The Original High - Promo

radio.com/2015/07/01/interview-adam-lambert-on-the-original-high-80s-covers-queen-and-broadway/

Interview: Adam Lambert on ‘The Original High,’ ’80s Covers, Queen and Broadway
"I'm in a place right now where I'm rebuilding."
July 1, 2015 2:26 PM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JoW_Xi4xCE

By Brian Ives

Adam Lambert is back with his first new album in three years, The Original High and a lot has changed since 2012’s Trespassing; he’s changed management, labels and, oh yeah, filled in for his idol Freddie Mercury when he toured the world as the lead singer for Queen.

We spoke to him about his new music of course, and also about the ill-fated ’80s cover album that led to his split from his former record label, RCA. He also talks about why he hasn’t gone to Broadway yet, despite his background in musical theater. And we also explained “rockism” to him.

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Radio.com: So the album opens with “Ghost Town,” which starts with just you singing and an acoustic guitar.

Adam Lambert: I’ve always been comfortable singing big, high, wailing stuff, that’s kind of my signature thing. But with this album, I kind of wanted to go into more intimacy. Things that are a little more moody and explore the lower part of my voice. “Ghost Town” starts really “minimal,” just my voice and an acoustic guitar. It’s very vulnerable. That’s one of the reasons I loved it as a first single: to reintroduce me, after a couple of years away, and to have people really listen to the words and the voice.

The beginning of the song probably appeals to “rockists.”

What?

Have you heard of the term “rockism?”

No, I’ve never heard that: rockism?

It’s the idea that music played on live instruments is more authentic that samples, computers, etc.

The idea of rockism, it’s generational. I look back on the history of rock, and there’s all this amazing music and there are all these amazing bands… and it’s not something that’s as popular as it was maybe 20, 30 years ago. It’s interesting how things have changed and the sounds have kind of evolved. It’s always going to be a part of my love for music, and where I come from. My idea of an artistic identity was to be a “rock star.” That idea was something that I fell in love with, when I first wanted to be an artist. Getting to sing for Queen, and even my experience on American Idol was very rock-oriented. It’s definitely a part of me, and it’s part of the way I introduced myself to the world. But there’s more that I listen to, and more that I wanted to explore as a singer.

And obviously, you want your music produced and presented in a way that can get on radio in 2015.

I want to be part of a trend, I want to be able to connect with everybody. But one nice thing about this album is that I didn’t compromise the vocal to do that. The voice is still coming from a real place, just the framework around the voice may have changed a bit.

You could probably play the album live, with your backing band.

Yeah. What was really exciting about being on tour with Queen was, it was very old-school. we didn’t use backing tracks, we didn’t use click tracks, it was all live. [Gutiarist] Brian [May] doesn’t even wear in-ear monitors. It was very traditional in that sense, and I really appreciated that. It was a living, breathing thing: the tempos would fluctuate… it was good for me to get back to that organic thing. But I also think there should be appreciation for all different approaches to music. It’s not about what you can or can’t do with technology, it’s about the mood it creates. With rock and roll in its purest form, it’s messy, it’s bombastic, it’s ballsy; a lot of the stuff on my album is more vibe-y and moody.

When I was listening to the title track, it occurred to me that you seemed to have gotten most of the “rock star” antics out of your system before you actually became a rock star.

It helped that I got into this a little late, I auditioned for Idol when I was 27, I’d done a lot of crazy stuff before that.

But you had a rock star vibe early on. Even before you finished your season of American Idol, there were rumors that Queen was interested in doing a tour with you on vocals. It was probably a good move to wait until you’d put out a few of your own records first.

I definitely needed to prove myself as a solo artist. If I hadn’t of done that, I don’t know if I would have had enough credibility to even be on stage with Queen. Coming right off of a reality show to go on a tour with them: that’s a stretch. I think I had to establish something first, before I was even worthy to be on stage with them.

A while back, I’d heard that you were considering doing an ’80s covers album…

I wasn’t considering it! My previous label was considering it. Pushing it, actually.

Did you ever record anything for that project?

No. I thought about it for a second, for like a week or two, I listened to some of the music. They wanted me to focus on new wave from the early ’80s . It was an interesting idea. But I went back to them and said that not a lot of that music was resonating with me. It wasn’t where my heart is. If we had to do a cover album, I’d be more comfortable doing a ’90s one or a ’70s one, but they weren’t into that either. And, anyway, I wanted to make an original album. I did covers on Idol, Singing with Queen is like doing covers — with the original members, of course. For me as an artist, it’s important to me to make statements through my own new music. That’s part of the identity I wanted to create, and it just wasn’t an option [at my previous label].

It’s one thing for Rod Stewart to do that, when he is four decades into his career.

Right: at a certain point in your career, it’s a cool project, but the timing wasn’t right.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCLc4RFVoVM

I know you have more Queen dates later this year: when did you first feel comfortable in your role with them?

The first time we did this, we played a huge show Eastern Europe, and then three shows we did in London, they went over well. but I don’t think I was totally comfortable with the idea, I was still intimidated by the concept. The second time around, something had shifted, and I had accepted the responsibility at that point. It was more of an “I can do this” attitude than I’d had before. But I’ve heard people say, “You’re the new singer of Queen!” And I say, “Well, essentially, yeah.” I don’t look at it as a permanent position. It was billed as “Queen + Adam Lambert,” so I feel like it’s a collaboration. It was something we did, and the people loved i,t and we sold out all the shows, it was great.

After they toured with Paul Rodgers, they recorded an album with him. Have you guys ever discussed recording something?

I have to say, I can’t see the future. Something could come down the pipeline. I have so much respect for them. And it if was the right thing at the right time, you never know. But in my mind, that was never the idea, it was more about a live event.

You did musical theater before Idol; I’d have to think you’ve gotten some acting offers.

Glee was really the first thing that came down. I auditioned for Glee before I was on Idol, and I didn’t get it. I was really nervous on the first day of shooting, because I hadn’t auditioned. They just offered me a part. I thought well, what if I suck at this? But it was a good experience, I felt like I learned a lot.

But have you gotten offers to do Broadway?

I’ve definitely gotten a few offers from the Broadway world, that was what I was doing before Idol. I did a broadway national tour of Wicked, I was essentially working for a Broadway organization. It’s funny, I never moved to New York. I think I was scared of it. I was dealing with a lot of fear in my early 20s. But before I auditioned for Idol, I was at a crossroads where I thought, “Maybe I’m going to move to New York.” It felt like the logical next step. But I was frustrated: I’d been working for that company for four years, and I was an understudy, they wouldn’t hire me as the lead. It’s probably because I wasn’t right for the role. But I wanted to move up, I wanted to evolve. And I thought, “Well, maybe if I get on TV for a minute it will raise my profile and I’ll get more opportunities.” That was part of my reason for auditioning for Idol. I didn’t think I’d get far in the compeition, but I thought with that under my belt I could move to New York with a little notoriety and maybe it will help me.

So, if you could take your pick, what would you want to do on Broadway?

If I were going to do a musical, I would want it to be something new. I’d want to originate something. I wouldn’t want to step into something that the last guy did. I was getting frustrated with that with theater to begin with: when you get into these shows that have become “brands” — and I have a lot of respect for those shows — but it sort of gets so “locked in” to how it was originally staged, and that didn’t feel like the most creative opportunity. I want to have some input into how my character moves and dresses and sounds. And with these shows that have been running for a long time, it becomes like a theme park. “This is where you stand, this is how you say the line, this is how you sing the note, and you can’t do it any other way.” I hate being told what to do. So it needs to be like a collaboration.

It feels like Broadway is in a more creative place than it was a few years ago; it seemed like for a while it was all remakes and shows around artist catalogs, and now you have much more original stories like Hand to God and Something Rotten and Wolf Hall and Fun Home.

I’ve heard that Broadway is in a good space right now: the shows are good and people are wanting to see them which is fantastic. So, if it were the right project that felt interesting I would be into it. For me personally it would have to feel different. As somebody who has been doing theater since I was a kid… I think that contemporary theater has a very specific sound and approach and a lot of people sound exactly the same in the way they sing the material, and do the scenes, and it’s become homogenized. And it’s hard for me to sit and watch some of it, because it doesn’t feel organic or that it has any vibe. It feels “trained.” And I can’t place the blame on the performers: everybody needs to get work. But it’s this style, so people say, “That’s what’s working, I’ve got to do it like this.”

There aren’t many tour dates on your website; are you planning to tour for the album?

I’d like to tour, but there’s no plan yet. We have to see how this thing goes. When you’re an artist that has a history of touring, and they can project what your numbers are going to be, it’s different. I’m in a place right now where I’m rebuilding. I’m promoting the album through the end of the year, but as far as a tour, I think that decision is a ways off.

Aired July 4, 2015.

@ghost posted:

I've recorded the 5fm interview on Hyundai Top 40!

LISTEN: www.mixcloud.com/grrrr_unt/hyundai-top-40-powered-by-5fm-s-africa-radio-interview-w-adam-lambert-4-july-2015/

Ghost Town is NUMBER ONE this week on the Hyundai Top 40 charts!
Talked about Adam's career, the album, a message for his SA glamberts and a promise to go down to South Africa during his tour!

If you're on your computer, you can listen using this widget:

www.miami.com/adam-lambert-perfrom-new-album-article

Adam Lambert talks new album



By Madeleine Marr7/12/2015

He didn't win American Idol, but you could say Adam Lambert certainly walked away a champion from the reality show.

The flamboyant, powerhouse pop singer, 33, will be in town at Stache in downtown Fort Lauderdale for a “HITSclusive” listening party Monday night to promote his newly released third, "The Original High."

The Indianapolis native will also appear at Miami Magazine's Splashion to kick off Swim Week at The Fillmore Miami Beach 8-11 p.m.Tuesday.

We talked to the singer from his home in L.A. before his trip about his new album, in which the AI season 8 runner up reteams with Swedish producing greats Max Martin and Shellback, whom Lambert worked with on his debut album, For Your Entertainment.

How are you feeling about coming to Miami? Where do you usually go when you're here?

The humidity down there is like magic for my voice. I'm excited to get some Miami sunshine. Unfortunately, I don't come very often so I don't have a "usually" kind of place. I don't remember what I did but I enjoyed myself!

Talk about your new album.

I'm really excited that it's finally out. I put a lot of work into it. I did two months in Stockholm and the producers I got to work with are some of the best in the world.They're the two guys responsible for my two hits What Do You Want from Me and If I Had You.

They're also really down to the earth, pretty chill, so it was easy to be with them in the studio. I didn't have to worry about a lot of ego and politics. It was like, Let's just make some good music.

What is the record's theme?

If I had to boil it down I would say: the pursuit of happiness. I think everyone is looking for the thing that makes them feel alive and content. It's a journey trying to figure out what that thing is. Sometimes it's love, sometimes it's success, power. Each song is kind of what it's like to chase that.

How is this new music different from your past sound?

I think most people are used to seeing me do bombastic, over the top stuff, which can be fun. But Max and Shellback asked me, What would happen if your album was a little more intimate and more emotional but with cool beats attached? I said, That sounds perfect to me. So there's a different vibe. It's not as campy or theatrical. It's more straight ahead, which is exciting for me as an artist. To do something fresh. I hope fans will connect. One of my favorite things as a live performer is to see people's reactions. That's the biggest treat. We erase all our differences and pull together.

You're doing solo work but also still filling in as lead singer for Queen. Any big gigs coming up?

Well, I've got Rock in Rio in South America in September. Queen is my side project. Each project means something very special. I love that I have both on my plate. It's my first time going to South America. I grew up in San Diego so you'd think I'd know more Spanish but even though I took it in school, I didn't do all my studies! I was more focused on the creative arts. But hablo un pocito.

Have you watched American Idol lately?

Not really much last season as I was busy recording out of the country. But I liked being able to guest judge the auditions. It was weird being on the other side of the table. I like coaching. I have a lot of opinions. But I also want to guide talent to help them get to where they want to go.

Info: MIAMI Magazine Presents SPLASHION: The Summer of Color; The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater, 8 p.m. Tuesday

Livenation.com; general admission starts at $13.75.

HITS Sessions tickets are lottery based. To win a spot, download the HITS 97.3 app from Google Play or iTunes App Store, then click the “HITS SESSIONS” button.

www.therainbowtimesmass.com/2015/07/13/the-reframing-of-adam-lambert/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=socialnetwork

The Reframing of Adam Lambert
TRT Editor | Jul 13, 2015 



Adam Lambert, whose new album, The Original High, is out now.
Photo: David Roemer
The singer opens up about his ‘outlandish’ past, the lack of LGBT pop stars and his dating problems

By: Chris Azzopardi*/Special to TRT—

Stripped of that glossy sheen, those painted nails and the purple mane that he famously flaunted on his 2009 post-American Idol debut, For Your Entertainment, Adam Lambert’s latest album cover isn’t even in color. His hair still reaches the same towering heights as his voice on The Original High, but otherwise, he’s unadorned.

The glam is gone.

In our recent interview, the Idol alum comes clean about how a long period of “overcompensation”—yes, the outfits—led him to the latest chapter in his life.

People are calling The Original High a reinvention. Is that how you see it?

It’s not the most far off thing. I consider it more like a “reframing.” I feel like it’s still me at the heart of it. It’s still my voice, but a little more grown up, and I feel like the sonic frame around the vocals is something new.

Chris Azzopardi: Why tweak your sound?

Adam Lambert: Because repeating myself would be sacrilege. I will not repeat myself. But I don’t know—something new. I wanted to do something fresh, and I wanted to do something that sounded like my life, and this is the kind of music that I listen to.

Q. Do your famously passionate fans add pressure to the creative process?

Because my fans are so loyal and loving, and they’re so passionate about all the things that I do, I think that they recognize that if it’s something I believe in that’s exciting, they get excited by that. I always think about the fans, but with this album, more than ever, I’ve gone inward and wanted to make music that I have some integrity with, that meant something to me.

Q. Why at this point in your career?

It’s time. It was time to make a shift, to do something a little different. I went through a lot of changes last year. I ended up leaving my first label (RCA Records), and I had to change management at the end of my last album; it was just time for something fresh. I just got off the tour with Queen, which was amazing for me and felt really good, and it gave me a lot of confidence and it made me not so scared about everything. It gave me a sense of career security in a way that I haven’t felt before.

Q. What were you scared of? You’ve clearly never had trouble being yourself.

Over the last five years, right after Idol, I think there was a certain amount of overcompensation in certain ways. I was dressing really outlandishly, and it was a lot of fun and it’s definitely a part of who I am to wanna play dress up, but I think it got to a point where I was hiding behind it a bit. Behind all of that, all of everything. It was like a preemptive defense mechanism. It’s like the kid who goes to high school dressed goth and he’s actually not into the devil at all but doesn’t wanna be bothered by anybody. (Laughs) I don’t think I realized it at the time, but I can see this in hindsight now. At the time I thought, “This is who I am; this is what I do,” and now it just feels like I’m in a new place in my life. I’ve grown up and evolved and I’m in a new place, and the album—the subject matter and the sound—reflect that.

Q. When it comes to LGBT artists, you really helped pave the way. These days, how welcoming do you think the music industry is to queer artists?

I think things are definitely going in the right direction. I just wanna see more! The great thing about having more and more artists who identify as queer is it normalizes it so the media can’t sensationalize it as an idea. In the past, I felt the media painted me as someone who’s super hypersexual and someone who only wants to talk about his orientation. While I’m very comfortable doing that, I have a lot more to talk about in reality. So, it’s been interesting. But the more of us that are out there that provide some diversity, who can show different types of gay artists, it’ll make it so it’s not as much of a big deal. It’ll be an afterthought. We’ll get to move toward a post-gay presence.

Q. Hearing your collaboration with Tove Lo on “Rumors” on this album got me thinking: What do you think of doing a love song with another gay male artist, like Sam Smith or Jake Shears?

It’s certainly possible, yeah. With “Rumors,” it’s funny; you can listen to that and go, “Oh, it’s like a romantic duet,” but before we wrote it we were talking about being an artist in the industry and having to maintain a personal life, and how it’s a little tricky and how it’s not always easy to balance the two. So, that’s what we were singing about; it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re singing to each other – it just means we’re singing about this thing together. But yeah, a duet with a guy—who knows, it could happen!

Q. It should happen.

You have to carry the flag! (Laughs)

Q. Right?! Isn’t that what we’ve been saying since the beginning of your career?

It’s definitely been interesting. Really interesting. When I see that there can be a ripple effect of positivity and change and helping people just because I identify as one thing or another, and I’m OK to talk about it, that’s amazing. It’s amazing that it takes that little to make that much of an impact.

Q. American Idol wraps next year. In your opinion, what happened to the show? Why haven’t we seen another Kelly or Carrie or Adam in recent years?

I’m not totally sure about that, but I do know that when the show first started it was a time in America when we needed something like that. I mean, 9/11 had just happened, so our country was looking for something to believe in. Not that American Idol healed us over 9/11 by itself, but it definitely reflected what we wanted from our entertainment at the time. It gave people hope that, hey, you can be from anywhere and you can have this dream and it can come true, and it was really positive in that regard.

It also came at a time when the music industry was really suffering. I mean, we had all the pirating that was going on; all of a sudden the Internet had taken the rug out from underneath the record companies, and they were looking for an answer. All of a sudden we’re giving so much power to the people. That was really impressive, because up until that point the labels really held the strings and decided what the public was going to consume.

Q. Mariah Carey recently called American Idol “fake” and had some pointed words for the show. As a former contestant on the show, how did you feel about what she said? Did American Idol ever feel “fake” to you?

It’s a TV show. I didn’t feel like it was fake at all. I knew what the concept was. Personally, if you’re blindsided by what American Idol is, then you weren’t paying attention. It’s not that difficult to know what you’re getting yourself into. That’s why I auditioned; I knew what I was getting myself into.

Essentially, it’s a strategy for a contestant. It is about talent and it is about being a good performer, but you also have to put some thought into the songs you’re picking. I put some thought into it, and that’s partially why I think I did well. Picking a genre, picking songs that work for you, picking songs where you won’t be compared. For me, I was picking songs that are more obscure or doing them a different way.

Q. You were crafty about it.

I’m crafty, yeah! I try to be crafty. (Laughs) And I think for the judges it’s a different game than it is for the contestants, obviously, and things shifted a bit when the show wanted to focus on the judges more than the contestants.

Q. When we chatted in 2012, you told me a Glambert sent you a urethra rod. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done for an artist you were a fan of?

I’ve never done anything like that! That was so weird when that happened. I didn’t even know what that was. Like, “what the hell is this thing?” Then I looked it up and went “whaaaaat?” I remember saying, “That’s a thing? People do that?!”

I have to say, I’ve never been a super fanatical fan of anybody. I’ve definitely been a fan. I mean, my fans have called me out before, being like, “Oh, you’re fan-boying about so-and-so,” and it’s just because I said on Twitter, “Oh, you sound great on this song,” so I guess that’s being a fan!

Q. How often do Glamberts stop you on the street?

It happens occasionally. Maybe not so much on the street… (laughs) I know that’s just an expression.

Q. Yes, literally in the street, in front of a car.

(Laughs) “Stop! Don’t!”

Q. I sourced a few questions out to your biggest fans, so from here on, these are straight from the Glamberts. First, what is the greatest “Original High” you’ve ever experienced?

Standing on stage for the first time and singing. That adrenaline rush you get from that exchange with the audience is like nothing else. It bit me and then that was it. I was toast.

Q. What do you think about when you go to sleep?

My brain is crazy. I think a lot, so I think about everything I have to do the next day. Sometimes it’s hard for me to fall asleep because of that.

Q. If you could do something all over again, what would it be?

I don’t really have a lot of regrets, to be honest with you. I guess there have been plenty of times where I’ll meet somebody at a bar, or a friend will introduce me to somebody at a party or at dinner, and I don’t have good game. I don’t think to be outgoing or say the right thing, and then after the fact I’ll be like, “Why didn’t I just talk to that person? Why didn’t I just tell them I thought they were cute?!” I gotta say, sometimes I really don’t have very good game.

Q. One fan wanted to know if you ever feel uncomfortable watching what’s said about you by the Glamberts on Twitter.

I don’t think “uncomfortable” is the right word, but I’m not always the best at taking a compliment. I’m pretty hard on myself and sarcastic about things, so it’s always flattering, but it makes me feel like, “Ehh, let’s talk about something else.”

Q. What’s the first thing that attracts you to a man you’re interested in?

Charm. I think charm is an amazing thing because it can make them more attractive than they are – or, without it, it can make them less attractive. I think that’s something that’s developed as I’ve gotten older. Obviously, I have my set of physical things that I like, but if somebody’s a dud and they have no personality then it all goes out the window. Charm and personality are key.

Q. What’s one question you’re glad you’ve never had to answer?

(Laughs) I think I’ve had to answer every f#$%ing thing you can think of!

*Chris Azzopardi is the editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBT wire service. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).