Sam Woolf – American Idol

By starrymag | May 5, 2014

Q) What did you think about the twist last night?  I know you obviously probably aren’t going to say what you voted, but were you surprised that they decided not to wait till next week?

A) No, I wasn’t really surprised.  I think that was a better idea because I think we should have just stuck to the original having one person leave a week.  I don’t know why they suddenly want to change it.

Q) I know you guys get kind of mentoring every week and everything, but I noticed this week it seemed like everybody really, really improved on the things that they’ve been telling and you seemed so much, in my opinion, less shy this week and you really seemed like you were singing out to the audience.  Was there different mentoring this week or was it just that everybody seemed to finally get in that groove?

A) Yes, I mean I feel like all the performances are getting us, each performance we’re more comfortable on stage and stuff.  And I feel that Jason Mraz really helped with that too.

Q) You tweeted to your fans not to hate Alex and Jena for voting no.  Why should they not hate them?

A) Well, because they didn’t know, I mean they didn’t know.  Anybody could’ve went home.

Q) And you did vote yes to keep the group together for another week.  Is that right?

A) Yes, I did vote yes, but after I voted yes I knew that the other people were voting no, so I was agreeing with them but I couldn’t change my answer.

Q) So you didn’t vote yes because you thought that you were going to be going if the low votes did count this time?

A) Yes.

Q) How did the support you received from your hometown really motivate you in the competition?

A) It’s crazy, you guys, like seriously the support given me means so much to me.  I wouldn’t be, I don’t think I’d make it this far without you guys, and so it just really means a lot to me.

Q) What are your future plans about school?  Will you be coming back to Braden River and are you going to Berklee in the fall?

A) Yes, well my plan is to go to Berklee in the fall, but if something comes up then that might change.  But, yes, I’m coming back to Florida today and then I don’t know, and then I’m flying out Sunday to somewhere else.  I don’t know if I’m coming back to Braden River yet.

Q) America chose both songs that you sang Wednesday night and the judges kind of thought you struggled just a little bit with both of them.  How’d you feel about those song choices personally, and is it frustrating at all that you got eliminated the week when you couldn’t even choose your own songs?  I mean you must have kind of felt like that was out of your hands.

A) Well, I mean I thought they were good song choices for me, it was just I had trouble pulling them off kind of.

Q) There seemed to be clear front runners at the end of every performing show and they tend to be the same contestants week after week.  Like, for example, Caleb, I don’t think he’s ever even landed in the bottom of the pack based on votes before.  When you were competing, did you feel strongly that you could actually win this show or did you kind of unfortunately feel like there was a predictable pecking order sort of until the top two or three?  Like how did you feel each week?

A) Well I was just kind of focusing on each week.  I wasn’t really focused on winning; I mean I was just trying to get by each week and just trying to make it as far as I could.

Q) Now a few weeks or so ago the judges used their one save of the season on you, so take us back to that night.  Did you have any idea that they would save you and then once they did what was kind of going through your head at the time?

A) Yes, I didn’t think, I had no idea if they were going to save me.  I just remember my name being called, that I had to sing.  Yes, I was so nervous, but happy to be saved.

Q) And then a couple weeks ago the theme was competitors pick, so you all got to pick songs for each other, so what was that like?  I mean, you chose a song for Jessica and then she chose the song for you, I believe, so what was that like?

A) I liked that theme because I got good song choices, but I was definitely, before when I first heard the theme I was really scared for it because I didn’t know what they were going to pick.

Q) Why did you chose “Gunpowder and Lead” for Jessica?

A) Just because I know how much she likes Miranda Lambert. I know how much she likes her and I thought she would kill that song so I picked it for her.

Q) I wondered if you got any final advice from the judges last night.? Keith seemed particularly disappointed when your name was called and put his head down, so I wondered if he spoke to you after the competition and what advice he shared?

A) Yes, they all spoke to me and they were really nice.  They were just saying how they’ve seen how much I’ve grown and that I have a good career ahead of me, and they were really supportive.

Q) You said you’re flying home today and then you’re only in Florida for a couple of days then heading back.  Will you be going back to California to watch the end of the competition and get ready for the finale?

A) Yes, well I go back earlier to rehearse for the finale, but I’m going to New York.

Q) I know Keith Urban told you last week you have fans all the way over in Australia.  How does it feel to have such a widespread fan base already?

A) It’s crazy, it doesn’t seem real to me.  I mean, having all this support and it’s just like weird when I hear that there are other people supporting me in other countries.

Q) Based on that, what is the best fan feedback you’ve had so far?

A) I mean they’re all, like I get really good feedback from fans and they’re just really supportive and after each performances they always congratulate me.

Q) I think you might the only person whose ever performed a David Gray song on American Idol and you did it twice. He’s an unbelievable artist, but he’s a very old soul and you’re so young, so I’m interested to hear what connects you to his music and his song writing?

A) I don’t know.  My dad introduced me to him when I was really young and like ever since then I just started listening to his music and getting to know his music.  Yes, those two songs “Babylon” and “Sail Away” have always been one of my favorite songs.

Q) And last night we saw Randy Jackson sing “You’re Ready” at the end of the episode.  You performed an original song of yours earlier this season, and has David Gray been an inspiration to your song writing?  And do you maybe have like a contemporary folk rock kind of album coming up?

A) Yes.  I feel like the kind of music David Gray makes is the kind that I kind of want to make so he’s definitely a big influence and I think he impacts my song writing.

Q) What do you think you’ll miss most if you’ve had a chance to think about what you’ll miss most about the whole American Idol experience?

A) Just being with all the other contestants.  We’re just really close and it’s sad that one has to leave the group every week.

Q) When it comes to dating and a relationship what qualities do you look for in someone?  For example, would you prefer dating a fellow musician?

A) I think a sense of humor is what is the main thing for me.   I think it would be cool meeting a musician maybe, but I think a sense of humor is the biggest thing for me.

Q) And you mentioned in an earlier interview that you wrote you first song when you were 13 about a girl you liked.  How do you think dating will change after being on this show?  Has it given you more confidence?

A) Yes, maybe.  I don’t know, I guess.  I’m not sure, we’ll see.

Q) I was wondering how you felt about the show painting you as a teen heartthrob.  Is that a goal of yours?

A) No, I wouldn’t really place myself under that category if I had the choice.

Q) Did it make you feel uncomfortable at all?

A) Not really.  I guess sometimes, it’s just not who I originally was or who I really am.  I don’t think I’m really a heartthrob.

Q) Where do you see yourself in the next five years as an artist?

A) The next five years, well hopefully making an album.  I don’t know, because my first album I want to be organic and kind of John Mayorie, like acoustic rock.  So hopefully I’m still doing something like that.

Q) Harry said that you reminded him of ‘60s teen heartthrob Ricky Nelson.  Did you watch the videos on YouTube and what do you think of the comparison between Ricky Nelson?

A) Yes, I can definitely see where he says I remind him of him.  Ricky’s awesome; that’s a compliment.

Q) So the judges always complimented your vocal skills and it seems like the criticism just tended to base on the performance and connecting with the audience.  Can you talk a little bit about that, like is it just that you’re a shy person and still been trying to get really comfortable  on stage or was it a matter, like the judges suggested once, that you’re just still kind of lacking life experience?  I mean you are a young guy, obviously.

A) Well, I think it’s a little bit of both.  Yes, I’m definitely lacking life experience, but I’ve been trying to just connect more and try to look more comfortable on stage, but I think it’s each time I do it I get more comfortable.

Q) The judges, like we said earlier, decided to use their one save this season on you.  Because you were so close to getting eliminated at that point, did it kind of light a fire under you?

A) Yes, it definitely pumped me and I realized that I had to do, just give it my all and go for it.

Q) So I guess then the following week were you especially nervous about getting eliminated and did it surprise you that you did end up surviving, I think it was, three more weeks since that point?

A) Yes.  I was definitely a little scared because I didn’t want to get saved and then go home the following week, but I’m glad I made it to the top five, at least.  So I made it a few weeks at least with the save.

Q) You seemed pretty thrilled to have met your celebrity crush, Ariana Grande. Did she say anything to you after the show?  Any plans to keep in touch there?

A) Yes.  I really didn’t get to talk to her that much after the show.  It was mostly when we were on stage, but she was really nice.  She was really complimentary and really nice.

Q) You had so much high school support, did you know that a lot of kids at Manatee High School, about 20 minutes away, were voting for you?

A) No, I did not know that, but that’s awesome –

Q) Alex tweeted last night about the twist, now what was the feeling with you kids on stage with that twist?  I didn’t hear if somebody had asked you about if you had voted in that direction.  What were your feelings on that?

A) Well, we kind of just huddled up as a group and were deciding and at first we were like yes we should do the save thing and have another week with each other.  But as it came down to it some of us were kind of like realizing that two people then have to go home that next week if we go for this, so we just picked whatever we felt was right because we had no idea who was going home.

Q) Did you have a feeling that it might be you?

A) Yes, I had a feeling just because my performance that previous night I wasn’t too confident about it.

Q) The song last night was a little bit high for you, but it’s Ed Sheeran, which I’m kind of hoping that he duets with you at the finale.

A) Yes, that would be awesome.  Someone picked that song for me and I know the chorus is originally not in falsetto, so it was kind of difficult and different for me to have to do it an octave lower and it kind of took away from the song.  I had fun with it.

Q) Dexter has promised to get back at you for zip tying him to that chair; he said he’s going to do something to you on tour.  Are you going to be constantly looking after your back?

A) Yes.  Definitely.  I don’t know, I don’t think he’s going to be able to prank me.

Q) What are you looking forward to most about the tour?

A) For the tour I think just because I’ve never been on tour so I’m really excited to travel around the country and just meet all the fans and be up on stage with all the top ten.

Q) So how did you prepare and rehearse for your songs each week?

A) We had a schedule kind of thing and on Fridays we would run through our song with the producers and stuff.  Pretty much that would happen and Saturday we’d record the songs and Sunday, I don’t know what we did on Sunday.  Monday, Tuesday we would just rehearse the songs again –

Q) What is the first thing you’re going to do when you get back to Bradenton?

A) I’m probably going to go see Skylar and Luke.

Q) Were you a fan of the show before you were on it?  And what surprised you most about being on American Idol?

A) Good question.  Yes, I was a fan before, I watched it.  I was kind of on and off.  I was definitely surprised on how much behind the scenes stuff.  There’s a lot of waiting and a lot hard work that I didn’t know would be there.

Q) You also had some great artists reaching out to you, not only on the show, but through Twitter and things like that, social media as well.  Who are you most excited about hearing from and do you have a dream collaboration that you’d like to work with somebody that maybe reached out to you while you were on the show?

A) Yes, I would definitely want to do a colab with Ed Sheeran, just because he’s one of my biggest influences.

Q) So do you have a favorite moment thinking back?

A) Favorite moment, I think just like being with all the contestants, like all being together after every show or after every night we’d all hang out in one of the contestant’s room and just all jam and not really try to worry about much.

Q) What was running through your mind the first time you were on the big stage in front of everybody?

A) I was really scared.  I was just thinking what are the judges going to say or am I going to make it through to the live rounds, so it was crazy.

Q) We’ve seen over the course of these last several weeks how close you all are to each other.  Is there anyone in particular that you kind of bonded with the most?

A) Well, Alex and Caleb I bonded with a lot, and C.J.  Pretty much every one, man, we’re all like so close.  It’s really, and Jena, it’s hard.  I can’t even pick; we’re all really close.

Q) Was there one performance that you gave that sticks out to you as your favorite?

A) My favorite, well I had the most fun either singing “Sail Away” by David Gray or “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons.

Q) What inspired you to audition for American Idol in the first place?

A) Well I originally didn’t think I was even going to try out.  I was at Berklee College of Music for their summer program and I heard that there were auditions and somehow there was a like a way that if you auditioned at Berklee, and you sent in a video to them, you could get past the line in the regular stadium.  So I did that and ended up making the cattle call round and just kept going from there.

Q) What was the top pressure moment of your American Idol experience?

A) Oh, yes, I think definitely when it was rush week when they had to pick five guys and five girls to go to the live shows.  I was the last guy called for the fifth one, so I was definitely, that was nerve racking.

Q) So you were the last one?

A) I was the last one, but then there were three wild card picks.

Q) Is there one judge whose guidance or coaching or whatever you want to call it helped you more than any others?

A) I think they all really helped me, I think equally.  I don’t think I had a favorite or someone who –

Q) It seemed like Harry Connick Jr. was more technical with his advice?

A) Yes.

Q) I’m wondering what was the best piece of advice you were given during your time on the show?

A) Just staying true to myself and loosening up on stage, and just not worrying about the audience or anything.

Q) Would you also say that was your biggest challenge?

A) Yes, for me I feel like each week it became easier and easier to perform and I was more comfortable on stage.  But, yes, I had trouble, it was hard for me to connect and get loose on stage.  I felt like I grew from the beginning.

Q) I just wondered if you had the opportunity to collaborate with one of the judges, who would you choose and why?

A) Either, probably Keith, actually.

Q) Is there a reason why you would choose Keith?

A) I don’t know, just because I like his music and I think it would be cool to work with him.  Harry is more of like jazz and J. Lo is more like pop, I guess, so I mean Keith would be the closest one to my genre.

Q) Did you guys, all you contestants feel that you had somehow been backed into a corner by having to make that vote?  Were you afraid that if you weren’t voting unanimously there would be room for resentment or anger, not even a beyond you guys, but among the fans?  Did you sort of predict, hmm, this might be trouble if we’re not unanimous?

A) Yes.  I mean, I don’t even know what I was thinking.  I was just like, let’s just keep it as the original and have one person go home so I wasn’t really thinking too much about that.

Q) How much actual discussion was there?  I mean like minute wise, or was it just like a split second decision, or did you guys actually hash it out for a while?

A) Yes, well we kind of talked for like a minute and at first we were like yes, we should go for it and go another week and have two people be eliminated.  But then we just realized two people in one week, that would be so much.  We didn’t know who was going home either.

Q) Ultimately, do you think that it was a good thing to put in a twist like that, or do you think it was too much drama?

A) I thought it was too much drama, that’s just my opinion.  I don’t think we really had to have it.

Q) Did you have some songs picked out for next week?

A) I did.  I was going to sing, I was either going to sing a Lifehouse song or like one of that new song by Rixton, I think it’s called or the band is called, I don’t remember the name of it.

Q) We’ve seen on Twitter that you’ve made it pretty much a weekly thing to visit Mel’s, what have you been ordering at Mel’s every week?

A) Oh, thank you for that question.  Usually I just get like eggs or pancakes or I don’t know; it kind of changes.  I always get chocolate milk, though.

Q) What are you going to do now that you don’t have it right there?  You’re going to have to find a new place to go every night while you’re on tour?

A) I’m just going to have to hold it off until I come back.  Nine days without Mel’s, I don’t know how it’s going to happen.

Q) What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?

A) I just want to thank you guys so much for all the support that you’ve given me and I wouldn’t have made it this far without you guys voting for me and just giving me all the support, so I really appreciate that.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*