Adam Lambert and Kris Allen, the interview, post Idol

By April MacIntyre May 27, 2009, 1:40 GMT

05/20/2009 - Adam Lambert and Kris Allen - Adam Lambert and Kris Allen are making the rounds talking to press, each sharing their unique journey on "American Idol" the before, during and after that elevated each contestant to the top of a divided fan base, those devoted to Adam, and those who only had votes and love for Kris, the winner of the FOX reality show this season. © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen are making the rounds talking to press, each sharing their unique journey on "American Idol. "  Both discuss the before, during and after that elevated each contestant to the top of a divided fan base, those devoted to Adam, and those who only had votes and love for Kris, the winner of the FOX reality show this season.

Adam Lambert and Kris Allen were on a conference call that Monsters and Critics took part in, and their combined interview is below.

Adam, would you take a Broadway role over a recording career right now?

A. Lambert I think my direction right now is to try to become a recording artist.  I spent time doing the theater thing for a number of years.  I’m not turning my back on it, but I’m definitely going in the other direction right now.

Of course I could see myself coming there eventually.  Right now I’m doing the recording thing, but that’s my family.  That was my community for years and years and I have so many friends there in shows in New York and whenever I’m in New York I plan on coming to see shows and sitting right in the front row and cheering them on.  I in no way will ever forget my roots, so to speak.  I learned so much with theater and now I’m just on a new journey and I’m learning this way.

Kris, what kind of record are you going to make?

K. Allen:  What I would want to do on a record, maybe stray a little bit on some of the stuff, but when I went on the show and did Ain’t No Sunshine, I felt like that’s the kind of stuff that I wanted to do; stuff that kind of has that feel, stuff that kind of moves people, that has that feeling. 

Adam, is theatricality cool again in rock?

A. Lambert:  I think it’s just all in the name of good entertainment.  First and foremost it is about the music, but it kind of packages it in a little bit more of a flashy, more interesting dynamic way, in my opinion.  I think theatricality is just one way of performing.  I don’t think it’s a better way or the way, but it’s my way.

I never really listen to what people say.  My thing is my favorite artists are artists that are theatrical.  Obviously when you are doing a recording things aren’t going to translate as over the top.  Doing a live performance of something it takes on another life. 

I really enjoy the recording process and it’s going to represent itself differently.  Anybody that bought an iTunes version of what I did on the show could say, “Okay, I get how he sounds in a recording session now versus how he is live.”  It’s different.  The live performance takes it to a different level.  I think people are in store for a treat; I think it’s going to be a really cool album and I’m excited to start working on it.

Talk about your influences...

A. Lambert: David Bowie’s a great example of somebody that did it.  Michael Jackson’s a good example of somebody that used theatricality and drama, Madonna; there are a slew of artists out there that do it.  I was just really lucky that American Idol embraced it because I think that it w as something a little bit new for them. 

Kris, talk about the last performances and what it meant to you, did you have enough time to rehearse?

K. Allen We had met Queen the night before and it they were really, really great and we went through it twice I think.  Then we just did it.  Seriously it was probably the best moment of the year for me because I just felt like it was like the exhale of everything.  We just had a great time together.  How can you not have a great time singing and Brian May is right next to you?  It felt great.

Adam, were you buoyed by seeing Katie Perry wear your name? 

A. Lambert: I was shocked and I was completely honored and I had this huge smile on my face the minute I saw it.  I wasn’t prepared for that.  I didn’t know she was going to do that so you can imagine my surprise. I gave her a bit hug.  She’s very down-to-earth and had some good advice for me.  She said, “Just make sure that you keep your friends that you had before all this started around you and keep them close.”  I think that she’s super talented and has a really good head on her shoulders. 

Do you think the chatter about your sexual orientation had any impact on the voting?

A. Lambert:  Probably.  

Adam, have you told Paula Abdul that she was your first concert that you ever went to and what was her reaction to that?

A. Lambert: That’s what I spoke to her about during my first audition; I remember it was televised.  At the end of my singing I said, “ I just have to say something.”  And I told her and she had a big smile on her face and it was definitely a weird full-circle moment for me because that was my first pop artist that I ever saw live and to be auditioning to become one myself in front of her had a lot of symbolism.

Kris, after you won and you said that Adam deserved to win, why?

K. Allen:  I still feel that way I feel like Adam deserved it just as much as I did; he was the most consistent person all year.  He was, seriously, one of the most gifted performers that’s ever been, that I’ve ever met.  He’s really just a great guy; we became great friends and we told each other that day, “You deserve it.”  He shot it back at me.  I think it could have gone either way and America could definitely not have gotten it wrong.  Afterwards, I really didn’t talk to too many people.  I talked to Paula and she told me that she was so proud of me and that things are going to be great.  Paula’s amazing; she’s a sweetheart. 

Kris, what was the biggest lesson/ experience on the show?

K. Allen: The biggest thing that I’ve learned has been that, for me, I’ve always kind of been a procrastinator and on the show I felt like the times that I worked the hardest were the times I did the best and that the best things happened.  I think the biggest thing I learned was that the harder you work for the thing that you love the most, then everything you want is going to come true.

Adam, you were in a musical production in Houston...

A. Lambert: I was.

What was that like?

A. Lambert:  I love Houston.  I was out there for about a month-and-a-half.  I worked for Tuts and we did a production of Brigadoon; I hadn’t spent any time in Texas before and I didn’t know what to expect. 

Everybody was so warm and welcoming and completely just out-of-their-way sweet and I was blown away.  I had a great time working there; the theater group is a class act.  They really know how to treat their people.  That was actually my first professional gig, getting an equity card is what they call it in theater and that’s like reaching a certain level.  It’s like a union for theater people and that was my first equity production so it was a big milestone for me.  Very, very good memories; I had a great time.  Great food.

Adam, what was it like after the final show?  

A. Lambert:  It was crazy; it was pretty crowded and the whole evening was overwhelming.  You can imagine that the party, just trying to interact with as many people as I could.  It was so exciting and I got to speak with Paul and Kara; we got to chat a little bit.  It was really nice being able to kind of be off-the-record, off camera and just interact.  I was really thankful for that experience. 

Kris, how did you celebrate the finale?

K. Allen" My wife and I went to the Idol party that night and that was a blast.  We had some time together there and seriously, we just have been trying to spend any time of alone time that we can together just because I know that that’s going to be very sparse right now. 

Kris, what does your wife want to do?

K. Allen I know that she’s really passionate about acting and she’s got some other passions as well, just helping people.  I know that she wants to start some foundations and things like that.  We’ll probably try to keep our work lives separate just because more than anything I don’t want her following me around and she has some things that she’s passionate about.  She will start doing those things.

She will also tell you that she does not sing and she is the worst singer in the world and … so no that will definitely not happen.

Are there any plans for duets?

K. Allen I’m going to keep that a surprise because it’s going to be really great.  I know that some people have talked to others and we are trying to get all that stuff worked out and pick out songs that we’re going to do on the tour.  It’s really going to be a blast.  Some of the ten most talented people in world. 

Adam, pick one of your favorite performances, which would it be and why?

A. Lambert:  I’m so bad at favorites.  I really had a lot of fun doing “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin.  That was a great moment.  We were really excited that it cleared; that we got the rights to use the song.  It’s an all-time favorite tune of mine and I felt very empowered onstage getting to sing that with the band. 

Adam, why were you not signed by a label yet?

A. Lambert:  I might not have gone through the proper channels, to be honest with you.  The concept of being “discovered” is kind of a dying art.  I don’t think anybody gets “discovered.”  I think you kind of have to put yourself out there.  I was doing the theater thing and on the side I started, I had a band for a while and then I started writing music.  I was just getting to the point where I was probably ready to start submitting music to labels, but then this opportunity came along and I jumped at it.  I think that things happened when they were supposed to happen. 

I think that’s one of the reasons why I decided to audition for the show is that I got to a point where I was in the ensemble of Wicked here in L.A., and it was a great job and I had a lot of friends in the cast and it was paying the bills. 

But I just wasn’t satisfied artistically and it was about a hear-and-a-half ago and I kind of was sitting alone in my room one day.  Is this it; is this my life?  I had just turned 26 and I said, “I want more. There’s more that I’m supposed to be doing, I have this feeling.”  So this was the thing that presented itself to me and I think the timing was right.  I had auditions before, but I don’t think I was ready.  Everything just lined up and I’m really, really fortunate that it worked out the way it did.

Adam, what celebrities were you most excited to meet this season?

A. Lambert I was star-struck every time.  Smokey Robinson was amazing; Jamie Foxx was amazing.  I met Lady Gaga backstage when she came on the show; that was amazing.  I can’t even name one.  Every single celebrity was coming up to me and knew who I was and that, to me, was the weirdest part.  I was like, “Wait a minute, I’m a fan of yours; you can’t be a fan of mine.”  It was so strange.  I met Fergie backstage the other night; that was really fun.  Obviously Brian May and Kiss the other night, what an honor.  Everyone that I met it kind of blew my mind. 

When I talked to Katie Perry when she came onto the show she said, “Just make sure you stay close with the friends that you had before this all started.  Really surround yourself with people that keep you grounded.”  That was really great advice. 

Adam, what would you say to people who were so disappointed that you didn’t win and how did you deal with the outcome? 

A. Lambert I know it sounds cliché, but I really feel like I won by getting to the final.  I felt like to me it’s not about the title of American Idol, it was the experience.  I made music and I got to do a different performance every week and I was able to use American Idol as a platform to get myself out there and now I have a career.  So there’s no need to dwell on the negative.  We should look forward and be excited about an album and the rest of my career.  That’s where I’m at. 

I couldn’t be happier for Kris.  He’s a good friend of mine.  I think he’s immensely talented. 

Adam, are there any designers out there in L.A. that you kind of hooked onto for your wardrobe down the line? 

A. Lambert: I have some friends here in L.A. that ended up wardrobing me for a couple of the different performances.  They’re called Skin Graft and the three designers that do that line are old friends of mine.  They ended up doing the “Ring Of Fire” jacket, the jacket for “We Are the Champions” the other night, the jacket for “Whole Lotta Love” and a lot of the jackets that I wore.  I think that we may collaborate in the future; they really get my style and I really the way that their clothes look. 

Adam, what do you wish you did differently?

A. Lambert I don’t have any regrets.  I really enjoyed my whole experience.  I don’t think I would have changed anything.  I’m just going to do my thing.  My thing is when I get up on stage and the music starts playing, I just go.  I think that that will just take care of itself on the tour. 

Adam, which mentor could you actually see yourself working with in the future?

A. Lambert I’d really love to work with Slash.  When we did the mentor shoot at the Roxy, I felt so at home with him onstage.  This guy is so rad.  Who knows?  Maybe we’ll be able to record something in the future; I would love that. 

Brian May wasn’t even a mentor, but he was onstage and I was so honored to be onstage with him.  Queen is one of my all-time favorite bands.  I would love to work with him as well. 

Adam, can you tell us a little bit more about what kind of album you would like to make?

A. Lambert Yes we’re at the drawing board right now trying to figure that out.  My view of the record industry is that it’s a little too specific lately.  The labels tend to try to put one box around every artist and keep them in one genre.  To me, I’m so fortunate because I got to use the show to get myself out there.  We don’t really have to go about it that way.  Obviously we want the album to have a cohesive sound, but I think it can kind of be a collection of different styles with me at the center of it.  Everybody knows whom I am singing it so that’s the common thread.

My thing is that I don’t want to do one specific genre or I’m more about fusion.  I kind of like adding little elements of things into the final mix and if anything I’m more fond of the 70s glam field than the 80s even though I have that style of vocal.  We’ll see what happens.  I’m kind of experimenting with that and there are a lot of pop artists that are using the “glam” kind of vibe in their music currently.  I think I’m actually part of a wave and there happens to not be many guys doing it right now.

How does that all work for you?

A. Lambert You kind of have meetings, what if? Type meetings, “So in theory this is kind of what we want to do, but we’re not going to make any official offers.”  I knew there was interest and we started talking about ideas and stuff.  I’m just thrilled that now I get to move forward and have a career in the industry.  That’s why I auditioned for the show and that’s really what kept pushing me forward.  That’s why I feel like I’ve won.  I don’t feel like the title of first or second place really matters at this point.

I think there’s a little bit of a misconception about the Début CDs.  I think that it’s a case-by-case thing.  I think that in my talks with my team, the label and the management company, we’ve discussed it.  I’ve expressed my desire to have a lot of involvement in the process. 

I’m definitely a collaborator; that’s my strength.  I don’t like to be told what to do and I don’t like to hold the reins all myself so I’m hoping that they pair me up with some amazing producers that are super talented and I know that they have some lined up already.  I think that both in the producing and the writing process I plan on being present and involved.  They are totally supportive of that and we’re really, really looking forward to the process.

Adam, is there anything that you would have changed about the final performances that you did on the last show?

A. Lambert: No.  I had a blast; I really did have a good time.  The Mad World thing was really fun because I got to change the way I performed it from the first time and I think Simon was a little confused because I think he expected what he saw the first time. 

To me, I don’t really like recreating things.  I like making something different every time so I wanted to take it to a different place.  I had a blast singing “Change is Going to Come.” I hadn’t really gotten to do that style of music on the show and I really enjoyed going there.  The “No Boundaries” single is such a great song; it’s hard to sing live and I think if anything the only thing I could change is I would have liked a little more rehearsal with that song.  ?

Adam, some of your former teachers and coaches in San Diego, like Kathy Urban and Jennifer Patterson, are talking to the press.  They’ve all sung your praises as a great performer you were even when you were just a kid. 

A. Lambert Just to get the record straight, I hardly know Jennifer Patterson.  And I know that she’s been using my name a lot.  I don’t really know her.

I know that I met her in passing, but I was never a student of hers.

With whom did you study there?

A. Lambert Kathy Urban for sure and Lynn Broyles was a huge influence as well.  I had heard some mumbling about Jennifer Patterson and I was like, “I didn’t study with her.”Mr. Smith was such a huge influence.

Did anyone try to hold you back on Idol?

A. Lambert: No.  The really cool thing about the show is that they’ve been 100% supportive of everything that I’ve done, every aspect of everything I’ve done from the music to what I’m wearing to how I perform.  I would go into a vocal session like, “I have this idea, can we try it?”  “Yes sure let’s try it.”  Ricky Mina and the band would be like, “What about his?  Can we try something like this?”  “Yes, let’s try it.”  It’s been very positive and creative and never once for a second did I feel stifled in any way. 

Adam, the wings -where did they come from?

A. Lambert: The shoulder pads were actually from the Bob Mackie showroom.

I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity and I am blown away by the amount of support that I got.  It really made my experience what it was; I felt a lot of positive reinforcement both in the press and with the fans and I really appreciate you guys.

Kris, what about you, the huge change in your lives?

K. Allen: It’s definitely a topic of conversation, all the time.  My wife's been out here during the whole thing and kind of been going through all this so if anything, we’ve kind of been getting ourselves ready for everything.  Things are definitely going to change, but we’re really strong and she’s really cool so we don’t have any questions that everything’s going to be fine. 

Kris, how did you all meet? 

K. Allen I went to college for three years.  I took two, maybe more than two years off and tried to do the music thing actually.  It didn’t work so I was actually on my way back and I was taking classes and American Idol came along and I had to drop out.  So I haven’t graduated yet.  My wife and I had been dating forever and only been married for eight months. 

Have you found out what the actual margin of victory was?

K. Allen I haven’t heard anything.  I have a feeling that it was really close.  Come on, Adam was a huge frontrunner for the whole thing and I know that there were plenty of people voting for him.

Kris, will you perform original material or covers?

K. Allen: I don’t know if there’ll be any covers on it; I know that I do write my own music, but I don’t know if we’ll be able to use any of that stuff on the first CD or not, but we’ll see.

What about Kara?

K. Allen: Maybe so it was really fun working with her on the single.  She was a blast and I really respect what she does.

What would you say to those who pulled for you?

K. Allen: Seriously, the fans are the reason that we’re here.  If I had to give a message to them I would just say thank you; I would not be here without you and I’m stoked and hoping that you’re not let down with the CD.  I know that it’s going to be great. 

Kris, what did you make of the judges' comments on Tuesday night?

K. Allen: I felt like they didn’t seriously, after we sang that last song; that song is hard to sing and I don’t think Adam or I were happy were our performances at all.  I think that they were not trying to judge us on that song more than anything and just judge us on the year, which was kind of nice.  It felt great to be judged on what we’ve done throughout the year and not exactly what we’ve done on that song.  I’d actually sung it that morning and it was fine.  It is a high song, but I’d done it this morning; it sounded great and then I think both of us just got tired and there were some sound issues where we couldn’t hear ourselves.  It was definitely a rough night at the end.  We were both getting really tired.   

Talk about the slow acceptance to your rising star on the show and those first audition jitters...

K. Allen: I think there was maybe a little bit of, “Wow, they’re not showing me.”  But it was more shock than anything because I felt like I had done my thing and a lot of other people are getting shown.  For me, that’s kind of the way I live my life though.  I’m kind of laid back and low key and every once in a while I’ll stick my head out.  That’s kind of how I did the competition and it seemed to work out. 

The very, very first audition that I did was actually really scary because I drove there and I could not talk.  We were waiting for like 14 hours because we were some of the very last ones to go.  I seriously would not talk all day and it was really scary.  I was there with my brother and I was like, “I really hope you get through because there’s no way I’m getting through.”  I sang okay, but I was really impressed that they put me through on that performance because I was really, really sick. 

Kris, what about your working with Keith Urban?

K. Allen: I don’t feel like I would go that country way.  That’s not my type of music and that’s not the feeling that I want in my album.  But seriously we had a great time together; he’s a great guy and I respect him so much as an artist, as a musician; I think he’s great. 

Kris, talk about your performance of Heartless and how you decided to rework it and the big response that it got. 

K. Allen:  We got to kind of do whatever we wanted to do as long as it got cleared.  I was listening to the album; I was listening to the Kanye album because I think it’s great.  The song came across and I was just like, “What if I do this song and made it my own?”  And I was like ... I’m just going to go for it and be bold and be risky and did it and I think it got a lot of good reviews.  I was really excited that I got to do something like that because I think it showed people what I could do.

I haven’t heard from Kanye obviously, but I have heard some other people say that he blogged about it and put the video up of me on his blog, of me stinging it on his blog.  That really meant a lot. 

Kris, what are some odd facts about you? 

K. Allen:  I am a huge sports fan.  I grew up playing sports and I’m a big, huge Razorback fan, but any sports personally.  I like watching sports; I like going to sports games and that’s kind of my life during football season for sure. 

Kris, who would you work with, collaborate with in the music industry?

K. Allen There’s a lot of people in my head; I’m not going to name any names right now, but there’s plenty of people that I would love to collaborate with, with love to produce with, would love to write songs with.  I’m not going to name any names right now though.

For me I think I’ve been getting ready for this all my life.  I’ve done a lot of things in my life; I’ve been in a lot of places.  Life gets you ready for whatever is going to happen next.  This has been just kind of everything coming into culmination of everything that I’ve already been through.  I don’t even know.  I just think that everything’s going to be great; I’m really excited.