David Archuleta
After being crowned runner-up in American Idol last year, David Archuleta’s career has gone from strength to strength, and he looks set to capture hearts all over the world.
A the tender age of just 18, David has a unique voice, and his debut UK single, Crush, is one of the most amazing songs I have heard in a long time. I caught up with David to find out about his plans for the future, living to be 100 and his love and respect for the amazing Natasha Bedingfield.
Hey David, how’s it going?
Great thanks! How about you?
Great thanks! I’m listening to your delicious song Crush! We love it! Anyway, how have the past 12 months been for you?
They have been really crazy but it’s amazing to see how much can happen to you in one year. This time last year I was actually getting ready for a school dance and I have auditioned already and we had had Hollywood week on the show but no-one knew about it and only a few people had seen the commercials that I was on and I tried to keep it as low key as I could because I was worried about people getting excited about it and them me having to tell them; “I’m back home already!â€
So I didn’t tell people, but the week after that school dance I left for good and I never came back! I didn’t even get to say goodbye to anyone because I didn’t realise how long I would last on the show, and I honestly thought “I’ll see them again soon,†but I didn’t end up seeing them until about five months later!
Aww, that’s so sweet, I bet they all knew you’d do really well! But before you entered American Idol you were in Star Search; so have you wanted to sing from an early age?
Well the first thing that made me interested in music was when I was six or seven years old and I watched Les Miserables tenth anniversary, and I was watching it on TV and I just couldn’t turn it off. I was like in love with it! I learnt all the songs and it just went on from there.
I started wanting to perform and do it as a career when the first season of American Idol started really, which is ironic, because it’s what made me first want to sing, and ultimately it is what has made me do it after all these years!
Okay, well we know you’re an amazing solo artist, but if you were offered the chance to join a band, which would you join?
As a singer? [FF: Yes!] I don’t know, I don’t know if I would want to replace any of those singers! I mean there are some awesome bands out there like U2 and Coldplay. Although I think it would be really cool to be in The Fray. And I really like Second Hand Serenade too, they sing a song called Your Call [FF: I don’t know that song.]
I want to try to learn it, I can play it on the guitar because it’s pretty easy, but normally I wouldn’t be able to play a song on guitar because I suck at it. It’s such a great song though and you have to hear it. I want to do it on my tour.
Do it! You came second on the Forbes List Of Breakout Stars; how does that make you feel?
Who is number one? [FF; We don’t know, you’re the only one that matters!] Wow! That’s so cool. It’s always weird to think of things like that where you’re on a list like that. It’s especially odd when I get so distracted and spacey that I don’t realise what’s going on. I can just suddenly be like “Woah! I have a song on the radio! I have an album out! I’m seeing all these amazing places!†It’s just so strange when you stop and think about everything that’s happened, it just blows you away.
What was it like presenting a Teen Choice award?
That was really fun. It was cool to be able to present with David Cook and we presented an award to Miley Cyrus and she is so funny! She has a lot of energy and is all over the place, bouncing off the walls!
It was a big honour to also present at the American Music Awards too, that was fun, I got to present the Best Male Country Artist to Brad Paisley which was amazing. He sings on of my favourite Country songs. Have you heard it? It’s When I Get Where I’m Going It’s really pretty. I haven’t had much chance to keep up with the British charts recently though.
Nothing much is happening to be honest, it’s all about Lady Ga Ga at the moment
She’s number one here now; she’s so nice and interesting and different. I love that song, I’m always dancing to that song; when it comes on in the car I just blast it! I also really like the song, Untouched by The Veronicas. I t was popular for them in Australia in 2007 and is becoming popular in the US and it’s the biggest song they have had here.
I’m going to have to check out all these songs! If you could only listen to one CD for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oh man, I don’t know, that’s too hard to chose!
What if you had to pick one, or get your head chopped off?
Okay, I guess it totally depends on my mood. Maybe a John Mayer CD, I really like his live album, Where The Light Is.; it’s a really good one. Or maybe, Blue by Joni Mitchell, that’s one of my favourite records. I love every song on that CD.
I love CD’s like that that you can listen to over and over again.
Oh! You know what, I really like Natasha Bedingfield. [FF: Oh my gosh, I love Natasha Bedingfield!] Yeah? She’s one of my favourite artists! I went to see her when she played with New Kids On The Block and I was texting her saying “Hey! I’m coming to see you!â€
[FF: No Way! As if you were texting Natasha Bedingfield, I’m so jealous!] Haha, she’s one of the coolest people I’ve ever met! She’s one of my biggest inspirations. I started writing because of These Words. It’s one of my five favourite songs of all time.
Me too! Aww, you’re like my soul mate! So, what is the oldest age you would like to be alive?
I think I would say 100. I think if you live to 100 you have had a good life. But I guess it would depend on how healthy I was; because if you’re not in good heath, I don’t think there would be a reason to live that long unless there is something in your life that you still have to do.
I think there are some things in life that you are supposed to do before you die. If you are still alive you still need to fight to do something. [FF; Stay alive until you have completed everything?] I don’t know, I don’t think you can ever complete everything, you can always keep doing things and improving on things.
It all depends, I would say if you’re still alive, you still need to be doing stuff. If you are having health complications then it’s a different story, but it’s always sad with those kinds of things because there are young people who are really fighting and we can really learn so much from those people. It teaches you to appreciate things in life a lot more.
There was a little girl I met for Make A Wish and she was fighting cancer and it was so sad to see her fighting so hard. It took her almost five minutes to smile for a picture or to say a word. She is such a strong little girl and I learnt so much from her. Those things remind you how important what you have really is; those things in life make you appreciate things in life even more.
That is so touching David, it’s refreshing to talk to someone so grounded. We ask everyone we interview to come up with a question for the next person we interview, and Kid British wants to know; “If you could be any car, what would you be?â€
I wouldn’t mind being a Tyota Prius because it’s fuel efficient and you’d be healthy to the environment! Haha. I think it would suit me because I’m not this big, buff strong person, I’m just the little guy which is sort of like a Prius. Ilove them actually, they’re fun to drive and they don’t use a lot of gas either.
So finally can you come up with a person for the next person I interview please?
Lets see, ask them, ‘If you could open up your own restaurant, what type of food would you serve?’
Ooh, I love it, I’d do Italian!
Yeah, I was thinking Italian too!
Okay, thanks David Bye!
Bye!
With a mutual love for Italian food and Natasha Bedingfield, I feel like I like David even more now! What’s more, with such an infectious personality, and an amazing voice to boot, I think David is going to be one of the brightest stars of 2009.
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
Read our review of David‘s single, Crush here.
After being crowned runner-up in American Idol last year, David Archuleta’s career has gone from strength to strength, and he looks set to capture hearts all over the world.
A the tender age of just 18, David has a unique voice, and his debut UK single, Crush, is one of the most amazing songs I have heard in a long time. I caught up with David to find out about his plans for the future, living to be 100 and his love and respect for the amazing Natasha Bedingfield.
Hey David, how’s it going?
Great thanks! How about you?
Great thanks! I’m listening to your delicious song Crush! We love it! Anyway, how have the past 12 months been for you?
They have been really crazy but it’s amazing to see how much can happen to you in one year. This time last year I was actually getting ready for a school dance and I have auditioned already and we had had Hollywood week on the show but no-one knew about it and only a few people had seen the commercials that I was on and I tried to keep it as low key as I could because I was worried about people getting excited about it and them me having to tell them; “I’m back home already!â€
So I didn’t tell people, but the week after that school dance I left for good and I never came back! I didn’t even get to say goodbye to anyone because I didn’t realise how long I would last on the show, and I honestly thought “I’ll see them again soon,†but I didn’t end up seeing them until about five months later!
Aww, that’s so sweet, I bet they all knew you’d do really well! But before you entered American Idol you were in Star Search; so have you wanted to sing from an early age?
Well the first thing that made me interested in music was when I was six or seven years old and I watched Les Miserables tenth anniversary, and I was watching it on TV and I just couldn’t turn it off. I was like in love with it! I learnt all the songs and it just went on from there.
I started wanting to perform and do it as a career when the first season of American Idol started really, which is ironic, because it’s what made me first want to sing, and ultimately it is what has made me do it after all these years!
Okay, well we know you’re an amazing solo artist, but if you were offered the chance to join a band, which would you join?
As a singer? [FF: Yes!] I don’t know, I don’t know if I would want to replace any of those singers! I mean there are some awesome bands out there like U2 and Coldplay. Although I think it would be really cool to be in The Fray. And I really like Second Hand Serenade too, they sing a song called Your Call [FF: I don’t know that song.]
I want to try to learn it, I can play it on the guitar because it’s pretty easy, but normally I wouldn’t be able to play a song on guitar because I suck at it. It’s such a great song though and you have to hear it. I want to do it on my tour.
Do it! You came second on the Forbes List Of Breakout Stars; how does that make you feel?
Who is number one? [FF; We don’t know, you’re the only one that matters!] Wow! That’s so cool. It’s always weird to think of things like that where you’re on a list like that. It’s especially odd when I get so distracted and spacey that I don’t realise what’s going on. I can just suddenly be like “Woah! I have a song on the radio! I have an album out! I’m seeing all these amazing places!†It’s just so strange when you stop and think about everything that’s happened, it just blows you away.
What was it like presenting a Teen Choice award?
That was really fun. It was cool to be able to present with David Cook and we presented an award to Miley Cyrus and she is so funny! She has a lot of energy and is all over the place, bouncing off the walls!
It was a big honour to also present at the American Music Awards too, that was fun, I got to present the Best Male Country Artist to Brad Paisley which was amazing. He sings on of my favourite Country songs. Have you heard it? It’s When I Get Where I’m Going It’s really pretty. I haven’t had much chance to keep up with the British charts recently though.
Nothing much is happening to be honest, it’s all about Lady Ga Ga at the moment
She’s number one here now; she’s so nice and interesting and different. I love that song, I’m always dancing to that song; when it comes on in the car I just blast it! I also really like the song, Untouched by The Veronicas. I t was popular for them in Australia in 2007 and is becoming popular in the US and it’s the biggest song they have had here.