Post by gazza on Jun 16, 2011 22:25:08 GMT -5
Interview: Australian Idol winner Natalie Gauci tells all
People17 Jun 11 @ 09:00am by Matt Young
Natalie Gauci is one of only seven people in Australia lucky enough to own the title of Australian Idol winner.
In 2007, against all odds, Gauci took home the once coveted prize, beating favourite indie-rocker, Matt Corby. A single, Here I Am, and album, The Winner¡¯s Journey, soon followed. Here I Am was the first debut single from an Idol winner that did not reach number one in its first week, selling only 7,463 copies in its first week, lower than all previous Australian Idol winners¡¯ singles thus far.
Meanwhile, The Winner¡¯s Journey only sold 11,489 copies in its first week, compared to winner Damien Leith¡¯s 89,257 copies the previous year.
Like most of her female counterparts, Gauci soon disappeared from the music map, but after announcing a split with Sony Music in 2010, she has now returned to the spotlight, with new material (a sexy new single, Best of Me, from her 2010 EP, I¡¯m Ready, a new movie (Gauci made a cameo appearance in the Aussie flick, Big Mamma¡¯s Boy, starring Holly Valance. Best of Me also features in the movie) and a new Sydney tour (she¡¯ll play at Kings Cross club El Rocco on June 24).
The question on everyone¡¯s minds now is whether Gauci can shake the Idol curse?
The singer seemed unfazed and even grateful by her experience. This is surprising, considering all the negative press she had received. A friendly and giggly Gauci spoke with NinetoFive to clear up the rumours.
We haven¡¯t really heard much from you since your Idol win. What¡¯s been going on?
Let¡¯s start with Best of Me. I wrote that pretty much straight after Idol. I released The Winner¡¯s Journey album and then kind of disappeared! (Laughter). When I wrote Best of Me, I really wanted to release that, along with the EP, I¡¯m Ready. I had everything planned in my head what I wanted to do, but my direction was going into very pop, mainstream styles. I wanted to release a soul record, so I had to wait for the right time to get this record out of the way I wanted it released. I thought, ¡®I¡¯m just going to be patient, and one day, hopefully I¡¯ll get an opportunity.¡¯ And here I am!
Tell me about working on Big Mamma¡¯s Boy.
It comes out in July. About a year ago, Frank (Franco di Chiera, director, writer and star of the movie) approached me and asked me to play a cameo part in the movie. He wanted me to play a cameo and sing, so I played him the new songs, including Do What You¡¯ve Got to Do (off the EP) and he absolutely loved it. So he gave me the opportunity to record these two songs in a studio with my band.
Did you get to meet Holly Valance? (Valance also stars in Big Momma¡¯s Boy)?
I did! I met her at the opening party. She was really nice, pretty cool, laid back, relaxed and quiet! Maybe she just wasn¡¯t very talkative to me. (Laughter).
SEE THE TRAILER OF BIG MAMMA¡¯S BOY HERE
On reflection, what are your thoughts on your Australian Idol win?
They¡¯re all positive ones. I feel really proud of that time. I had so much support throughout the whole time. Everybody was so positive towards me and I thrived on that. I worked really hard to make the best out of it and do the best performances I could because I loved it so much.
Who supported you?
I had support from the crew, my family, fans, everyone. That is just the best feeling in the world, ever. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll never forget. I was pretty grounded on the show, it was when it finished that I kind of lost my feet a bit. It¡¯s such a whirlwind, you get into this bubble and all of a sudden you have to go back into the real world.
You have to release a record¡ I¡¯m thinking, ¡®Oh my God, this is me now!¡¯ I had to find my way and figure out exactly what and who I wanted to be as an artist as well.
Do you feel Idol helped or hurt your career?
It helped me a lot. It gave me a platform to work with. If I didn¡¯t do it, I would probably be doing exactly what I¡¯m doing now, but without the name of Idol¡ (attached to my name).
When you look at the winners, all the female winners have had more trouble cracking the industry, whereas the male winners continue to be managed by Sony and are doing quite well. I can¡¯t help but wonder whether the Australian public is subconsciously sexist or whether it¡¯s the industry?
You don¡¯t have to deal with a record label when you¡¯re on the show. I got to arrange all my songs every week with John Foreman. But when you¡¯re working with a label after you¡¯ve won a competition, you have to do what they tell you to do. If you don¡¯t, then you don¡¯t get anything out of it. And that¡¯s honestly the reality of it and I wasn¡¯t prepared to do that. I wanted to release Best of Me.
I can¡¯t look back and think I¡¯ve struggled. I just see it as part of the reality of winning a television show competition. If you¡¯re happy to go down the road they want you to go down, that¡¯s really cool, I admire people like that because I just can¡¯t do that.
The Herald Sun (newspaper) suggested you left Sony last year because you felt pushed and prodded. Is that a correct statement?
I think I was pushing and prodding as well, we were both butting heads towards each other. It was just what it was, there was no fighting. Like any relationship you¡¯re going to have problems, nothing is easy sailing all the way and that¡¯s what it was. Things happen for a reason, I¡¯m a big believer in that. You just have to do what¡¯s right at the time and if it doesn¡¯t, then just don¡¯t do it. Sony were really supportive of the things they wanted for me. It was never a matter of prodding. They had a vision for me and I had a different vision, that¡¯s it.
Out of the judges, who was the most helpful and who was the least?
Dicko was really good. Marcia was very helpful at times. Kyle just wasn¡¯t helpful at all. It was great for watching on television, but standing on stage and listening to him talking crap was really off-putting. I started to realise not to take it so seriously. At first I used to get offended by what he said, but after about six weeks of it I¡¯d had enough. I realised that he¡¯s just mucking around. Mark Holden was pretty wacko, but cool. I missed him after he left, I thought he made that judging panel. Touchdowns just weren¡¯t the same!
Were you disappointed that you didn¡¯t release any new material?
Not really. It¡¯s something that I knew I had to wait for. It¡¯s not over for me, it is just the beginning. Idol was a long time ago. It was a fantastic time for me but at the same time, life goes on and you¡¯ve gotta do what you¡¯ve gotta do! I¡¯m pretty happy with where I¡¯m at musically and creatively. My heart¡¯s in a good place and I¡¯m going to keep going; I¡¯ve finished my record and I¡¯ve got a lot to do!
Paul Cashmere of Undercover criticised Australian Idol for its commercialism, accusing it of using you as a ¡°victim to feed the corporations and their shareholders.¡± Do you feel this is the case?
Absolutely not. I can see where it comes from and I can see how people see that, but if you look at the progression: Popstars, Australian Idol, Australia¡¯s Got Talent, X Factor ¡it¡¯s a phenomenon. People love it. It gives them the confidence, encouragement hope and optimism that they can actually get out there and sing. It¡¯s the thing afterwards that I don¡¯t like. Everybody watches it for the show, but afterwards, what happens? You have to remain relevant. In a perfect world, I would love it if every record label was involved, because then artists could be themselves and release the music they want to release on the appropriate label. That¡¯s what I would have liked. At the same time it¡¯s no perfect world and media and television is something in itself. I don¡¯t agree with that because, especially for young musicians, it¡¯s a great platform for them to get their name out there. There¡¯s been a lot of successful artists come out of it.
What can your Sydney fans expect from your tour?
Nine Simone inspired me to write music. All the songs I write for my solo work stem from that genre. Expect a cross between Regina Spektor, Adele and Alicia Keys.
I¡¯ll be playing songs from the EP release and I¡¯m also giving away free samples of the album!
Tickets for Natalie Gauci¡¯s Best of Me national tour are on sale now. You can see her at El Rocco in Kings Cross Friday, June 24. Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au.
Best Of Me is available now on iTunes.
Other Sydney dates include:
SATURDAY 25TH JUNE - Coogee Diggers, Coogee NSW
Tickets: www.coogeediggersoztix.com.au
SUNDAY 26TH JUNE - The Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW
Tickets: www.brassmonkeyoztix.com.au
t.co/GV4RtXI
People17 Jun 11 @ 09:00am by Matt Young
Natalie Gauci is one of only seven people in Australia lucky enough to own the title of Australian Idol winner.
In 2007, against all odds, Gauci took home the once coveted prize, beating favourite indie-rocker, Matt Corby. A single, Here I Am, and album, The Winner¡¯s Journey, soon followed. Here I Am was the first debut single from an Idol winner that did not reach number one in its first week, selling only 7,463 copies in its first week, lower than all previous Australian Idol winners¡¯ singles thus far.
Meanwhile, The Winner¡¯s Journey only sold 11,489 copies in its first week, compared to winner Damien Leith¡¯s 89,257 copies the previous year.
Like most of her female counterparts, Gauci soon disappeared from the music map, but after announcing a split with Sony Music in 2010, she has now returned to the spotlight, with new material (a sexy new single, Best of Me, from her 2010 EP, I¡¯m Ready, a new movie (Gauci made a cameo appearance in the Aussie flick, Big Mamma¡¯s Boy, starring Holly Valance. Best of Me also features in the movie) and a new Sydney tour (she¡¯ll play at Kings Cross club El Rocco on June 24).
The question on everyone¡¯s minds now is whether Gauci can shake the Idol curse?
The singer seemed unfazed and even grateful by her experience. This is surprising, considering all the negative press she had received. A friendly and giggly Gauci spoke with NinetoFive to clear up the rumours.
We haven¡¯t really heard much from you since your Idol win. What¡¯s been going on?
Let¡¯s start with Best of Me. I wrote that pretty much straight after Idol. I released The Winner¡¯s Journey album and then kind of disappeared! (Laughter). When I wrote Best of Me, I really wanted to release that, along with the EP, I¡¯m Ready. I had everything planned in my head what I wanted to do, but my direction was going into very pop, mainstream styles. I wanted to release a soul record, so I had to wait for the right time to get this record out of the way I wanted it released. I thought, ¡®I¡¯m just going to be patient, and one day, hopefully I¡¯ll get an opportunity.¡¯ And here I am!
Tell me about working on Big Mamma¡¯s Boy.
It comes out in July. About a year ago, Frank (Franco di Chiera, director, writer and star of the movie) approached me and asked me to play a cameo part in the movie. He wanted me to play a cameo and sing, so I played him the new songs, including Do What You¡¯ve Got to Do (off the EP) and he absolutely loved it. So he gave me the opportunity to record these two songs in a studio with my band.
Did you get to meet Holly Valance? (Valance also stars in Big Momma¡¯s Boy)?
I did! I met her at the opening party. She was really nice, pretty cool, laid back, relaxed and quiet! Maybe she just wasn¡¯t very talkative to me. (Laughter).
SEE THE TRAILER OF BIG MAMMA¡¯S BOY HERE
On reflection, what are your thoughts on your Australian Idol win?
They¡¯re all positive ones. I feel really proud of that time. I had so much support throughout the whole time. Everybody was so positive towards me and I thrived on that. I worked really hard to make the best out of it and do the best performances I could because I loved it so much.
Who supported you?
I had support from the crew, my family, fans, everyone. That is just the best feeling in the world, ever. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll never forget. I was pretty grounded on the show, it was when it finished that I kind of lost my feet a bit. It¡¯s such a whirlwind, you get into this bubble and all of a sudden you have to go back into the real world.
You have to release a record¡ I¡¯m thinking, ¡®Oh my God, this is me now!¡¯ I had to find my way and figure out exactly what and who I wanted to be as an artist as well.
Do you feel Idol helped or hurt your career?
It helped me a lot. It gave me a platform to work with. If I didn¡¯t do it, I would probably be doing exactly what I¡¯m doing now, but without the name of Idol¡ (attached to my name).
When you look at the winners, all the female winners have had more trouble cracking the industry, whereas the male winners continue to be managed by Sony and are doing quite well. I can¡¯t help but wonder whether the Australian public is subconsciously sexist or whether it¡¯s the industry?
You don¡¯t have to deal with a record label when you¡¯re on the show. I got to arrange all my songs every week with John Foreman. But when you¡¯re working with a label after you¡¯ve won a competition, you have to do what they tell you to do. If you don¡¯t, then you don¡¯t get anything out of it. And that¡¯s honestly the reality of it and I wasn¡¯t prepared to do that. I wanted to release Best of Me.
I can¡¯t look back and think I¡¯ve struggled. I just see it as part of the reality of winning a television show competition. If you¡¯re happy to go down the road they want you to go down, that¡¯s really cool, I admire people like that because I just can¡¯t do that.
The Herald Sun (newspaper) suggested you left Sony last year because you felt pushed and prodded. Is that a correct statement?
I think I was pushing and prodding as well, we were both butting heads towards each other. It was just what it was, there was no fighting. Like any relationship you¡¯re going to have problems, nothing is easy sailing all the way and that¡¯s what it was. Things happen for a reason, I¡¯m a big believer in that. You just have to do what¡¯s right at the time and if it doesn¡¯t, then just don¡¯t do it. Sony were really supportive of the things they wanted for me. It was never a matter of prodding. They had a vision for me and I had a different vision, that¡¯s it.
Out of the judges, who was the most helpful and who was the least?
Dicko was really good. Marcia was very helpful at times. Kyle just wasn¡¯t helpful at all. It was great for watching on television, but standing on stage and listening to him talking crap was really off-putting. I started to realise not to take it so seriously. At first I used to get offended by what he said, but after about six weeks of it I¡¯d had enough. I realised that he¡¯s just mucking around. Mark Holden was pretty wacko, but cool. I missed him after he left, I thought he made that judging panel. Touchdowns just weren¡¯t the same!
Were you disappointed that you didn¡¯t release any new material?
Not really. It¡¯s something that I knew I had to wait for. It¡¯s not over for me, it is just the beginning. Idol was a long time ago. It was a fantastic time for me but at the same time, life goes on and you¡¯ve gotta do what you¡¯ve gotta do! I¡¯m pretty happy with where I¡¯m at musically and creatively. My heart¡¯s in a good place and I¡¯m going to keep going; I¡¯ve finished my record and I¡¯ve got a lot to do!
Paul Cashmere of Undercover criticised Australian Idol for its commercialism, accusing it of using you as a ¡°victim to feed the corporations and their shareholders.¡± Do you feel this is the case?
Absolutely not. I can see where it comes from and I can see how people see that, but if you look at the progression: Popstars, Australian Idol, Australia¡¯s Got Talent, X Factor ¡it¡¯s a phenomenon. People love it. It gives them the confidence, encouragement hope and optimism that they can actually get out there and sing. It¡¯s the thing afterwards that I don¡¯t like. Everybody watches it for the show, but afterwards, what happens? You have to remain relevant. In a perfect world, I would love it if every record label was involved, because then artists could be themselves and release the music they want to release on the appropriate label. That¡¯s what I would have liked. At the same time it¡¯s no perfect world and media and television is something in itself. I don¡¯t agree with that because, especially for young musicians, it¡¯s a great platform for them to get their name out there. There¡¯s been a lot of successful artists come out of it.
What can your Sydney fans expect from your tour?
Nine Simone inspired me to write music. All the songs I write for my solo work stem from that genre. Expect a cross between Regina Spektor, Adele and Alicia Keys.
I¡¯ll be playing songs from the EP release and I¡¯m also giving away free samples of the album!
Tickets for Natalie Gauci¡¯s Best of Me national tour are on sale now. You can see her at El Rocco in Kings Cross Friday, June 24. Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au.
Best Of Me is available now on iTunes.
Other Sydney dates include:
SATURDAY 25TH JUNE - Coogee Diggers, Coogee NSW
Tickets: www.coogeediggersoztix.com.au
SUNDAY 26TH JUNE - The Brass Monkey, Cronulla, NSW
Tickets: www.brassmonkeyoztix.com.au
t.co/GV4RtXI
