ShockHound

Interview by Aidin Vaziri
 
You can’t ignore Adam Lambert. Even if you’ve never seen an episode of American Idol — or just like to pretend you haven’t — the flashy Season 8 runner-up has become a major point of water-cooler contention and conversation. Everyone’s been talking about his triumphant performances on the show with classic rock icons Queen and Kiss, that chest-baring Rolling Stone cover feature in which he boldly came out of the closet, and the constant stream of tabloid appearances leading up to the arrival of his debut album, For Your Entertainment.
     Lambert shot up through the “Idol” ranks by effortlessly straddling the pop and rock worlds, delivering glammed up covers of songs by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and, erm, Tears For Fears through a thick layer of black mascara. That adventurous spirit carries over to For Your Entertainment, where Top 40 collaborators (Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Linda Perry) mix it up with some more unexpected names like Justin Hawkins of the Darkness, Lady Gaga and — our personal favorite — Muse. Of course, there’s also that dashing blue-haired album cover photo.
     In an exclusive interview, ShockHound spoke to the 27-year-old Southern California singer about his Idol experience, coming out before his album did, and growing up in a house where the Grateful Dead ruled the stereo.
 
SHOCKHOUND: Do you think the reason you didn’t win Idol was that you were too hard to swallow for a mainstream audience?
 
ADAM LAMBERT: No, I actually think they took me quite well. I went all the way to the end. I think that’s pretty progressive. I know I'm alternative, a little bit left of center. In the end I think it came down to apples and oranges. Kris Allen is insanely talented and you also had other contestants dropping off, which shifted our votes. I mean, after Danny Gokey was voted off, his audience was much more likely to become a fan of Kris' than mine especially because Danny and I were pitted against each other from the get-go, which we both found endlessly entertaining.
 
SHOCKHOUND: How much pressure did you feel appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone before you actually put your album out?
 
LAMBERT: There's a little bit of pressure. But that feels good. It's encouraging. It's cool. It's inspiring. Getting the support of Rolling Stone made me feel like I could get mainstream credibility, which was a totally major part of the reason behind doing that.
 
SHOCKHOUND: Were you thinking about what kind of impact it would have on your career and fans when you came out?
 
LAMBERT: That's the coolest thing about this. I never signed up to be a role model for anyone, but I do recognize the indirect impact that just being a visible gay man has. I'm very humbled by that. I find it to be important in that regard. I didn't have a lot of people I could look up to when I was younger. It was so taboo. And in high school people snicker about anything having to do with homosexuality. So quite frankly the only thing I feel I am a role model for is owning yourself and being open and honest and being a part of it. That's something I hope is getting out there. I'm not trying to push some sort of message or agenda. I'm just trying to be myself.
 
SHOCKHOUND: When it came to making For Your Entertainment, how much was your vision and how much was it record company suits hoping you would sing “Hallelujah”?
 
LAMBERT: I worked with two A&R guys [from the label], and from the get-go it was like, "What do you want to do? Who do you want to work with?" So I made my dream list and we went from there.
 
SHOCKHOUND: How did you score the song "Soaked," which is an unreleased track by Muse?
 
LAMBERT: That was wild how that all worked out. I think somebody at my record company knows somebody that knows somebody. I don't know how they found them. That was quite an honor to be given that song. That one is left of center, definitely [an] acquired taste. People that love music will get it, but some people will get confused by it. It's risky. It's different.
 
SHOCKHOUND: I thought that was your intention with the whole record.
 
LAMBERT: It is. There are songs on there that are more accessible. And there are the more alternative songs.
 
SHOCKHOUND: The album cover has caused a bit of controversy. Is it something you dreamed up when you were 14?
 
LAMBERT: No, not when I was 14. When we started planning the photo shoot I decided to go super glam. I love that sensibility of artists like Bowie and Prince. Unfortunately, it hasn't been done in years. At least by a man.
 
SHOCKHOUND: Well, you have to remember that when they did it they were the only ones too.
 
LAMBERT: Exactly. Part of entertainment is grabbing people's attention. That's part of the whole thing. The visual presentation is a part of the music. It’s hard to stand out without something stunning.
 
SHOCKHOUND: Growing up, your dad was into things like the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Bob Marley. Can you stomach that music now?
 
LAMBERT: I grew up with a lot of Grateful Dead in the house, yes, but he also introduced me to David Bowie. We had a lot of Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix, too, which I loved. I'm not a huge Dead fan, to be honest. I'm more intrigued by the culture and lifestyle because it's similar to the Burning Man culture.
 
SHOCKHOUND: Didn’t you have the revelation to try out for American Idol on one of your Burning Man trips?
 
LAMBERT: It wasn't quite like that. It wasn't like I was tripping on drugs and went, "I'm going to be on American Idol!” I would hope I'm a little deeper than that. But being there triggered a need to be more creative and expressive, and to be really proactive with the experience. It made me realize I have to make things happen for myself. It gave me the kick in the pants I needed to do all this.
 
SHOCKHOUND: So you've already been on the cover of Rolling Stone, appeared onstage with Queen and Kiss, been on TV every week, and now you have an album out. What else can you possibly do?
 
LAMBERT: Man, I want to just keep making cool music. The album is not even out yet and I'm already in the back of my head thinking, “Wouldn't it be cool to work this person or that person?” I'm already thinking about the future. Not to get ahead of myself or anything but I already have ideas about a tour and hopefully putting on a concert that is a show. I have a lot of friends I want to work with. I know dancers and musicians that are my friends. I get to work with people I've known for years. That's the fun of all this.

Related Artists Adam Lambert