It was a pleasure getting a chance to talk to Chris Sligh before he performed on the Toronto leg of the American Idols Live! tour. He opened up about his strategy before the show and discussed what he has planned for the future.
Murtz Jaffer: So can you tell me more about the tour in general? Does it involve doing a lot of press junkets like this?
Chris Sligh: Yeah. We have press everyday. Usually half of us go one day and half of us go another day. Today, because I guess it is our only Canadian show they are having us all do press I guess. Yeah, so we do press everyday, we do the show and meet and greets and all that kind of stuff.
MJ: Do you find that you enjoy doing the tour more or did you prefer doing the show?
CS: Definitely the tour. The tour is a lot more fun just because you don’t have to worry about… it’s not a competition. We can go out and support each other and enjoy each other and I felt like we were one of the few groups ever on American Idol to really do that. Like we were all excited about each other getting on the show, but in this situation there’s a lot less pressure and people don’t really read into the stuff that you say.
MJ: Like ‘I am wearing what I want to wear…?’
CS: Right, right, right. Well, actually we don’t. They pick our costumes for this too, but you know. It’s just one of those things that just makes it easier to start it this way.
MJ: I find that almost everybody brought something unique to the competition this year. I know for you, everybody said that you were the funniest guy ever. Do you think that the humor really helped you in the competition?
CS: Oh yeah, for sure. I think that I came into it with a very clear strategy of how to get to the Top 24. I don’t think that you can play a strategy once you make it through the Top 24 because you never know how America is going to vote. But you know the judges and the judges like anyone who shows personality. I talked to several people who went to Hollywood the year before, made the Top 44…
MJ: Wow…
CS: There are a couple of guys from my area that I called and talked to and said “look, I made Hollywood. Before I go to Hollywood, I kind of want to know what to expect.” Everybody I talked to that had made it to Hollywood and that didn’t make it into Top 24 said ‘I didn’t make because I didn’t show personality.’ And so, I went into Hollywood and I was like ‘I am going to be a smart alec and show some personality.’ I think that most people think that I am this really really funny guy, I am really not. I can come up with funny stuff, but it’s not like I am a joke-a-minute kind of guy. It’s more like I knew key places where I wanted to be a smart-ass. And then you know, I did it. You know, sometimes I would be… I would say it was just one of those things where I had a very clear strategy. Obviously I knew I could sing, but being able to sing in this competition isn’t necessarily… I saw some of the best singers in the world go home that first day of Hollywood where I am just going ‘holy crap, why in the world are they going home?’
MJ: It also helps you even past the audition stage. If you are making smart-ass comments, they are showing you more which gets the audience familiar with you when you do get into the Top 10.
CS: Well, you know the thing is that going into Top 24, I knew (because of my audition), I was one of the favorites to win the whole thing. Even going in the Top 12, I was still the favorite guy. Blake, at that point, was right behind me but at that point I was still… and then I killed myself in the Top 12. “Endless Love.”
MJ: There was no “Endless Love.”
CS: That was the end of me!
MJ: And I guess my final question is what are you doing now? Are you prepping for an album?
CS: Yeah, in fact, I have a portable studio set here. I take it to the dressing room and work on stuff. Working on the demos that are going to be the base tracks for my record. I am going to be going into the studio as soon as this tour is over. Next week, I am signing with my management and then next month, I will be signing with my record label. I have got nine record labels after me, so I just have to choose which one is the best fit. You know? It’s been a fun road and it’s opened up a lot of doors so I am excited!
MJ: That’s awesome, thank you so much.
CS: Thank you.
