. I guess it’s just the whole vibe of pretending that we’re real rock stars for the summer. We’re singing karaoke and stuff, but the production is like a huge tour. We have six buses, six semis, we have catering, we have the whole VIP kind of like a very pro tour. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, unless you’re the Rolling Stones, or Bruce Springsteen, or Carrie Underwood, or one of those, you know? So, it’s kind of cool to be in that for just a little bit and see how this grand scale of venues and touring works. It’s cool.

Do you have any kind of fun bus stories from the tour so far?

Fun bus stories? Oh gosh, I’m trying to think. We really don’t hang out on the bus too much, because they literally have us working from [about] noon. This morning I got up at like eight-thirty, we went to the Ronald McDonald House, me and Casey. We did some charity, we hung out with the kids, came back and had hair and make-up, which I don’t do any of that stuff. After that we have lunch, and then we have sound check. We go from normally from 12 noon to 12 at night. The only bus time is after the gig we go in there and like have a drink and pass out, but there has been a good story.

The first gig in Salt Lake City, Jacob Lusk decided to take a shower in the locker room — we’re playing all these big basketball arenas and stuff — and I was like, “Let me show you how it’s done fellas.” This is like “Band Pranks 101.” I got the bucket of ice, and all of us, Scotty and everybody, filled it up with ice-cold water. Jacob’s in the shower singing, you know, doing his thing. We walked in there and Casey’s filming it, and came in and just busted him with an ice cold bucket of water, and he was like, “Ahhhhh!” I was like, day one, the tour pranks begin.

Continue reading Backstage With ‘American Idol’s’ Paul McDonald

Backstage with ‘American Idol’s’ James Durbin

Hours before the Top 11 from American Idol season 10 took the stage at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, I had the opportunity to talk with a certain Idol contestant that was extremely excited and happy to be back in his neck of the woods.

Santa Cruz native, James Durbin and I sat down backstage for a pre-show chat, where he discussed getting the crowd up and on their feet during the tour, writing and recording for his album, and the episode of Idol that neither of us will be forgetting anytime soon.

So how does it feel to be performing in the Bay Area?

It feels great. We did Oakland last night, and that was insane. I’m really excited for tonight.

It has to be a cool feeling to have tried out for the show in San Francisco, and have this full circle kind of moment.

This place, HP Pavilion, I came to my very first sporting event here. It was the Sharks versus the Avalanche. I was five-years-old, packed arena, and out of every single person, my one seat, I won a CD player. And then a hockey puck got hit over [the barrier] and landed right next to me. Unfortunately the Sharks lost, but two out of three things ain’t bad.

I’ve been here so many times. I’ve seen countless wrestling shows here. I once waited for three hours and climbed on top of that cement wall to catch a glimpse of Chris Jericho. Now I have him on speed dial. We were just texting and he’s in Europe with his band touring. We went and saw Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Poison, and Motley Crue, and hang out all the time. It’s so crazy, it’s a full swing.

Very cool. Have you been able to get back to Santa Cruz while you’re here, or does everyone kind of have to come to you?

Everyone’s had to come here. I’m dying to go to Socrates and get a sandwich, but unfortunately not, which really sucks. It’s a twenty minute cab ride. I could grab lunch and come back.

So, how has the tour been going so far with the handful of shows you’ve done so far?

This will only be our sixth show out of forty-seven. It already feels like it’s been awhile, but it’s only been a blink. But, it’s gone really good; every show’s been great. Everyone’s been really receptive, everyone’s there to have a good time. Sometimes they need to be reminded that they’re supposed to have a good time. A lot of people have been sitting down.

You know, I’ve gone to a handful of Idol tours, and sometimes people treat the live show like they’re at home watching y’all on TV, instead of embracing the vibe of being at a concert.

I know some people get agitated if people are standing up, Sit down! We’re trying to watch the show! It’s a concert; you’re supposed to stand up! We enjoy it when you stand. That’s why when I come out for my set, I come out through the crowd. I want people to stand up! Stand up! Try and find me!

Continue reading Backstage with ‘American Idol’s’ James Durbin

Javier Colon Discusses His Time On ‘The Voice’

It was during the April 26, 2011 premiere episode of The Voice, which featured the blind auditions, where the audience met husband, father, and phenomenal singer Javier Colon. Colon’s voice impressed all four coaches, Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton, so much that they all turned their chairs around during his initial performance. Colon decided to make Team Adam his home for the remainder of the competition.

Colon survived the battle round and went through to the Top 16, where his performance of Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel” was a highlight of the performance night. During the Top 8, he put a modern twist on Coldplay’s “Fix You,” which would help ensure his spot representing Team Adam in the finals.

In the end, there was only a two percent difference in the voting margin between Colon and Team Blake artist, Dia Frampton. After over two months of hard work, dedication, and singing “Landslide” with Stevie Nicks on live television, Colon was announced the as the winner of The Voice season one.

The morning after his big win, Colon participated in a conference call with the press where he discussed what advice Adam Levine imparted on him during the show, his reaction to finding out he’d be singing with Stevie Nicks, and what winning means for him and his family.

When speaking about how he was going to approach the blind auditions on The Voice, Colon said that he went into it “pretty open,” and that he would have been happy on any of the coaches’ teams.

Continue reading Javier Colon Discusses His Time On ‘The Voice’

Tim Halperin Discusses The Making of “The Last Song” Music Video

There have been a few extremely talented former American Idol contestants that have faded away from the spotlight after appearing on the show. For former contestants to stay on the fans’ radar, they have to really make a concerted effort, which is exactly what season 10 Top 24 contestant, Tim Halperin has been doing.

A lot of things have happened since I last spoke with Halperin earlier this year. He released “The Last Song” as a free mp3 download right after his run on Idol ended, which led to a unique opportunity with radio DJ, Kidd Kraddick. In between going on his Piano Tour and participating in Kidd Kraddick’s “Idol Got It Wrong” competition, Halperin raised $8,000 via Kickstarter to fund the intriguing and visually stunning music video for “The Last Song,” which premiered on June 6.

Watch Halperin’s music video for “The Last Song” below, and then check out my extensive Q&A session with the singer-songwriter which took place earlier this week about the making of “The Last Song” music video, his participation in “Idol Got It Wrong,” and what he thought about this season’s American Idol results.

How long ago did you actually write “The Last Song,” and how did it come to be the song to kick off your post-Idol journey with?

I wrote “The Last Song” about a year and a half ago. I was about three months out of a long term relationship, and I kind of came to that point where I was resolved to move. It’d come to that point where a lot of time you’ll see things or remember certain memories about that other person. Every day you’ll see certain things. So, it kind of got through that for a couple months, and I was finally ready to move on. I had that line going through my head, “This is the last song I’ll write for you,” because after being with someone for quite awhile you tend to write a lot of music about them. I had that line in my head and just started filling out different lyrics and different ideas for it.

That was one of the first songs that we recorded on my full length CD that will come out in the fall. It just turned out really well, and I think that that song gives people a good picture of who I am, and also that my music is very honest and straightforward. I like to throw all my emotions on the table, because I think people can relate best to honest music. That was kind of why I put it out first after American Idol. If you’re an Idol fan that maybe hasn’t heard my music before, you’ll get a good glimpse of who I am as a songwriter.

Did you always intend to turn “The Last Song” into a music video?

No, I hadn’t really thought about doing a music video. When I gave “The Last Song” out for free, in that first week it had almost 5,000 downloads. People really seemed to latch onto it, and it started getting radio play with this radio DJ in Dallas, Kidd Kraddick. It actually got enough radio play to put it on the Top 200 radio show, and it actually hit 148 a few weeks ago, which is really cool.

So I was like, “Man, people really relate to this song,” and so I called my buddy who did my music video for “She Runs” about a year ago. These two directors, my two friends Jonathan Combs and Joe Childress, I called them up and said, “I want to do a music video, I don’t have any money.” [laughs] Which they’re familiar with that, cause I didn’t have any money for the “She Runs” video. So, they started brainstorming and said that they wanted to do another video for me. They had a great concept, but they’re like, “This is going to take some money to do it.”

We decided to do a Kickstarter page where people could donate in return for different rewards like Twitter mentions and YouTube shout outs. And we raised the whole budget. I was so excited. We raised the $8,000 in less than 30 days.

Continue reading Tim Halperin Discusses The Making of “The Last Song” Music Video

Q & A with Almost Honest’s Drew Orepeza

San Jose native Drew Orepeza, lead singer of Almost Honest, didn’t always know that music would be his chosen path.

“I always liked to sing. I sang in high school (Pioneer). I didn’t do anything formal, but I would sing at parties,” he said. “I sang at a rally once for fun.”

Even though both of his parents are musically inclined, it wasn’t until after Orepeza graduated from San Jose State University, where he received a degree in Business, that he felt like music was perhaps the right direction for him.

“I was at one of those points in my life where I wanted to do something different. I was a personal trainer, and I wasn’t really happy with what I was doing,” he explained. “So, I decided to drop everything and move to LA when I was 20. So, I started music when I was 20-21. I was a late bloomer, a late starter.”

It was also around this time that Orepeza was introduced to his Almost Honest band-mate, Justin Florence.

“[Justin’s] brother was a radio DJ, and I had cut a demo. I gave it to [him] to listen to; I wanted his critique. It wasn’t very good at that point. He thought there was promise, and he said, ‘My brother is a guitarist. He just got out of a project and he’s looking for something different.’ So he introduced us, and we met at his house one night, and we just jammed. It just kind of clicked.”

Flash-forward to the present, Almost Honest is currently gearing up to release their debut record this early this summer.

This past April, in between flying back and forth to LA to put the finishing touches on Almost Honest’s record, Orepeza and I had an opportunity to sit down one night in Downtown San Jose to talk music, the band, and what to expect from their first record, which Orepeza said, “sounds nothing like what you’ve heard that we’ve done before.”

What artists had an influence on your music?

Growing up, I listened to a lot of 70’s rock. James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, and a lot of classic rock. I think for me, what kind of got me into music was more of the indie scene stuff. An artist named Ernie Halter, Tony Lucca, and some LA guys. I started listening to them around the time I started writing. They kind of inspired me to pick up a guitar and start writing. So, it was more of the indie-folk kind of rock stuff that really got me to where I am with my writing.

How long had you and Justin been playing together before you started playing shows?

After about two months of just trying to throw some songs together, we had a song or two, and we played covers. We had a 6-song set. We played a coffee shop probably like two months after we had met. It was like 12 people. It was like a little coffee shop, but it was fun. I’ll never forget it.

We were really green, but people were like if you guys stick with it, you guys have something special.

Continue reading Q & A with Almost Honest’s Drew Orepeza

David Cook Live in San Jose, CA – Mix 106.5 Mixxer

Tonight I got to attend the private acoustic Mix 106.5 David Cook Mixxer at the Hotel De Anza.

This was such a treat to attend! I’ve been a longtime fan of David’s since seasoncredit: KirstenCoachman.com seven of American Idol, and I’ve gotten to see him play a handful of times, but I have always wanted to see him play an acoustic set.

David and his guitarist, Neal Tiemann did a short 4-song set for the audience, which included, “Heroes,” “Come Back To Me,” “Light On,” and “The Last Goodbye.”

Check out my video of “The Last Goodbye” after the cut!

Continue reading David Cook Live in San Jose, CA – Mix 106.5 Mixxer

Meet Jessie Frye

Jessie Frye describes her music as “Oscar Wilde climbing into a piano and drinking lots of espresso,” whereas I would describe the Texas native’s music as a refreshing addition to today’s music scene that is reminiscent of The Cranberries mixed in with PJ Harvey and Liz Phair, along with a dash of Sara Bareilles for good measure.

Frye’s first step into the musical world was when she was eight years old and started taking voice lessons. At around the age of 11 or 12, she began piano lessons. For Frye, it was right after she started playing piano that she realized that she was meant to be a creator and make music.

While growing up in Dallas, Texas, Frye listened to the music that that would shape her as an artist, including acts such as The Cure, Tori Amos, Michael Jackson and the pre-rapping days of Madonna. Also, as a huge fan of literature, she counts Oscar Wilde as a huge creative influence. She credits him, saying, “His outlook and his passion and his philosophy really inspired the core beliefs that I have about art.”

In 2008, Frye released her debut EP, The Delve, which she describes as having that “DIY charm,” and that “it’s very innocent, it’s very organic and raw.”

At age 22, the now Denton-based Frye is fresh off her third turn of performing at SXSW and is gearing up to release her second EP, Fireworks Child, this week.

Last month, I spoke with Frye over the phone to talk about performing live, her new EP, Fireworks Child, and her goals for the future. So, without further ado, meet Jessie Frye.

Around what age did you start writing music?

Well, like 11 years old. But, they were horrible, obviously. I feel like you have to feel things out and write some really private bad stuff before you start writing the good stuff. I know good is relative, but when you’re 11, your songwriting probably isn’t as polished as when you’re 20 or something like that.

As you progressed into writing songs that you would go on to perform, where was the inspiration coming from? 

Experiences. I always try to think when I’m writing songs, I think a lot of people think, well, this is about love or this is about a relationship, but for me I try to describe it. Not so much that it’s storytelling, but it’s abstract at the same time, so you take whatever you want from it; like using metaphors, not using blatant sentences in your lyrics. To me, lyrics are a really, really important thing, and no matter how good the music is, I can’t listen to it if your lyrics are dumb. You know, I just can’t do it. I spend a lot more time on lyric writing than I spend on actually arranging the music.

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Catching Up With Tim Halperin, Part Two


In the first part of my chat with American Idol season 10 Top 24 contestant, Tim Halperin, we touched on the earlier rounds of his Idol journey, from his initial audition in front of the judges in L.A. to making it into the Top 24.

During the final part of my interview with Halperin, we talked about Top 24 from his song selection to the Wild Card round, what he took away from his American Idol experience, and what lies ahead for his music career.

How did you go about selecting your song for Top 24?

I had a list of about five or six songs that I thought would be really good. And the thing that I wanted to do for Top 24 was show off the fact that I wasn’t a one-trick pony; I wasn’t kind of pigeon-holed in one sound. Up until that point, I had really done slower kind of ballad type songs, which is definitely probably one of my strongest types of songs to sing, but there’s also this soulful part of my voice. I love doing soul/pop-rock kind of tunes.

I was looking at Gavin DeGraw, I was looking at John Mayer, and of course that Rob Thomas song. We rehearsed, and felt the Rob Thomas song was just a really good fit for my voice.

Rehearsals went well, I was able to fine-tune it, and I felt like even the on stage rehearsals were going really well. I thought the performance, to be honest with you, went really well. If you notice when you watch the crowd, they really loved it. I thought that it went really well, and the judges thought that it wasn’t my style. Maybe it wasn’t, and I can see where they’re coming from, just because all they’d really heard me perform were ballads. Maybe I should have stuck with that sound for my first round, before I ventured off into something else.

For me, I have no regrets with that song choice. The other thing that was kind of hard to deal with was when Ryan asked Steven what type of song I should have picked and he said John Mayer or Jason Mraz, when in fact, John Mayer co-wrote that song that I sang and played guitar on the track. So that was kind of frustrating to hear.

I felt like all the way through I had good performances. I feel really lucky to have done that.

You play piano, so I am wondering at what point did they tell you that you guys were not going to be using instruments for that first performance?

They told us well in advance, and you know it’s hard, but at the same time I don’t think I would have used the piano even if I was able to. In my mind looking back on it, if I was able to it probably would have been a good thing, because piano kind of set me apart. But, I wanted to show the fact that I wasn’t stuck behind my instrument. A lot of flack that contestants have gotten in the past that play instruments is that they can’t perform without it. I wanted to show that I was very comfortable on stage and very comfortable performing without [playing piano], which I feel like I was able to prove. I thought the performance was for sure really good. Yeah, we knew well in advance that we couldn’t use instruments.

Was it that you couldn’t use it for that one performance or was it a stipulation for the season?

It’s decided on a round by round basis. I’m not even sure what’s going on this time. It’s the same as it’s been in the past, certain rounds people are allowed to use instruments and certain rounds, and certain rounds they’re not.

My thought is just because last season, there were so many people using instruments, and the responses were that they were using them as a crutch. So, my thought is that they probably won’t let people use instruments as much this year.

I was just wondering about that, because we saw a few people that had used instruments in earlier rounds get eliminated last week. And I figured because the last three winners (David Cook, Kris Allen and Lee DeWyze) all fall under that blanket category of singer-songwriter is possibly why Idol seems to be looking for pop star, rather than the singer-songwriter type this season.

Yeah, that could be it. But at the same time, the people in the Top 13 are definitely all extremely talented. Is it hard being a singer-songwriter and not being able to use your instrument? Yeah, you know it is. At the same time, I feel like I got what I wanted out of it. Because I do play an instrument and I have experience, now it’s going to be really easy for me to make the transition back into putting out a record and doing shows again.
Continue reading Catching Up With Tim Halperin, Part Two

Catching Up With Tim Halperin, Part One

I find that it’s hard to ignore talent. The main reason I continue to watch American Idol after all these years is to see what each season’s crop of talent brings to the table. This season we were introduced to 23-year-old Tim Halperin, a singer-songwriter from Fort Worth, TX. After making it through to Hollywood Week, Halperin moved on next to the Vegas round where he had a stellar, standout performance, which helped take him to through the Top 24.

After falling short of making the Top 13 this past week, Halperin headed home to Omaha, NE to be with his family. He graciously took the time to chat with me over the phone this weekend about his American Idol experience.

I know it’s been only a couple days, but how is post-Idol life treating you?

It’s good. It’s a transition, for sure. It’s crazy going from being on the number one TV show in America to being back in reality. I feel like I’ve had a smooth transition for the most part.

How did you first get your start in music?

I grew up just loving music, started taking piano lessons at six-years-old. In middle school, I started playing with the worship team at church, and then eventually started playing with bands in high school. And when I went off to college at TCU, I had started recording and playing some more shows. Then I graduated from TCU here in May.

Wow, so you’re fresh out of college?

Yeah, timing-wise it was really perfect for Idol to happen.

So, when did you really start working on your songwriting?

It was about during my sophomore year of high school I believe when I wrote my first kind of serious song. It was really slow at first. You know, I’d write a couple here. When I got to college, I just started writing some more. I played a talent show my sophomore year of college, and people were wondering when I was going to release some of the songs that I had written. And I was like, maybe that’s a good idea. Maybe I should do a short CD. I recorded a five track CD and put it up on iTunes by the winter of my sophomore year in college. That led me to keep songwriting.

And songwriting you know, is just like anything else; the more practice you have, the better you get. I feel like I really started figuring out who I was as an artist and who I wanted to be in the last year and a half or so. I started to write a lot more and started to feel where I was headed.

When you’re working on a song, do you start with the lyrics or do you start with the melody first?

I usually start with lyrics first. I’m not the type of person that has you know, two hours every day I’m going to song write. I usually feel just the urge to write. Either I’m going through something personally, emotionally or I’m affected by people around me who are going through something. Or I notice something I never have before, it’s usually kind of an epiphany type thing. But I try and really embrace whenever those moments happen and make time, make space for me to sit down and write.

Where have you been drawing musical inspiration from lately?

I think after I settle down and transition back into my daily life, I’m going to pull a lot of inspiration from the journey I’ve been on with American Idol. It’s funny, the songs I was writing before Idol happened, I had one song called, “Crash Course to Hollywood.” That song was just about me coming to terms with after college I wanted to pursue music and give it a shot for a couple of years. So that’s where that song came from, and of course any kind of relationship that I’ve had. I’m single right now, so it’s kind of been this whole transition out of college is where I’ve been drawing my inspiration lately.

Very cool, now switching gears over to Idol, you tried out in L.A., right?

I did. I actually tried out on MySpace.

That makes a little more sense to me, because when I was looking back at your journey on the show prior to talking to you today, I was wondering why you had tried out in L.A., because you’re not from L.A.

Yeah, that’s funny, because they went through Austin. I actually tried out for Idol three years ago when they went through Omaha. I hadn’t really figured out who I was as an artist, and I hadn’t had as near the amount of performance experience on stage. I was really nervous and the audition didn’t go very well. I was kind of content on not trying out ever again. Someone I respected, who also plays music, called me up and said, ‘Hey, they’re doing MySpace auditions. You might as well send in a webcam video.’

Had you been a fan of the show before trying out?

Was I an Idol fan? Um…no. [laughs] Especially if you play music, and I was booking my own shows and recording my record, you kind of look at that show and go, ‘That’s not fair. Those people are getting all this free exposure,’ and here I am working my tail off.

I never really watched [the show]. I wasn’t the biggest Idol fan. But now after going through it, it’s so legit. The people that they have working with you are incredible.
Continue reading Catching Up With Tim Halperin, Part One

Jane Lynch Talks About ‘Glee’s’ Big Super Bowl Special

Glee finally returns for a special episode after Super Bowl XLV this coming Sunday. Jane Lynch, who plays fan favorite Sue Sylvester, talked during a conference call earlier this week about the upcoming episode, which she described as “on steroids and writ large,” the different sides of her character, and how playing Sue Sylvester influences today’s girls.

It’s always a big deal for the show that gets to follow the Super Bowl every year, and this year Glee is taking the bull by the horns for it’s biggest episode, yet. Lynch commented on the two opposite TV forces coming together this Sunday.

“Football is very masculine and basically, to me, anyway, a metaphor for war. You’ve got your air game and your ground game. And you’ve got these “light in your loafers” guys, and I’m talking about even the straight guys, singing and dancing. I think it’s a terrific world we live in and I love seeing these two things come together,” she said.

The cast of Glee started filming the episode after the holidays, yet were seen only a couple weeks ago shooting footage during New Directions’ half-time performance. Lynch told us that it was all for additional footage.

“This is a big episode. It’s kind of like the Madonna episode. It’s like the episode we for four months, like it drags on that long. I think we started actually after the holidays, but we needed to pick up a couple of really quick reaction shots during the “Thriller” song. They were really quick and fast, and everybody had to get back into everything. You know, the zombie makeup, etc. So, it was a big deal for two shots,” she explained.

This season on Glee, the audience has seen two different sides of Sue Sylvester; the side where she’s terribly mean and is shooting off some of the funniest one-liners on the show, and she has also shown a softer side when visiting her sister in the rest home. Lynch filled us in about which side of Sue we would be seeing Sunday night.

“Sue Sylvester is a little bored with her routine, even though she has kids riding around on BMX bikes and jumping through fire. And this one routine with Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” she wants to top herself, so she finds out there’s a human cannon in town, she buys it, and wants to shoot Brittany out of it,” Lynch said.
Continue reading Jane Lynch Talks About ‘Glee’s’ Big Super Bowl Special