A little bit(e) of Greyson

MANILA, Philippines – On April 11, we got the opportunity to do a phone interview with Greyson Chance. He is the 14-year-old singer/songwriter from Oklahoma, who first captured everyone’s attention with an impressive cover of Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi on YouTube. The video came to the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, who was so wowed by his talent that she invited him to her show several times. She soon signed him up to her new record label eleveneleven (and was the first artist signed to it).

Greyson has since released four singles including Waiting Outside The Lines, Unfriend You, Hold On ‘Til The Night (the title track), and the most recent Take A Look At Me Now. Hold On ‘Til The Night, his debut album, has been certified as Gold in the Philippines, and his trip here last year was very successful.

Now Greyson is coming back for a concert on April 22 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and his passionate fans here in The Philippines can’t wait for his return. Just don’t bite him, because it might turn him into a zombie. Maybe that’s why we had a hard time understanding him over the phone… Or maybe that was because of the connection.

You wrote a bit more than half of the songs on your album, so in terms of music, what was your goal with your album HOTTN? Where were you planning to go with it?

“You know it was my first album and I wanted to create something that was, kind of make a signature, you know, make something for myself, and a name for myself, and so… I just went into the studio, and you know, what was so great about Hold On ‘Til The Night was that it turned out so creative… was just because I really had no limits with the record. I just went in and, you know, I wrote a lot of songs and all. I just, my goal is to make the best of it I could possibly, you know, to consider I did a good job with it.”

What’s your favorite song from the album, and why?

“What’s my favorite song from the album… Well, you know that’s a difficult question ‘cause I’m so attached to, you know, all of them. But one of my favorite songs right now is, it only came out internationally, it never got to come out in the CD, but… will probably be a song called Running Away. It’s one of my favorites and it’s a nice song. It’s a very meaningful song and I really liked it a lot.”

OK, you always say you love touring, can you tell us one of your craziest tour/fan experiences?

“Well, actually I was in the Philippines when this happened, one of my crazy fan experiences. I was actually walking around and I was doing this big signing. I had to walk to the restroom, I needed to take a break, and as I was walking back to the signing, a fan came up to me and bit me! It was right in my arm, and it was completely crazy and just mad, and I don’t think they would do it on purpose, but it hurt very badly.”

Here’s a question for the girls: What makes a girl stand out for you?

“What makes a girl stand out for me? Well, I like someone who is really truthful. I don’t like lies, and I don’t like all the games and stuff like that.”

You’ve already been working on it, so what can your fans expect from your new album? Are you looking into doing any collaborations?

“Well, I don’t want to give too much away about the new record, but you know, I’m close to finishing it, but it still has a minute to go. But I will say there might be a couple of stuff… collaborations. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised.”

You’ve gone pretty far since you’ve been on Ellen. What’s something you’ve learned from this whole experience?

‘What makes a girl stand out for me? Well, I like someone who is really truthful. I don’t like lies.’

“I think I had a good plan to always keep my head up, you know there are many times in this business where… sometimes you’re looking down, and I think, you know it’s kinda like what I see, I have bad days every once in a while, and I think the important thing for me is to always remember to keep my head up, and know why I’m doing this in the first place, ’cause of my fans, and that I love to make music.”

Your fans here are really excited for your concert on April 22 at the Araneta Coliseum (which is pretty big!), is there any message you might have for them?

“Hello to all the fans, I cannot wait to play at the Coliseum. I’m super excited! I’ve been so overwhelmed with the support in the Philippines, and all of Asia. I have some of the best fans there, and you guys are so dedicated and loyal, and I really appreciate it, and I can’t wait to see you all at the Coliseum!”

After the interview, we can say that it really must have been difficulties with the connection, because no zombie could be such a sweet person. He would apologize as if it was his fault when it wasn’t. He’s very nice and down-to-earth. And we think it’s great that Greyson knows his music, and knows what he wants to do. We also hope that he’s still got his arm.

(Thank you to MCA Music. Tickets are available at www.ticketnet.com.ph.)