2015-06-11 Print: Coup De Main Magazine Interview's Adam Lambert

Interview: ADAM LAMBERT on his new album 'The Original High' + working with Tove Lo.

by Stacey McLeod

It's hard to believe it's been six years since ADAM LAMBERT appeared on season eight of 'American Idol'. And despite coming in second place, Adam has established an immensely successful career for himself - from his chart-topping hits to his recent 'Queen + Adam Lambert World Tour', it's safe to say that Adam is well and truly an international pop sensation under his own steam.
'The Original High' (out on June 12th in NZ) marks a new era for Adam's personal growth, leaving behind a lot of his 'diva' theatrics in favour of a more stripped-down, emotionally mature sound. Coup De Main spoke to Adam Lambert about his shift in style, collaborating with QUEEN's Brian May, and working with TOVE LO on the album...

"I wanted to let my guard down more. I wanted to be more vulnerable. I wanted to show my heart a little bit more. I think that's also why some of the theatrics aren't present on the album. Those are a lot of fun, and those are really wild and entertaining, but I don't know if there's as much heart there. That's kind of what I wanted to explore: authenticity and honesty and real emotion that reflects what I've been through in my life."

COUP DE MAIN: One of my favourite lyrics on the album is the 'Ghost Town' line: "I tried to believe in God and James Dean but Hollywood sold out." You've been in the industry for some time now but you appear to have stayed true to yourself. How do you avoid selling out in Hollywood?
 
ADAM LAMBERT: I love that line! I think keeping the right people around me, like my friends that I've known for ten or more years in the city - I think that helps a lot because it keeps things in perspective. Obviously celebrities, fame and success are all what a lot of entertainers are out there trying to get, but once you get it, it's not always what it's cracked up to be. There's another side to it. I think I've seen both sides; I've seen both the good and the bad of it and the in-between. That's really what that line's about - it's about your beliefs and your faith in certain things being challenged and being called into question, and where does that leave you? That's what you build a lot of your identity on at first, and then when it's called into question, you're like, "Well, now I feel lost, what do I do?"
 
CDM: Yeah, that's quite a poignant message that appears in a lot of songs on the album.
 
ADAM: That's definitely one of the through lines of the album. That kind of feeling of reflection and longing to find something, find some sort of satisfaction or meaning or truth. That's definitely why I wanted to put 'Ghost Town' out as the first single and the first track on the album. It's something to set the scene a little bit.

CDM: The 'Ghost Town' video was heavily inspired by fashion, and you had a lot of input into the styling. Fashion seems to be a very important aspect in your public image, but how would you say your style has changed over time?
 
ADAM: Well, if you look at pictures of me from six years ago, it was definitely a very specific kind of theatrical, androgynous - sometimes ridiculous - over the top, crazy rockstar-type wardrobe. I definitely was not shy about pushing things that were strange and eccentric. That's where I was at the time. I spent my twenties, or a lot of it, as a club kid. You know, going to clubs in costumes and make-up. That's definitely a part of my journey and a part of who I am. Over the last five or four years, I just slowly felt like I had done it, and wanted to transform a little bit and change and move into a new thing. I guess I just started being drawn to a different aesthetic. Now my aesthetic is a little bit more grounded. I think it's a little bit more organic than it was before. I think it's a reflection of where I am; I'm not as extravagant on a personal level as I used to be and I think [my new look] reflects that.

CDM: You've stated that 'The Original High' is consciously less theatrical than your previous albums. Considering your theatre experience at a younger age, would you say that this change is an attempt at trying something different - or just personal growth?
 
ADAM: I think that the album is just a natural reflection of where I'm at. I don't know if it's as conscious as all that. I didn't feel like I was fucking my theatricality the entire time or anything like that. The longer that I've been away from the theatre world, and the longer I've had to explore myself as an artist and as a human, it's just a natural progression to where I'm at now. My tastes in things have shifted a bit. I've gotten a little older, a little wiser and a little more grounded. It all kind of rolls into that one thing.

CDM: 'Another Lonely Night' is a standout track on the album due to the moving lyrics and the vulnerability in your voice. The new record seems to focus heavily on emotions. Have you ever been worried about letting your guard down through music?
 
ADAM: No, in fact, that's one of the things about this album - I wanted to let my guard down more. I wanted to be more vulnerable. I wanted to show my heart a little bit more. I think that's also why some of the theatrics aren't present on the album. Those are a lot of fun, and those are really wild and entertaining, but I don't know if there's as much heart there. That's kind of what I wanted to explore: authenticity and honesty and real emotion that reflects what I've been through in my life, but also that I hope people can relate to - the universal ideas.

CDM: Many songs on the album showcase a delicate mix of emotion and dance elements, especially 'There I Said It'. How important was it to maintain that dance-pop aspect on your new album, despite taking your sound in a more intimate direction?
 
ADAM: I'm always a big fan of innovative production. I love electronic music. I love texture and atmosphere. I think the beauty of the songs is that they could definitely be stripped away and done acoustic, and still be really effective. I wanted the music to feel like it's coming from the future. I want it to feel very 'now' and very much a reflection of 2015. Even though it nods to things like the 90's, with the house music in certain tracks, it needed to feel 'future'. It needed to feel like the sound of tomorrow, in my opinion.

CDM: You stated that producers Max Martin and Shellback wanted to dig into a "new colour of your voice". If your voice actually was a colour, what would it be on the new album, and what would it have been on your previous albums?
 
ADAM: I don't know! I haven't thought about actually what colour [it would be]. I think there's a lot of different colours on each album, but I think that the first album was like, neon.Just like, flashing lights like Vegas. I think this album is a bit more muted. It's a bit more earth-tone.

CDM: Tove Lo shares her talent on the powerful track 'Rumors', which addresses mistrust in relationships. How did this collaboration come about, and what inspired you two to write the song?
 
ADAM: Well, I spent two months in Stockholm at the beginning of the album process, working on tracks with writers out there. [Tove] was one of the of the writers, and we met and we clicked right away. She's really cool. She's super down to earth and really sweet. We started talking about being a musician and a pop artist, and then also trying to have a personal life at the same time, and how it's a little tricky. We talked about how everybody's got an opinion of what you are and who you are. People gossip about you and talk about you and ultimately, if you have one person in your life that you can have a real connection with, you can tune out all of that noise. It's really important to keep your sanity. So that's what we wanted to write about and that's how 'Rumors' came about.

CDM: Speaking of Tove, in a recent interview she said that 'Rumours' was probably the first successful song she's written for a male. Why do you think this is? Is there some sort of Adam Lambert wizardry at play?
 
ADAM: I don't know! I think our chemistry was part of it. We definitely got along really well. I went into it having been a real big fan of her song, 'Habits'. I found it and we met - this is before it became a huge, smash worldwide hit. It had good success in Sweden but that was about it so far. I heard the song and I was thinking, "God, I just want everyone to hear her song, it's so, so true". It's so honest. She has such a talent for taking a kind of complicated emotion and putting it very simply. I think that's real poetry. I think just the mutual admiration and chemistry just led to a really great writing session.

CDM: Another collaboration on the album is your song 'Lucy' with Brian May, who you've been touring with on the 'Queen + Adam Lambert World Tour'. Was this song born out of a spontaneous moment on the road, or was there always a plan to collaborate?
 
ADAM: In the back of my mind, I always knew I'd love to ask Brian to be a part of the album. His guitar work is so iconic. As I was ending the tour, I had these demos and I knew I wanted to get him on one. I started listening to 'Lucy' and I thought, "This is the perfect song for Brian to let it rip." So I played it for him and he said, "Oh, I have a bunch of ideas." So when we were in L.A. next, we got together in the studio with Max [Martin], and just in one afternoon he laid down all these parts and they were amazing.

CDM: Speaking of the 'Queen + Adam Lambert' tour, you were recently in New Zealand for one of the shows, marking your second time in the country. Can we expect you to return to our shores to promote your new record anytime soon?
 
ADAM: I would definitely love to come back. I love it down there. I think that the music is connecting and people are loving the single, so I definitely want to come down there and celebrate. Hopefully in the next couple of months!

CDM: You announced the title of your new album on your birthday back in January. This was a great gift to your fans, but what was the best present you received for your birthday this year?
 
ADAM: Hmm, I don't think I got any presents, really. I'm a very lucky guy - I'm financially stable and I buy myself a lot of gifts. I'm always really adamant about not wanting gifts from anybody. I don't want anyone to go to the trouble, but I was on the road on my birthday. I was in Amsterdam with Queen, so my gift I guess was the treat of being in Amsterdam. My Mom came to the show and we went out afterwards and had a drink and danced. So, that was my gift.

CDM: What's the craziest thing you have in your rider?
 
ADAM: It's not very crazy. I'm not that picky. I try to ask for healthy food. Not too much junk food or sugar, and that's it. A nice candle in the dressing room to make it smell nice - and that's it, pretty much. It's not that deep.

CDM: What do you consider to be the best pop song of all time?
 
ADAM: Oh man, I don't know. That's a tough question. Pop is everything now - it's not just one genre. What is pop? It's everything.

CDM: What do you think is the difference between a good song and a great song?
 
ADAM: I think a great song is a song that gets stuck in your head. I think a great song is a song that makes you think, or makes you feel something beyond just a normal, everyday feeling. It's a song that stands out. It's unique.

CDM: If you could pick five people - living or dead - to be in your entourage, who would you pick and why?
 
ADAM: I'd love to hang out with Freddie Mercury. At this point, I think we'd have a lot to talk about. Elvis, James Dean… Wait for it… Whitney Houston, and Rihanna. You said living or dead, right? I think Rihanna is just probably the coolest girl, so there you go.
'The Original High' is out in New Zealand on Friday, June 12th.

Click HERE to pre-order it on iTunes.

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