Idol’s Allison Iraheta getting more comfortable in role
Allison Iraheta’s sandpaper edges always seemed an odd fit for the American Idol bubble. She wasn’t a blond country sweetheart, an R&B diva-in-training or a poised pop princess. Her outfits were funny. Her interviews were awkward.
But onstage, Iraheta’s wildchild yell was a rock ‘n’ roll force and made her Season 8′s last female standing.
Since then, Iraheta has released an album (Just Like You), collaborated with guitarist Orianthi (single Don’t Waste the Pretty) and reunited with a former Idol buddy. She’s the opener on Adam Lambert’s Glam Nation Tour “the opportunity of a lifetime” – which makes a sold-out stop Wednesday at the Hobby Center.
Iraheta, 18, still seems an odd fit for the tik-tok-pop world. But that’s also what makes her intriguing. She’s an enormous vocal talent and a lot of fun:
Q: How have things changed since leaving the Idol stage?
A: To be able to connect is something that I’ve really learned in the past few months. I’m always nervous right before I go on stage, but I feel like that’s a boost for me. I definitely do feel a difference from being on the American Idol stage and how freaking scared I was, and then the American Idol tour, where I was more confident, but not quite as much as I am now. It’s all been a learning experience.
Q: Why do you think your album hasn’t connected in a bigger way, despite some good reviews?
A: I know some people just don’t even bother. Maybe they weren’t a fan. “Oh, she has an album out? I haven’t heard it.” I think they should take a minute – just a minute – to listen to one of the songs. I’m pretty sure they can relate. I think that’s the problem with a lot of people these days, they don’t take a minute out of their time just to listen to something.
Q: What’s been the toughest crowd so far?
A: Pre-Idol days – those were always tough, when people didn’t know who the hell I was. I’d go to, like, community events, fair-type things. I remember, I think I was about 12, it was at the time I was singing Spanish ranchera music, and I totally sang that for the wrong crowd. They were not about it, man. They were like, “Sing something different!” That happened to me quite a few times.
Q: What Spanish-language artists did you cover?
A: A lot of Rocio Durcal, Linda Ronstadt, Vicente Fernandez. Selena’s ranchera stuff as well – I did (her hit) Tu Solo Tu a few times.
Q: Do you miss it?
A: For sure. I grew up doing that. It’s really in my roots, growing up singing the rancheras and also Julieta Venegas and Shakira’s old stuff, when she was doing Ojos Asi and stuff like that. I miss it a lot. I do really want to, one day, work on a Spanish album.
Q: Last music you purchased?
A: I think it was Janelle Monae’s album (The ArchAndroid). She is incredible, an amazing performer. I saw her on a late-night show, and she did her single, Tightrope. She killed it.
Q:Tell us something we don’t know about your touring partner.
A: It caught me off guard one day when I got offstage, and he’s supposed to be on like in 30 minutes, and he’s on his little treadmill. I was like, “Boy!” People might know that, but he does do his little workouts before he gets on stage.
Q: Most rock ‘n’ roll Iraheta moment?
A: They’d throw bras and thongs and all these types of things onstage while Adam would be singing. When we were doing Slow Ride on the American Idol tour, someone threw a jockstrap. When I walked on stage, and he introduced me, I was wearing it. It looked like I had some sort of big package just waiting for him.
Q: Least rock ‘n’ roll Iraheta moment?
A: Earlier this morning, there was an infomercial with Mr. T on it. I was really into it. I wanted to call in and buy this cooking thing (the FlavorWave Turbo Oven) he was trying to sell. I was really tempted. Man, Mr. T is selling me on this. I am a terrible cook, which is why I was all about it.
joey.guerra@chron.com