Seattle native Blake Lewis will drop his second album, Heartbreak On Vinyl tomorrow, October 6, so we had to get the scoop on the new songs straight from the American Idol alum. The dance-pop singer also filled us in on touring with Lady Gaga and why he wants to be a part of Twilight!
J-14: Your first single, "Sad Song," has an '80s vibe -- is that what you were going for?
Blake: No, I didn't go for it at all actually -- it just comes naturally. I'm a big '80s kid. Usually I never set out to have a song sound a certain way -- I'm just trying to make a good dance record and pull it off. I'm very excited about it. "Sad Song" is an anthem for the heartbroken. It's not necessarily a sad song. I have people that are like, "Is it sad?" No, it's not! I got out of a very big relationship for the first time, and I was heartbroken. I've had heartaches [before], but this time I was really sad. But Heartbreak on Vinyl -- the actual album title and title track -- has to do with indie record stores closing down, not heartbreak. I'm heartbroken that these record stores are closing down, because I'm a big audio fan. I buy vinyl and I shop for records -- I don't go online.
J-14: Which tracks on Heartbreak On Vinyl are the most personal to you?
Blake: As far as personal, probably "Rebel Without a Cause" is the story of me. It's the story of "Why'd I leave? Why'd I have to be so rebellious?" I'm always been very independent my whole life. "Left My Baby For You" totally explains me breaking up [with my ex-GF], moving to California, and then me trying to go back to Seattle and win her back. That's when I get heartbroken. I know that I was wrong. Then "The Point" is the tail end of the breakup, when you're trying to hold on and there's no point.
J-14: If you could perform with anybody, who would it be?
Blake: Probably Sting, Bono, or Prince. I couldn't say one person. I would say Michael Jackson if he was still [alive], and Prince is the last great performer of that era.
J-14: What was it like to do a few shows with Lady Gaga?
Blake: She's very sweet. I met her two years ago at a dance function, and she remembered me. She's very professional. She's very serious about what she does and even people who don't like her should respect it. She's one-of-a-kind. We needed something special like her in the music industry to bring dance out in the open. It's funny for me coming from the dance music scene -- we come from the same place. She's always been Lady Gaga. I guess her persona would be Stefani, her real name.
J-14: Are you going to watch Idol this season now that Paula Abdul's not on the show anymore?
Blake: I think it's terrible that Paula left - I'm sad that she's gone. I don't think Kara needed to be an addition to the show. I only watched a couple of episodes -- I've never watched American Idol really. I'd never seen it before I was on it, and I've never seen my season still. I could never watch myself. It's weird to me.
J-14: Did you know they'll be filming the fourth Twilight movie in Seattle?
Blake: (gasps) I love vampires, so anything to do with vampires! I haven't read the books. [But] I'm from Seattle, and I think my song "Rapture of Love" should be on.
