David Archuleta - Yes World

It's good to just do my own thing - David Archuleta

David Archuleta will be coming back to Malaysia for a full concert on 26 July 2011 at Stadium Negara. Hot off the release of his new album 'The Other Side of Down', David shares with us his plans for the future, his recent departure from record label JIVE, and his take on relationships.

Q. How do you feel about coming down here for your first full on concert?

David Archuleta: Excited. It was really fun getting to go to Malaysia. The fans were just great, it was really neat to see how supportive the fans were in Malaysia. I guess I didn't expect it to be honest. I heard a lot of things like about the Phillipines and stuff so I didn't know what to expect going to Malaysia. It was just amazing to see all the fans there and how great they were. So it's great to be able to come back and do a full show with a full band this time.

Q. What can we expect from your concert this time around?

DA: For this concert, because I haven't been there since the new album 'The Other Side of Down' came out, I'll get to be able to sing those new songs. I know they haven't heard those songs live and they haven't heard from a lot of songs from the older album too. I only got to sing a few songs at the showcase that I did there. So it'll be great to give a full out show for the Malaysian fans. I think in Malaysia it was one of the best ever singing and it was so good on my throat too, I remember sliding a lot but I felt so good.

Q. You've mentioned recently a lot about finding a direction, going to meetings to decide your future etc. Do you have someone, a mentor perhaps guiding you at the moment?

DA: To be honest I always have to say no one is guiding me better than God. He's been the one guiding me. I've been saying a lot of prayers and trying to say ‘OK what do I need to be doing right now because I could've been doing a lot of other things. But what is it that I'm supposed to be doing? And a lot of times that's scary because, it's like I can go so many different ways. I could mess this up or who knows what. but there's just something you feel inside that's like ‘you know what keep going’. Even though you're not sure exactly what's going to happen, you feel good about what's going on, you feel good about the decisions you're making, you feel good about going to take a break and just meet with writers.

Q. Do you have a definite plan on what you're going to do next?

DA: I want to try to release something new for the fans. I don't want to make a full album this year, of course I will down the road, but not this year. But I do want to give something. And so I've been thinking about releasing another song for the fans who've been so patient, and have been good. And that's what I'm working towards. In the last couple of weeks I've been meeting different people in L.A. too. But now I'm going to Nashville because I've done writing in Nashville before in the past and that's where I felt magic. I need to follow this direction and this feeling and I feel it here in Nashville. A lot of people think that “Oh nashville, so you go to country, you're going to do country music now?” It's like no, there are a lot of different writers here. A lot of people like Ke$ha, Kings of Leon, Paramore, they're all from Nashville. so there's more than just country here.

Q. You mentioned that you wanted to do Latin songs really badly, how far away are we from hearing a Latin track from you?

DA: That's something else that I've been working on actually. As I've been writing, I've been working on writing Spanish ideas too. I've been kinda reaching out a little bit here and a little there. Another thing that I want to do this year is more Christmas stuff actually. not like a Christmas album but I'm hoping to do more Christmas shows. Maybe have some Christmas releases, even if it's a little one this year, because my favourite tour that I've done so far is the Christmas tour. I've been looking into that but I have been writing a little bit (of) Spanish stuff and what I would love to do is just get some Spanish material together. I’m trying to get my own songs, my own materials together right now.

Q. Who is your favourite Latin artist and why?

DA: I really like Luis Fonsi. I think he's really good. I love this voice. He's an amazing singer. Of course I grew up listening to Selena with my mom. She inspired me a lot because one of the first songs I've ever learned ever was one of Selena's songs.

Q. Tell us more about your leaving record label JIVE.

DA: A lot of people were surprised about me not being with JIVE anymore. They (JIVE) actually offered a different deal to stay with them, but I just felt I haven't been happy over this last year or two. I haven't been going in the direction that I've wanted to go fully. I've learned so much and the people there that I've worked with have been really great people. But I need space, and I didn't get that. Since American Idol it was go go go, and do this and not do this. It's like I really have time to think about what I really want to do, and that's why it's like I just said I think it'll be good to just do my own thing.

It wasn't just the label that I left, I also left the management team that I had at the time too, because I felt like I need to know what I think. So many people are telling me what to do, so many people are saying this is what you need to do, this is what's going to make you successful, this is your music, this is your style. I didn't know what to do, I was so confused. And now it was like I felt like I could breathe now. It felt like I was finally breathing oxygen again because I didn't have that pressure anymore.

Q. Is going independent an option or are you looking to sign with a different company soon?

DA: I've actually met with other record labels and I got offered deals to get signed again. But I just felt like you know what, why? It's like why get signed so I can have the same problems that I had before? I want to spend time writing, get those songs together, and then go out and say I'm ready. I'm ready to make an album and show it to the record labels and say this is the music I'm going to do. Are you supportive, do you believe in me? That's what I want to do. I want to be able to do the music that I feel, the music that I want to try, to take a chance with it instead of other people saying it for me. So I'm not looking for a label right now, I was for a little bit, but then I decided it's not what I need to do right now.

Q. Are you seeing anyone at the moment? Any crushes? Do you feel like you're ready for a serious relationship this year?

DA:I always say it's always about waiting for the right girl you know. I wrote a song about that too - it's called 'My Kind of Perfect'. I know it's something I don't want to focus on fully on yet. But I know that whenever this person comes I'm sure you'll feel something y’know.

It's good to go on dates and things but I just don't go on serious dates yet. It's not like I don't like to get all romantic and things, but I like to make it a fun date and to get to know the person. The reason why you date people is to get to know who you're gonna marry and spend the rest of your life with. So it's like I wonder who do I want to spend the rest of my life with and what kind of girl do I want to be with. She's going to be raising my kids and things like that. And it’s an important thing to think about and I think a lot of people forget that.

If you have kids and stuff what kind of dad do I wanna be for my kids, and what kind of mom do I want them to have. And I love little kids and I want to be the best parent I can be. I want to be the best husband I can be. So I just want to wait, it's something that I don't focus on or concentrate on looking for her yet. But when the time comes I know that it will be the right time.

(world.yes.my)

:') Yup. That's David alright. :D I hope we might get a short EP then, according to what he is saying.