As our American Idol, Scotty McCreery, traveled the country with the American Idols LIVE! 2011 Tour, he hopped on the phone to talk about his new music, being back in Milwaukee, and advice for all aspiring American Idols.
What’s it like being on tour? Scotty shared, “It’s pretty wild. It’s a lot of fun. It’s a wild dream, though, so it’s cool to get this chance and be in a different city every night.”The Garner, North Carolina native got to perform a show near his hometown. “The hometown audience was incredible. I was spotting friends I hadn’t seen in months out in the crowd while I was singing, so I’d give them a quick wave. It was pretty cool. I definitely had lots of friends and family there and it was nice to get back.” Did Scotty get to sleep at home in the comfort of his coveted Egyptian cotton sheets? “I did! I did! I didn’t sleep in the hotel that night. It was really nice.”
Scotty’s coronation song, “I Love You This Big,” became his first single and it’s already certified GOLD! What’s it like hearing arenas of fans sing along to his single? “It’s pretty cool. It still amazes me how good the song’s done on the radio and how many people are hearing it. It’s a cool thing to hear, and I’m just glad it’s getting out there. Scotty also had a blast filming the video for ILYTB. He said, “It was a lot of fun. It was cool being in L.A. and finding a little piece of country in a nice little park. It was just a cool little thing we did. It was kind of like a summertime barbeque that I grew up doing. It was a lot of fun.”
His debut album, Clear As Day, will become available on October 4. Scotty shared, “The album is going really well. My part is pretty much done vocally, now they’re just working on making sure everything is just right with the production so that the album will be in tip-top shape and exactly where we want it. Hopefully it will do well for me.”
It’s amazing to think what Scotty has accomplished in just one year! Our interview took place as he was getting ready to perform at Milwaukee’s Bradley Center, and Scotty revealed something really special, “I’m actually sitting in the seat in the stadium where I auditioned, right now! We’re in Milwaukee and I’m actually siting in the exact seat I was in for my audition. It’s pretty cool. We have the ticket saved. Section 401 Row Q Seat 3.”
Scotty mentioned during Season 10 that he never expected to get past the first round of auditions, nonetheless become the next American Idol! What’s his advice for the folks who are auditioning September 22nd in East Rutherford? “Just go out there and have fun. Don’t go in there looking to be the next American Idol. Go in there to have fun and to sing your heart out. That’s the kind of stuff the judges want to see. They want to see you enjoying yourself, confidence, and a good unique singer. So just go down there and do your thing and you should be alright.”To all of Scotty’s amazing fans he says, “Thanks a bunch for continuing to support me. This new music is going out to y’all soon and I hope we can continue to have this good music and have a lot of fun with it. Thanks a lot and I appreciate it.”