Alex Preston – American Idol

By starrymag | May 21, 2014

Q) I know that you put a lot of your original music up online because I had looked at a lot of your YouTube stuff before.  Do you have like more things you’re going to be releasing soon or as you write more stuff are you going to be saving it more for your album that will be coming out?

A) I really do want to release as much as I can, but I am going to, I’m already starting to try to figure out a way to plan my record and I have a couple of co-writes lined up that I do want to get on the album as well.  But, yes, if I could release a single that would be awesome.  I want to get something out there as quick as I can to take advantage of this wave of publicity that the show has given me.

Q) What you have is great, even if it’s from before.  Can you talk about what are you most excited about for the finale?  I know you’re going to be singing with Jason Mraz and everything.

A) Yes, I’m probably most excited about that, singing with Jason Mraz.  Also, I’m really excited to see Jena and Caleb and their performances because they’re both so good and I’d be happy if either one of them won this whole thing.

Q) You have a fairly subtle kind of music and I was wondering when you’re standing on the side of the stage and Caleb and Jena just do some of these big blasting numbers and smashing the mic stand around and so forth, kind of what’s your reaction as you stand there listening to it and watching it?

A) I mean it’s awesome, but I can’t do that.  It’s not who I am and it’s television and people love seeing that stuff, but I always wanted to stay true to who I am and stick with my style.

Q) You work great in the intimate settings and so on.  One other thing, because you’re in this position, you know the final two better than anybody else, just tell us something interesting about each one?  Just an odd interesting thing about them personally or music, just you find interesting?

A) Well I mean they’re both so nice.  It’s crazy.  We hang out all the time and Jena is just like one of the guys.  She’s just so fun to hang out with, and Caleb and I actually have been roommates since the beginning and we were the only roommates left, at all.  We, from the very beginning of live shows we were roommates and we stuck it until the end, which was pretty cool.  And he’s just like a super cool dude.  We get a long really great.

Q) We watch all your creative renditions of songs each week and we want to know how do you make it your own?

A) I usually when I hear the song I think of how I would do it and then I usually take an hour or so and just run through the song and run through alternative chord, chordal structures, but the I meet with my vocal and arrangement coaches, Tim and Antonio, and we spend quite a while on another arrangement that fits my style.  But I think that’s how I really had the most fun this season is making those arrangements my own and it was a blast.

Q) Most contestants look at their judges as mentors.  Which judge really helped you improve the most throughout the competition?

A) I mean all of them definitely helped me.  Harry’s feedback was always really spot-on and honest, I believe.  I always took all their criticisms to heart.

Q) I was wondering if your single “I Love This Feeling” is ever going to be released?

A) I really hope so.  I’m not actually sure at this moment, but it’s an awesome song.  I really hope it’s released.

Q) Your fans really, really want to be able to download that at some point.

A)  I know.  I’ll see what’s going on with that and get information out there.

Q) One of the things the judges really encouraged you to move out of your comfort zone, which you did actually.  I was wondering if the experience of maybe moving around the stage a little bit, playing drums, putting on more of a performance is going to impact your actual performing style when you hit the road on your own solo tour? If it’s going to change the way you perform at all?

A) Totally.  This competition has really taken me out of my shell and I’ve learned a lot more about myself as a performer and I’ve become more confident in myself as a performer, too.  So I can’t wait to play drums and all these different instruments when I play live.  It’s going to be a blast.

Q) You didn’t seem that surprised when you got eliminated and you managed to maintain your composure.  So I guess did you kind of expect or anticipate your elimination at all?  I know some viewers were surprised you didn’t get emotional when you got ousted one week before the finale.

A) Yes.  I was expecting it.  Jena and Caleb are so good and their performances are so big.  I knew deep down that it was going to be them in the finale, but I was happy with top three and I was really proud of them, too.

Q) And during Wednesday night’s performance show you sang three songs, none of which though you could pick yourself.  How do you feel about all those song choices and do you think the outcome might have been different had you been able to select a song yourself that you felt you really could impress with?

A) I thought the song choices were great.  I was really happy with them and picking your own songs is obviously a lot more comforting, but having these really respected industry professionals pick out songs for you that they think you would do well is kind of an honor.  So it was a fun experience having Randy and the judges and our hometowns pick out songs for us.

Q)  Jason Mraz is one of my favorite artists, so your similar style made me a fan right from the beginning.  You talked about having coffee with him earlier this season, of course he mentored a few weeks ago.  How did your friendship with him initially start?

A) I am really, really good friends with the winners of X Factor, Alex and Sierra, and they introduced me to their friends Nancy and Michael Natter and they actually wrote “I Won’t Give Up” and a bunch of songs on Jason’s new album and so they called me up and invited me to go get coffee with Jason.  It just sparked from there.  Then he came on the show and now we’re doing a duet in the finale so it’s a crazy chain of connections.

Q) You’d mentioned that you met Jason Mraz through Alex and Sierra, so how did you meet Alex and Sierra initially?

A) They actually messaged me on Twitter and said that they dug my style and wanted to meet up and then it kind of clicked from there.  We hang out all the time now and go to the movies and hang out at their apartment and stuff.  They’re really good friends of mine and Caleb also, and Sam.  We’re all really tight with them.

Q) As you said, you both have similar styles of music.  When they were on the X Factor and they sang the song “Say Something” and you also did that same song, so did you take that into consideration at all when you chose to sing it or did it not cross your mind?

A) It actually didn’t cross my mind.  Before I had sang that I didn’t really know that they had sang it as well, but I looked it up on YouTube and they killed it.  It’s cool that we have such similar styles in music and taste in music.

Q) You’ve also been very engaging with fans on social media and you’ve used social media to be honest with people about what you’re feeling, whether it’s about your immediate reactions to the twist or this week you were talking about your bronchitis.  Were you guys as contestants given any parameters as what you could or couldn’t say on social media?

A) Not really.  I mean, I usually like to keep it real and I feel like my followers and my fans were the only reason I got this point so they deserve to know who I really am and they deserve to know what’s really on my mind.  I wouldn’t be anywhere without them so I always like to interact with them and tweet people and share my own thoughts and stuff.

Q) Yesterday, you tweeted out that this is the beginning and then this morning you teased with single, so what’s on the horizon for you?

A) I am hoping to get in the studio and record an album and definitely I want to write with as many artists as I can and songwriters that I can.  And really start collaborating and working this wave of publicity that American Idol has offered me and start using it for the future.

Q) So coming into the competition, obviously aside from winning, did you have any personal goals that you set that you really wanted to achieve while you were on the show?

A) I always set smaller goals while I was on the show, like when I was in top 30 I just wanted to make it to the 15, and then the 10, and part of the 13, and then the tour.  And once I hit top three I was just like wow, this is top three of American Idol, no matter what happens this is really awesome.  And once I hit top three I just really started thinking about a couple months from now and where I want to be and I’m starting to set more long terms goals for the future outside of this television show

Q) Alex, you did have bronchitis, you were sick when you were performing the three songs.  How tough was that to soldier on?  Was it starting to affect your performance at any point?  Because honestly if I had not read that on Twitter I wouldn’t have known you were sick.  I thought you pulled that off really well and you didn’t mention it on the show.

A) Yes, I mean I didn’t have any vocal hemorrhages or anything, but I wasn’t in top shape at all and I’m on a couple antibiotics and steroids for asthma.  But it kind of affected it.  I could feel the strain in my voice, but I knew that that’s what happens in this business and you’ve just got to push through it.

Q) Alex, how many instruments do you play?  12?

A) Something like that, I think.  A bunch.

Q) How did you learn all those instruments?  Did you take lessons of everything or did you just naturally pick it up by ear?

Q) I never really took lessons.  I took like maybe three or four guitar lessons in my life and maybe two or three vocal lessons, but that’s about it.  Well, when I was younger I actually took violin and piano, but that was when I was really young and after that I just fell in love with learning new instruments and really writing songs on new instruments because I thought it brought a really interesting flavor just on writing with these different tones like mandolin, ukulele, like all these different things.  Yes, I mean I just love buying weird, exotic instruments and just messing around with them.  It’s one of my favorite things to do probably.

Q) You remind me so much of Casey Abrams.  Are we going to be seeing any of those instruments on the tour?

A) Actually, I was just on the phone with Casey, that’s cool.  He’s the man.  But, yes, I do want to pull out as many instruments as I can on tour, for sure. I mean we’re really good friends.  We’ve hung out a bunch off times.  He’s like one of the coolest dudes and he just called me up just to say that he’s proud of me and that we should jam this weekend.

Q) You’ve been labeled as a real artist all season and when you switched from drums to guitar this week in “Pompeii,” J. Lo said that you elevated yourself to another level.  How does that make you feel when the judges give you such great feedback about your musical artistry?

A)  I think it’s awesome.  I love hearing that because that is what I wanted to give off this season is kind of an original vibe and the fact that the judges were picking up on it and America was picking up on it meant a lot to me and made me think that I was doing something right.

Q) And what were your expectations when you auditioned and came into this journey on American Idol and how has that changed now that since you’ve made it to the top three?

A) When I first auditioned I never expected to even make it through, but top three, it flew by man.  It’s a dream come true and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Q) What was it like doing an original on the show?

A) Playing original music on the show was definitely an amazing opportunity because it was in front of millions of people and that’s your own lyrics and composition that you’re playing and it’s a really cool feeling.  I think that original music being allowed on a national television such an American Idol is kind of awesome and pushes it to the next level because it starts to show the artistry in all of the singers and I think that’s a good thing.

Q) What did you learn about yourself on your American Idol journey?

A) I learned a lot about myself as a performer and a musician and as an artist.  We worked with so many professionals in pretty much every aspect of the performance and I never knew that there was this much that went into something like this.  Like meeting with choreography and stylists and like vocal coaches and arrangement coaches, and it was absolutely insane and educational experience for sure.

Q) What would you say you learned from this experience, the American Idol journey?

A) I’ve learned a lot, a lot about myself and a lot about the music industry I guess.  I think that being on American Idol really pushes a lot of aspects from the music industry at you in a really short amount of time so it all comes really fast.  And I learned that there’s so much more that goes into performing than what I originally thought.  It’s definitely helped me get a lot of confidence in myself and in my performance, especially compared to when I first started out so it’s been amazing.

Q) How do you think you will evolve as an artist? You do a lot of your own original stuff, which is really refreshing.  Do you see yourself always performing or maybe starting to write for other artists as well?

A) All I want to do for my main thing is definitely performing.  I want to perform for the rest of my life, but I also on the side do want to do songwriting with other artists because that’s so fun to collaborate with other artists.  It’s still a great way to express yourself and share different ideas with people who are doing the same thing as you.

Q) I’d love to ask some questions about your girlfriend.  You actually met Jillian during Hollywood week, so how does the rules of dating and starting a relationship change when you’re in a situation as unique and as stressful as American Idol?

A) It’s hard because we’re on opposite sides of the country, but it works out because we’re both musicians and we can always talk, Skype and she comes out to the shows a lot and I’m going to be going home before the tour.  So it does suck because we can’t see each other as much as we’d like to, but we’re both in the same industry so we both understand.

Q) Jillian was on the X Factor a few seasons ago, so did she have any unique advice for you about being on a singing competition show?

A)  Yes, she always kind of kept me, I would always be really like I did horrible or I’m leaving this week and she would always be completely honest with me, whether it be a good thing or bad thing, and tell me what she honestly thought.  She helped me through a lot in that aspect so that kept me going.

Q) I talked to Jessica last Friday when she was eliminated and she spoke about that one week you all were going to be able to choose your own songs and then at the last minute they came back and said you had to do something that they had picked out.  How was that trying to learn new songs just so quick before the performance?

A) Oh, that was tough, but we were all going to play our original songs but then we had to switch it to a different song last minute.  But I feel like it’s the name of the game, it’s just part of the business.  You’ve got to, there’s always last minute switches that you need to be prepared for.  It was tough, but we all made it through.

Q) I read where Dexter and some of the rest of them are planning moves to Nashville, are you planning any type of move or what are you plans as far as that?

A) I do want to move to either Nashville or Los Angeles or maybe even New York City, but I’m not quite sure which one yet.  I have some thinking to do.

Q) Do you have one favorite memory from the experience that really sticks out to you?

A) Well the home visit was incredible, especially the concert at the end.  It was thousands and thousands of people in this arena and I really got to show people who I really am outside the show, and that was probably the coolest experience for me.

Q) The first time you went out on the bigger stage with the whole audience in front of you on the show, what kind of was running through your mind?

A) Yes, I was incredibly nervous, but I was also really excited because on stage is like where I can really show who I am.  So I was excited to show America what I could do and I was glad I got that opportunity.

Q) Throughout the whole entire competition it was very obvious that you and Sam were very good friends.  Do you plan on someday making a collaboration with him?

A) Yes, totally.  We’re already talking about it and hopefully we can do some stuff on tour as well.  And a lot of people have been really, really pushing for us to get something out there together so hopefully that works out.  I’m sure we’re going to collaborate.

Q) Was it overwhelming to visit home and see the tremendous amount of support from your community?

A) It was, but it was a good kind of overwhelming.  It was probably the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me, especially the parade and the concert and the home town thing.  It was just absolutely insane.

Q) Alex, on “I Love This Feeling,” could you tell us who the songwriters are?

A) It’s Drew Pearson and I forget who the next other songwriter is.

Q) About Wednesday’s show, they had the doctor on stage to talk about Caleb’s vocal cord and it kind of got mentioned an awful lot.  You were sick, too, and it didn’t come up at all.  Was that your decision to sort of keep a lid on that?

A) I just didn’t want to say anything really.  I don’t know.  I remember Harry during Hollywood week was like, “Don’t tell us you’re sick because that’ll just take our attention away from the performance and we’ll focus on that.”  So, I wasn’t as sick as Caleb, obviously, because he had the vocal hemorrhages and stuff, but I wasn’t completely there.  But I didn’t really want people to know during the performance.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who has become a fan and supporter of you?

A) I also want to thank all my fans who have gotten me to this point.  I never expected to get here at all, so I love you guys and please continue to follow my updates on Twitter, @realalexpreston, and Instagram and definitely come out on tour and rock out with us.  I really appreciate it.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*