Idol talk: Kris Allen building on the momentum, opportunity of winning season

By Diana Nollen

No one was more surprised than Kris Allen when he beat Adam Lambert for the title of American Idol last year.

But all of Season 8 was surprising for the Arkansas native.

“I was surprised every week that I made it through,” Allen, 24, says by phone from a recent tour stop in Boston. “Everybody in the top 10, top 15 was so good, I was happy to make it through every week.”

He was just along for the ride when his younger brother, Daniel, 23, wanted to try his luck with the star-making show a second time, and headed to Season 8 auditions in Louisville, Ky.

“I wasn't doing anything, so I made the road trip and just kinda did it,” Allen says. “I kept getting through. I got kinda stoked about it and kept running with it. My brother got through to right before the judges' round. He got a really long way.”

Sibling rivalry didn't rear its head.

“He's really excited for me,” Allen says. “He gets to say, ‘I'm Kris Allen's brother,' so his star power around home has really gone up.”

Besides, Daniel is “kind of a big deal” in his own right, according to his big brother.

“He's an incredible cheerleader,” Allen says. “He's pretty good at all those flips and stuff and I can't even do a handstand.”

Allen's on the road with his band, promoting his new self-titled CD. He already has a hit single burning up the charts, with the rockin' pop anthem, “Live Like We're Dying.” He'll bring his show to the Englert Theatre in Iowa City on Monday, June 7, 2010.

His world is in constant motion these days. He's on the road with his tour. He's in the process of moving back to his hometown of Conway, Ark., although says his wife, Katy, is handling those details right now. And he's trying to keep up the momentum of his burgeoning career.

“Oh gosh, it's been insane,” he says of his Idol year. “It's been crazy and mind-blowing, but so cool. I've never been happier to get to do what I love. I get to play music, get to meet people, get to write songs, get to travel, get to meet people I grew up listening to.

“Life is good.”

The Idol title brings enormous opportunity.

“You get a record deal right off the bat,” he says, “and the opportunity to be a musician, artist and singer. The stage is kinda set, then it's up to you to do with it what you will. ...

“People think you're in the hand of ‘Idol,' but once you're off the show, you're pretty much done with the show. You might go back and sing every once in a while. The record label is completely separate. I do have control. I'm still learning, and relying on other people's opinions, as well.”

Not all of the past winners have found such commercial success right away.

“My first single has been such a blessing,” he says. “Because it's done so well, it's going to do wonders for the rest of my career. Now I just gotta keep bringing out the good songs. Out of 12 songs on my new CD, nine of them I co-wrote or wrote.”

His career trajectory has changed the way he writes.

“It used to be that I was going to write whenever the moment comes. Now that it's my job and I have to make money, I set aside a little time,” he says. “When you force yourself to sit down and write, it's good.”

His inspirations are “different for every song,” he says. “The people around me, my friends, my wife, people you just meet and my everyday experiences. I try to write the stuff that I'm going through.”

He hasn't zeroed in on a favorite song thus far.

“That changes throughout the day pretty much,” he says. “It depends on the mood I'm in. I'm not good at listening to my own songs. If we're playing a song during a show, one of them will feel really great.

“It's surreal to turn on the radio and hear my music,” he says. “It's really weird and I can't listen to it. I have Sirius in my car. When my name pops up, I immediately change the channel. It's so weird.”

FAST TAKEInformation: www.englert.org and www.krisallenofficial.com

What: Season 8 “American Idol” Kris Allen in concert, with opening act Green River Ordinance

When: 8 p.m. Monday, June 7, 2010

Where: Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City

Tickets: $25, all ages, general admission, at www.midwestix.com