David Archuleta Fans Germany

AINow: How is ‘The Other Side Of Down’ different from your debut album?
David: The first album was definitely put together a lot more quickly and so it was all about finding good songs generally. Where as this album, I wasn’t really focused on that…This album I’m really focused on my personality. I asked, ‘how do I want people to view me right now?’ … I wanted to show people I have a lighter more fun side…I think the fans who have seen me at shows know that I am very clutsy, dorky, spacey, and things like that. I just want to be myself with this album. I just want it to be real and true. And I tried to stay focused on that…I felt like the best thing to do was make this album me…That includes being more involved in the writing. I was involved in [writing] 10 of the 12 songs this time. Being able to write that many songs was really an accomplishment and I feel like it really helped with the concepts and what the songs are saying.

AINow: Did you have a favorite collaborator who you worked with on this album?
David: It was great working with all of the people but I really liked working in Nashville. I really liked what they focused on…It was more about bringing out the idea of the song and identifying with the artist more than just ‘we need to write a smash song.’ That wasn’t my focus. I just feel like what I needed to do this time was make it so that people could relate to me and to the music. I wanted to say, ‘hey, I’m a normal person.’ I’ve been able to do what I’ve wanted to do but I’m still growing. I wanted to show people that I’m not this perfect superhuman and I’m not this super cool super hunk. I just wanted to show people I’m not the coolest person out there, I am kind of dorky, but I’m still able to do what I love to do. When you work hard on things you can really do what you want to do.

AINow: [Laughs] To a lot of your fans you really are a super cool guy.
David: I don’t understand what people are into. There is not a lot about me to be into…All I’ve been is myself. It’s interesting how you don’t have to try and be certain things to impress people. All you have to be is who you are…It’s really interesting to me. People can just be themselves and still do what they love. And I guess that was surprising to lean. Because I guess I thought that I cannot be someone else. I must be who I am. And that made me think that I’m not going to succeed or go much further because who I am is not that great and not very impressive. I’m not very skilled in a lot of things so I thought not a lot could happen. But I was wrong. By being who I was, that is what allowed me to be where I am today. That is what I wanted to show with my music. And I want to help to encourage people to do the same thing. It’s like, just be who you are. You may not be perfect but if you’re still willing to work hard and be passionate about something, then go for it. You still have to be respectful, but you don’t have to act cool or talk ‘this way’ to succeed.

AINow: What made you and the label choose “The Other Side Of Down” to be the title track?
David: Well actually I chose it because I felt like that song represented everything about me in this stage of life that I’m going through right now. And I just felt like it represented it perfectly. I wanted to have an up beat and positive kind of vibe. I want people to be in a good mood. The message about this song is that I get confused a lot, there are a lot of times where I’m not sure about what I am to do. But things are still good and I’m going to keep moving forward…It’s about looking at things from a different perspective. You can look at things like ‘gee this is rough’ or you can look at it and be like ‘wow, I have a lot of opportunities right now.’ … It’s about looking at things in a positive perspective. And I feel like the way I’m singing it, the whole vibe of the song and the lyrics really represent this idea of how I’m feeling right now about life. I feel it would be a good song to represent the rest of the album.

AINow: What is going on with your first single?
David: “Something ‘Bout Love” was released first for the fans. I guess it was the song that was the most radio sounding. “Elevator” has just recently been released and it’s not a typical song to be on the radio, but it’s one of my favorite songs on the album. I just feel like it shows that personality that I wanted to show in this album. It’s kind of a risk but I feel like it’s about supporting something that you believe in. And it’s more goofy, so I don’t know exactly how it will come across. It’s about a dream I had. It’s a song about in life where you don’t know what you’re going to get, what’s going to happen, what floor you’re going to get off on and what the floor is going to bring when you get off of it. It’s like that Forrest Gump thing, ‘life is a box of chocolates.’ I wanted to do something that was more fun and more about light heartedness that makes you feel good. I love getting to perform it live too. That has been really fun.

AINow: Are you planning to make a video for “Elevator”?
David: I sure would like to. I think it’s a song that needs a video. I’m actually trying to figure that out right now. When will be the best time to do it and just kind of the concept of it. Yeah, I’m excited to make a video for it. We’ll see what happens.

AINow: Other than “Elevator,” do you have any other favorites on this album?
David: I like the title track. I also really like a song called “Complain.” I also like “My Kind Of Perfect.” I’ve become pretty close with all of them after writing them because you know what went into them. And you know what they are about. And you know what triggered the songs to be created. They are your babies. You put love into all of them and you worked hard to bring all of them into existence.

AINow: A lot of fans are guessing that “My Kind Of Perfect” is about your perfect girl. Is that true?
David: Yeah. A lot of people have asked me that, like ‘what do you see in the perfect girl.’ I don’t think a girl really has to be perfect. It is the imperfections that make us unique and who we are…They don’t have to be this perfect, cookie cutter type of person.

AINow: Do you have anything special planned as far as a promotional tour or TV appearances?
David: I am going to be doing that kind of stuff. Some TV. I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be doing but I will be in New York. I was in New York during the release of the first album. But I’m not sure what exactly will be happening…Everything has been kind of last minute, like everything in my life. [Laughs]

AINow: What was the most challenging thing you encountered while working on this album?
David: The most challenging thing might have been having the courage to know what I wanted to say…I just felt like I wanted to sing about something I believed in and something I can back up. When people say, ‘no you can’t do that, you have to do it this way. this is the way you have to do it.’ It’s like well…it’s up to me what I want to say with my music and the kind of artist I want to be. I felt like the best way to keep that in check was to make the album about me. It’s like I may not know a lot, but no one knows more about me that I do. You know? So when people argue and say ‘that’s not the right way. That’s not how you’re supposed to do it,” it’s like well actually yes it is because that’s who I am. That is something I was able to stick up for and stand my ground. No one else can tel me who I am.

AINow: Are there any ballads on the CD?
David: There is a song called “Falling Stars” that is a power ballad sort of thing in a way. And then “My Kind Of Perfect” is kind of a ballad too.

AINow: Are there any duets on the album?
David: Not on this album, no. I thought about it, but it’s like are there any songs that really make sense or any people that make sense to do a duet with. That was the only thing. If I was going to do a duet I wanted it to make sense and it just didn’t at the time. So I’m just going to hold off a little while longer.

AINow: Is there a message you have for your fans?
David: I just want to say that I hope they enjoy [the album]. We put a lot of work into it and I hope that they are able to connect to what I was trying to do and what I was trying to say. I hope that they are just able to understand more of where I am coming from and hope that they just enjoy the songs. That was the purpose of making it. So that they can have something fun to listen to.

The Other Side of Down drops on October 5th and is available for pre-order on DavidArchuleta.Com, iTunes and Amazon. You can also listen to the entire album streaming on AOL Music.

Source: http://www.ainow.org/index.php/top-s…with-new-album