AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again!

Yardgnome · 03-20-2008, 08:12 PM

Today I had the opportunity to participate in a media call with Amanda Overmyer. She was so grateful for her experience and seems like such a nice and polite person. I wish her all the luck in her musical career.

It seems like you’re more capable of going on to the next step and being less needy than a lot of the contestants. Can you just give us an overview of your life at this point? In other words, as I understand it, you already own a home back in Indiana. Did your car or truck get messed up by the action or do you still have one? Do you expect to go back there or do you expect to stick around L.A.? What is your situation right now?

A. Overmyer: Yes, I’ve owned a home in Indiana for three years. I can go back in my career if need be. As of right now, no decisions are being made as far as what exactly I’m going to do, because I have no idea if there are any options out here, if there are any. It’s going to be a little bit of a waiting game for the next couple of months probably.

It was very good nature that you showed and everyone was surprised when you were voted out. Basically, are you quite optimistic about your life and where you’re going from here?

A. Overmyer: Absolutely. Yesterday was the most traumatic thing that’s happened in my life; I just got voted off of a TV show. I was thankful to be there and privileged to have that many millions of Americans vote for me just to keep me on until 11. With someone like me, who is completely different, I’m cut out of a different mold from everyone else in the competition, I found that very warming that I had that much support.

Can you tell us, have you ever used your singing to maybe serenade patients as a nurse, and do you think you’ll go back to that career as a stepping stone?

A. Overmyer: No, I’ve never used it to serenade patients. Just to verify, my job was home oxygen and durable medical equipment, so I wasn’t like taking care of patients in a hospital. If nothing comes up out here for me to pursue with music, I’ll probably give it maybe a good six months, and if nothing happens I’m going to go back and continue on the career path that I started.

Your dad was in the military. Would you have any interest in singing in Iraq for the troops or anything like that with the military?

A. Overmyer: Absolutely. The service they do for this country is really a great thing and it takes a special person to be able to do that.

What song would you have sung next week if you’d had the chance? I think it’s a song from the year you were born. Did you have one planned yet?

A. Overmyer: Yes. I haven’t slept. What was that song called? On the Dark Side.

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.

A. Overmyer: Yes.

That would have been fun.

A. Overmyer: Yes, I was going to do that one for … and the Cruisers.

What was your favorite performance competition for yourself and your least favorite, and why?

A. Overmyer: The two that I did on the big stage are both equally my favorite just because I was more in my element there with the crowd in front of me and everything. My least favorite one would have been all the group numbers we had to do. If I had to pick a least favorite one, it’d probably be the Kansas one. Personally, I liked it, I got it, but that’s the one I got slammed on, so we’ll pick that one.

Before the competition started, the producers were very excited about all the unique personalities they had this season. It seems like in the past few weeks, the singers with the most unique personalities have been the ones going home. Do you feel like the American Idol format is one that sort of benefits people who have, like you have, a very distinctive voice?

A. Overmyer: Yes, it benefits anybody with any kind of distinction because it gives us that platform to start from and get exposure, the biggest exposure that we could ever get. As far as winning it, you just have to look at the demographics of the voters and the people watching American Idol versus the demographics of your particular genre. They may not necessarily correlate.

That makes sense. Could you talk a bit about the group numbers? I imagine your voice, being a different sort of voice, is more difficult to blend in. Was that something that they had to work extra-hard to do?

A. Overmyer: No, actually. I just didn’t like performing them and doing all the choreography and stuff, but as far as when we recorded them and did all that, I actually was very strong at it. I have a choir background from high school. Who would have thought?

I know that Simon, at one point in the semi-finals, made a joke about you smiling, that it was okay to smile. You seemed really serious a lot of times when the judges were talking to you. What was going through your head when they were picking apart your performances?

A. Overmyer: Well, when I was done singing, I was done singing. It’s just like when those judges would give their comments, I wanted to be respectful and listen, but the comments weren’t going to sway me one way or the other as far as what I was going to do. The objective of being on this show was to go out there and show America me, perform like me, look like me and see how well it would take. The comments from the judges were based more on the idea of trying to win, and I had a different agenda.

Now that you can look at things objectively, what performer would you like to see, or who do you think might win the competition?

A. Overmyer: I have no idea.

I know that the stand-outs right now are maybe David Archuleta or Syesha. Do you have anything to say on their performances?

A. Overmyer: No. All I can say is Syesha, at one point, wasn’t the favored one and David, at one point, got slammed by the judges. It’s anybody’s game, you know? It’s definitely anybody’s game and I don’t venture to make a prediction.

I know that there’s been some flack in the past about Idol seasons for the rocker chick or the rocker guy maybe not getting as far ahead as they should because what you’re saying about the demographics. You were very well known for your style, too, so do you think that that distinction either hurt you or helped you in terms of the competition of being the rocker chick that’s your own personal style?

A. Overmyer: Being my own personal style helped me as far as being the quintessential rocker chick, I guess, but as far as the competition itself, I wouldn’t say that it necessarily helped me. Young kids aren’t going to relate to me as easily as they do the other ones.

You’ve mentioned a few times that you were really comfortable on the big stage, and you always seemed to pretty much keep your composure up there. Is there anything that you do prior to going out there to calm your nerves or anything like that? How do you keep it together when maybe the judges are doing their typical bickering back and forth?

A. Overmyer: No, I don’t really have anything that I do beforehand. It’s always come pretty natural to me. As far as the judges bickering and all that, like I said before, their comments are based on excelling within the competition and that wasn’t really my objective.

Did you feel uncomfortable at any point, like when Seacrest and Simon always bicker back and forth and things like that, or do you just try to ignore it while you’re up there?

A. Overmyer: That doesn’t bother me. That’s just part of good TV. If they didn’t do that, nobody would want to watch it.

What did you learn from your experience on Idol?

A. Overmyer: The main thing that I learned was that I’ve always been unique and different in the small confines of Indiana, but it was good to know that I was also unique in the nation’s eyes, too. That was something I was unaware of.

What was the best piece of advice you received and who was it from?

A. Overmyer: I don’t know. Probably just from my dad, to keep your head straight and keep grounded.

So, when you were standing up there I noticed that you looked so downcast when you were told that you were in the bottom three. What was going through your head?

A. Overmyer: That more than likely I would be done.

That’s surprising because I’m sure you’re aware that a lot of people were predicting that Kristy would be off this week. I’m surprised that you thought that you would be the one to be off.

A. Overmyer: Yes. I know how different I am and I know that I target an older audience and a difference audience maybe than American Idol provides.

Did Kristy say anything to you up there? Obviously, the three of you were in a very tense position standing there.

A. Overmyer: Right. I mean, she thought it was her and I told her to chill out, stop worrying and it’d be alright.

I’m going to ask you about your song choice, Back in the USSR. Do you think it was anything to do with the song choice or maybe having to go first? That seems kind of to be a curse. You’re terrific. I’m still stunned that you were even in the bottom three.

A. Overmyer: Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that. No, I don’t think that the song choice had anything to do with it because if it wasn’t that song, it was going to be another song that sounded like me singing it. I don’t necessarily think it was the song choice. You’ll never hear me pissing and whining that I was first or anything like that. I definitely had hoped for position six or seven, but it’s not how it worked out. It is what it is. I’m not going to cry over spilled milk.

Also, you said that maybe you’ll hang out here for about six months to see if anything happens before going back to your old career. Are you not bent on being this big star? You’re content to go back and have your other job and sing on the weekends? How driven are you in this whole showbiz thing?

A. Overmyer: I mean, I’m a very ambitious and driven person by nature. I’m going to take calculated risks to achieve success, but everyone’s definition of success varies from person to person. Success, to me, is a strong, healthy family and success in whatever job that you do. If this is just 15 minute of fame, I’m not going to chase it my whole life trying to get it back; I’ll take it for what it is and move on. Hopefully it’s not. Hopefully I can make a career out of this, but it’s not going to be that unicorn that I keep chasing.

Were you aware of Vote for the Worst? Were you following that at all?

A. Overmyer: No. I had heard that I was their girl, though.

I was going to ask you if you thought it helped you at all, but obviously last night’s results didn’t. Do you think it hurt you, and did it personally hurt you?

A. Overmyer: No. It didn’t personally hurt me at all. I mean, hell, votes are votes, you know? From what I hear, they weren’t too harsh on me or anything.

Right.

A. Overmyer: I think a chunk of them actually liked me for real.

You mentioned before that you had a different agenda than perhaps winning. What was your agenda?

A. Overmyer: Well, up to this point, I don’t really have one now, but up to this point it was just to get my sound out there and my performances out there and see if I could get any bites, you know?

You sound tired this morning. Is it tired or are you sad? Or is it just the way you sound in the morning?

A. Overmyer: No, ma’am. I’m exhausted. I went to sleep at 1:30 last night after we got back from everything and I had to leave at 3:30. I’ve been doing interviews since 4:00 a.m.

A lot is being made and we’ve talked a lot about you being different and standing out as a performer and musically in terms of style and that kind of stuff. I wonder, how much does that carry through into the kind of social side of being on American Idol with the rest of the group? Did you feel that you fit in well? Did you bond very well? Do you feel like a little bit of an outsider in terms of that stuff?

A. Overmyer: My personality within itself, I tend to keep pretty sheltered and safe away from anything. I can count on two hands the friends and family that truly matter. Other than that, I’m kind of standoffish. In any situation where a group of people go through something like this there’s an element of camaraderie there. Everybody is going through the same thing, so they’re the only people that understand what everyone is going through. I had no problem fitting in.

Was there anybody in particular that you hung out with a lot, that you were particularly close to?

A. Overmyer: Carly was my roommate and we spent the most time together. We had quite a bit in common, so it would probably be Carly.

A lot of times in the last few years people have been saying that contestants, some contestants, don’t even think as far as winning the competition; they just think about how great it would be to make the tour. Would you say that that was true during this season? For you, was it a personal goal? If so, are you really upset that you didn’t make the tour?

A. Overmyer: Yes, it was somewhat of a goal. I’m not extremely disappointed that I am not doing the tour. The ultimate goal is to get my own. I think for it being an American Idol tour and it being it is what it is, they have the best group for it. I think I kind of stuck out. I didn’t really fit in with it.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re engaged, aren’t you?

A. Overmyer: Yes, ma’am.

When is your wedding? Do you have a date for your wedding? Would you invite your fellow contestants to attend and maybe sing at it?

A. Overmyer: I’d surely invite at least a couple of them. I don’t have any date at all. It’s been all pending what happens with this.

Your fiancé, was he your rock throughout the whole thing?

A. Overmyer: I think I was more his rock through the whole thing because he was home alone. I bet that was pretty hard, being alone in the house while all the excitement is going on 2,000 miles away, you know?

You said that you and Carly were roommates, you spent a lot of time together, you had a lot in common. Since she’d kind of already been through the whole music industry mill, was she able to give you any good advice about what it’s really like out there, getting a record deal and stuff like that?

A. Overmyer: Not really. She was so young when it happened that a lot of it her parents took care of for her and she just went where they told her to go. She never went out and promoted anything; the record company imploded before she had the opportunity to do that. This is almost like a first time for her, too.

It looked like during last night’s broadcast that you might have been able to read the results on Ryan Seacrest’s card. Is that correct? Could you see, in fact, what the results were?

A. Overmyer: No, but I tried.

Were you surprised when you were revealed to be the one to be eliminated?

A. Overmyer: Kind of, not really. It was 50/50. I was kind of surprised, but I didn’t really go in with any preconceived notions about what I would be or what I wouldn’t be. It really is such a crapshoot, being the square peg in a round hole.

It’d be nice to be a little bit clearer on exactly what it is you’re aiming to do now. You mentioned a tour. Are you going to put together a CD? Would that be with a band or would that be a solo thing? Just some more detail on what you’d like to do.

A. Overmyer: I’ve thought about it, as far as what I’d like to do, but you know what? I haven’t had any talks with management or anything like that on what the best way of going about it would be. I have zero experience in this industry and I’m completely as green as they come. I’m not going to venture to say this is what I’m going to do because I don’t know what the best way to go about doing it is. I have to ask some people. It’ll definitely be the southern rock genre. I definitely want to get out and tour and do the big biker alleys and things like that, but it’s just how to get there. That’s what I need education on.

You’ve said before how much you enjoyed being on the big stage compared to the small stage. Could you describe how that felt when you were up there? What was that like?

A. Overmyer: It reminded me how I used to feel when I performed. I quit doing it for two years. I’d completely given it up and it was like I get up there, start singing and oh, yes, now I remember why I did this. It was really a neat feeling.

What is that feeling like?

A. Overmyer: That’s a tough one to describe. I don’t know. It’s a good feeling, having everyone’s attention on you and having the ability to provide entertainment that comes out of your throat that gets people excited. They start jumping around, so it makes you jump around more. They start screaming at you, so I’ll bend down and sing in their face. It’s kind of a back-and-forth tennis match, where the ball goes back and forth. It’s a really neat thing.

You really love that energy and the give and take as a performer?

A. Overmyer: Yes. It’s so much fun. It’s the same way when you go to a good rock concert, you know? It’s on both sides. I’m just glad that I got the opportunity to do that.

I really like that you stuck with your style. Not just with your music, but with the way you looked. Did you have any trouble with the stylists, the costume folks, the hair folks? Did they give you any grief about it?

A. Overmyer: Not at all. I mean, I was able to just kind of do my own thing, you know? It made it really nice. That was one thing I was kind of nervous about, that it’d be a fight, but they were really good to me.

Thank you to FOX for allowing us to participate in this AI Media call.

Google · Sponsored Links

Vonna · 03-20-2008, 09:47 PM

What a great interview Yardgnome!!

Had no idea they get such little sleep. Two hours..

Amanda seems to be a very grounded person. Her dad gave her sound advice.

Wish her the very best.

AJane · 03-20-2008, 10:33 PM

Quote:

It looked like during last night’s broadcast that you might have been able to read the results on Ryan Seacrest’s card. Is that correct? Could you see, in fact, what the results were?
A. Overmyer: No, but I tried.

I didn't notice that. Funny. I would have done the same thing.

Amanda does sound very well-mannered and mature. Wish I could have enjoyed her singing more. Thanks for the interview, Gnomie.

Tickety · 03-21-2008, 02:57 AM

Quote:

You’re terrific. I’m still stunned that you were even in the bottom three.

A. Overmyer: Thank you, sir.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re engaged, aren’t you?

A. Overmyer: Yes, ma’am.

She never struck me as the Sir/Ma'am type. She seems really nice and grounded.

All the best, Amanda!

Leo · 03-21-2008, 02:12 PM

Interesting interview. Thanks YG.

famita · 03-22-2008, 09:08 AM

YG, thanks for the interview. I really enjoyed Amanda as the "different" singer. It would have been nice to see her go farther in the competition. She knew what was what.

Arielflies · 03-22-2008, 10:35 AM

Thank you so much for the interview. I truly hope that when she is awake and alert enough to start knocking on doors, someone answers. She is so smart to know her style and her venue. I enjoyed her performances and I hope she finds that big stage with the energy once more.

Krom · 03-22-2008, 07:01 PM

She almost seems too damn levelheaded and realistic to be a reality show contestant! Where's the delusion? Where's the ego driven anger? Or conversely if she doesn't have that, the opposite extreme we also often see of insincere kissing up? You know, that fake "we were like a family" crapola that gets shoveled out regularly by bootees...

Instead, we get someone who realizes that this has created a career opportunity, but it might not work out. Who's willing to polite about her Idol experience and her fellow Idols, but not falsely glowy.

I wound up hating most of her later performances, but I think in some way they show one of the big issues with Idol. In the real music biz, if someone's voice was unsuitable for a song, they wouldn't record it. They'd have tons of choices, more than 20 or 25 to pick from, not have other people claiming the same songs, and producers stepping in handing the best ones out like candy to their favorites. Amanda sounded LOUSY in her later weeks, and good in the earliest ones, because Idol strives for what it strives for--someone they can mold. And Amanda, if she has a prayer of success, is only going to do it by being herself, obviously.

Lil Bit · 03-23-2008, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krom

She almost seems too damn levelheaded and realistic to be a reality show contestant! Where's the delusion? Where's the ego driven anger? Or conversely if she doesn't have that, the opposite extreme we also often see of insincere kissing up? You know, that fake "we were like a family" crapola that gets shoveled out regularly by bootees...

Well said Krom. Amanda really earned my respect with that interview. I always liked her although I didn't see her winning by any means. I've always been a fan of Janis Joplin and Tina Turner and Amanda has the same feel about her I think. I hope she gets what she wants out of life. But I suspect she'll be happy with whatever life deals her. Good Luck Amanda.

graycat11 · 03-24-2008, 12:24 PM

Amanda is very level headed, well mannered, practical. She comes off as a no nonsense person who knows exactly what she wants in life.

Amanada is a pretty woman even with the funky hair do and make up you, can see this.

03-20-2008, 08:12 PM	#1
Yardgnome Relaxing! Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Owning Blackacre and all it's future interests. Age: 30 Posts: 4,910	AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again! Today I had the opportunity to participate in a media call with Amanda Overmyer. She was so grateful for her experience and seems like such a nice and polite person. I wish her all the luck in her musical career. It seems like you’re more capable of going on to the next step and being less needy than a lot of the contestants. Can you just give us an overview of your life at this point? In other words, as I understand it, you already own a home back in Indiana. Did your car or truck get messed up by the action or do you still have one? Do you expect to go back there or do you expect to stick around L.A.? What is your situation right now? A. Overmyer: Yes, I’ve owned a home in Indiana for three years. I can go back in my career if need be. As of right now, no decisions are being made as far as what exactly I’m going to do, because I have no idea if there are any options out here, if there are any. It’s going to be a little bit of a waiting game for the next couple of months probably. It was very good nature that you showed and everyone was surprised when you were voted out. Basically, are you quite optimistic about your life and where you’re going from here? A. Overmyer: Absolutely. Yesterday was the most traumatic thing that’s happened in my life; I just got voted off of a TV show. I was thankful to be there and privileged to have that many millions of Americans vote for me just to keep me on until 11. With someone like me, who is completely different, I’m cut out of a different mold from everyone else in the competition, I found that very warming that I had that much support. Can you tell us, have you ever used your singing to maybe serenade patients as a nurse, and do you think you’ll go back to that career as a stepping stone? A. Overmyer: No, I’ve never used it to serenade patients. Just to verify, my job was home oxygen and durable medical equipment, so I wasn’t like taking care of patients in a hospital. If nothing comes up out here for me to pursue with music, I’ll probably give it maybe a good six months, and if nothing happens I’m going to go back and continue on the career path that I started. Your dad was in the military. Would you have any interest in singing in Iraq for the troops or anything like that with the military? A. Overmyer: Absolutely. The service they do for this country is really a great thing and it takes a special person to be able to do that. What song would you have sung next week if you’d had the chance? I think it’s a song from the year you were born. Did you have one planned yet? A. Overmyer: Yes. I haven’t slept. What was that song called? On the Dark Side. John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. A. Overmyer: Yes. That would have been fun. A. Overmyer: Yes, I was going to do that one for … and the Cruisers. What was your favorite performance competition for yourself and your least favorite, and why? A. Overmyer: The two that I did on the big stage are both equally my favorite just because I was more in my element there with the crowd in front of me and everything. My least favorite one would have been all the group numbers we had to do. If I had to pick a least favorite one, it’d probably be the Kansas one. Personally, I liked it, I got it, but that’s the one I got slammed on, so we’ll pick that one. Before the competition started, the producers were very excited about all the unique personalities they had this season. It seems like in the past few weeks, the singers with the most unique personalities have been the ones going home. Do you feel like the American Idol format is one that sort of benefits people who have, like you have, a very distinctive voice? A. Overmyer: Yes, it benefits anybody with any kind of distinction because it gives us that platform to start from and get exposure, the biggest exposure that we could ever get. As far as winning it, you just have to look at the demographics of the voters and the people watching American Idol versus the demographics of your particular genre. They may not necessarily correlate. That makes sense. Could you talk a bit about the group numbers? I imagine your voice, being a different sort of voice, is more difficult to blend in. Was that something that they had to work extra-hard to do? A. Overmyer: No, actually. I just didn’t like performing them and doing all the choreography and stuff, but as far as when we recorded them and did all that, I actually was very strong at it. I have a choir background from high school. Who would have thought? I know that Simon, at one point in the semi-finals, made a joke about you smiling, that it was okay to smile. You seemed really serious a lot of times when the judges were talking to you. What was going through your head when they were picking apart your performances? A. Overmyer: Well, when I was done singing, I was done singing. It’s just like when those judges would give their comments, I wanted to be respectful and listen, but the comments weren’t going to sway me one way or the other as far as what I was going to do. The objective of being on this show was to go out there and show America me, perform like me, look like me and see how well it would take. The comments from the judges were based more on the idea of trying to win, and I had a different agenda. Now that you can look at things objectively, what performer would you like to see, or who do you think might win the competition? A. Overmyer: I have no idea. I know that the stand-outs right now are maybe David Archuleta or Syesha. Do you have anything to say on their performances? A. Overmyer: No. All I can say is Syesha, at one point, wasn’t the favored one and David, at one point, got slammed by the judges. It’s anybody’s game, you know? It’s definitely anybody’s game and I don’t venture to make a prediction. I know that there’s been some flack in the past about Idol seasons for the rocker chick or the rocker guy maybe not getting as far ahead as they should because what you’re saying about the demographics. You were very well known for your style, too, so do you think that that distinction either hurt you or helped you in terms of the competition of being the rocker chick that’s your own personal style? A. Overmyer: Being my own personal style helped me as far as being the quintessential rocker chick, I guess, but as far as the competition itself, I wouldn’t say that it necessarily helped me. Young kids aren’t going to relate to me as easily as they do the other ones. You’ve mentioned a few times that you were really comfortable on the big stage, and you always seemed to pretty much keep your composure up there. Is there anything that you do prior to going out there to calm your nerves or anything like that? How do you keep it together when maybe the judges are doing their typical bickering back and forth? A. Overmyer: No, I don’t really have anything that I do beforehand. It’s always come pretty natural to me. As far as the judges bickering and all that, like I said before, their comments are based on excelling within the competition and that wasn’t really my objective. Did you feel uncomfortable at any point, like when Seacrest and Simon always bicker back and forth and things like that, or do you just try to ignore it while you’re up there? A. Overmyer: That doesn’t bother me. That’s just part of good TV. If they didn’t do that, nobody would want to watch it. What did you learn from your experience on Idol? A. Overmyer: The main thing that I learned was that I’ve always been unique and different in the small confines of Indiana, but it was good to know that I was also unique in the nation’s eyes, too. That was something I was unaware of. What was the best piece of advice you received and who was it from? A. Overmyer: I don’t know. Probably just from my dad, to keep your head straight and keep grounded. So, when you were standing up there I noticed that you looked so downcast when you were told that you were in the bottom three. What was going through your head? A. Overmyer: That more than likely I would be done. That’s surprising because I’m sure you’re aware that a lot of people were predicting that Kristy would be off this week. I’m surprised that you thought that you would be the one to be off. A. Overmyer: Yes. I know how different I am and I know that I target an older audience and a difference audience maybe than American Idol provides. Did Kristy say anything to you up there? Obviously, the three of you were in a very tense position standing there. A. Overmyer: Right. I mean, she thought it was her and I told her to chill out, stop worrying and it’d be alright. I’m going to ask you about your song choice, Back in the USSR. Do you think it was anything to do with the song choice or maybe having to go first? That seems kind of to be a curse. You’re terrific. I’m still stunned that you were even in the bottom three. A. Overmyer: Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that. No, I don’t think that the song choice had anything to do with it because if it wasn’t that song, it was going to be another song that sounded like me singing it. I don’t necessarily think it was the song choice. You’ll never hear me pissing and whining that I was first or anything like that. I definitely had hoped for position six or seven, but it’s not how it worked out. It is what it is. I’m not going to cry over spilled milk. Also, you said that maybe you’ll hang out here for about six months to see if anything happens before going back to your old career. Are you not bent on being this big star? You’re content to go back and have your other job and sing on the weekends? How driven are you in this whole showbiz thing? A. Overmyer: I mean, I’m a very ambitious and driven person by nature. I’m going to take calculated risks to achieve success, but everyone’s definition of success varies from person to person. Success, to me, is a strong, healthy family and success in whatever job that you do. If this is just 15 minute of fame, I’m not going to chase it my whole life trying to get it back; I’ll take it for what it is and move on. Hopefully it’s not. Hopefully I can make a career out of this, but it’s not going to be that unicorn that I keep chasing. Were you aware of Vote for the Worst? Were you following that at all? A. Overmyer: No. I had heard that I was their girl, though. I was going to ask you if you thought it helped you at all, but obviously last night’s results didn’t. Do you think it hurt you, and did it personally hurt you? A. Overmyer: No. It didn’t personally hurt me at all. I mean, hell, votes are votes, you know? From what I hear, they weren’t too harsh on me or anything. Right. A. Overmyer: I think a chunk of them actually liked me for real. You mentioned before that you had a different agenda than perhaps winning. What was your agenda? A. Overmyer: Well, up to this point, I don’t really have one now, but up to this point it was just to get my sound out there and my performances out there and see if I could get any bites, you know? You sound tired this morning. Is it tired or are you sad? Or is it just the way you sound in the morning? A. Overmyer: No, ma’am. I’m exhausted. I went to sleep at 1:30 last night after we got back from everything and I had to leave at 3:30. I’ve been doing interviews since 4:00 a.m. A lot is being made and we’ve talked a lot about you being different and standing out as a performer and musically in terms of style and that kind of stuff. I wonder, how much does that carry through into the kind of social side of being on American Idol with the rest of the group? Did you feel that you fit in well? Did you bond very well? Do you feel like a little bit of an outsider in terms of that stuff? A. Overmyer: My personality within itself, I tend to keep pretty sheltered and safe away from anything. I can count on two hands the friends and family that truly matter. Other than that, I’m kind of standoffish. In any situation where a group of people go through something like this there’s an element of camaraderie there. Everybody is going through the same thing, so they’re the only people that understand what everyone is going through. I had no problem fitting in. Was there anybody in particular that you hung out with a lot, that you were particularly close to? A. Overmyer: Carly was my roommate and we spent the most time together. We had quite a bit in common, so it would probably be Carly. A lot of times in the last few years people have been saying that contestants, some contestants, don’t even think as far as winning the competition; they just think about how great it would be to make the tour. Would you say that that was true during this season? For you, was it a personal goal? If so, are you really upset that you didn’t make the tour? A. Overmyer: Yes, it was somewhat of a goal. I’m not extremely disappointed that I am not doing the tour. The ultimate goal is to get my own. I think for it being an American Idol tour and it being it is what it is, they have the best group for it. I think I kind of stuck out. I didn’t really fit in with it. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re engaged, aren’t you? A. Overmyer: Yes, ma’am. When is your wedding? Do you have a date for your wedding? Would you invite your fellow contestants to attend and maybe sing at it? A. Overmyer: I’d surely invite at least a couple of them. I don’t have any date at all. It’s been all pending what happens with this. Your fiancé, was he your rock throughout the whole thing? A. Overmyer: I think I was more his rock through the whole thing because he was home alone. I bet that was pretty hard, being alone in the house while all the excitement is going on 2,000 miles away, you know? You said that you and Carly were roommates, you spent a lot of time together, you had a lot in common. Since she’d kind of already been through the whole music industry mill, was she able to give you any good advice about what it’s really like out there, getting a record deal and stuff like that? A. Overmyer: Not really. She was so young when it happened that a lot of it her parents took care of for her and she just went where they told her to go. She never went out and promoted anything; the record company imploded before she had the opportunity to do that. This is almost like a first time for her, too. It looked like during last night’s broadcast that you might have been able to read the results on Ryan Seacrest’s card. Is that correct? Could you see, in fact, what the results were? A. Overmyer: No, but I tried. Were you surprised when you were revealed to be the one to be eliminated? A. Overmyer: Kind of, not really. It was 50/50. I was kind of surprised, but I didn’t really go in with any preconceived notions about what I would be or what I wouldn’t be. It really is such a crapshoot, being the square peg in a round hole. It’d be nice to be a little bit clearer on exactly what it is you’re aiming to do now. You mentioned a tour. Are you going to put together a CD? Would that be with a band or would that be a solo thing? Just some more detail on what you’d like to do. A. Overmyer: I’ve thought about it, as far as what I’d like to do, but you know what? I haven’t had any talks with management or anything like that on what the best way of going about it would be. I have zero experience in this industry and I’m completely as green as they come. I’m not going to venture to say this is what I’m going to do because I don’t know what the best way to go about doing it is. I have to ask some people. It’ll definitely be the southern rock genre. I definitely want to get out and tour and do the big biker alleys and things like that, but it’s just how to get there. That’s what I need education on. You’ve said before how much you enjoyed being on the big stage compared to the small stage. Could you describe how that felt when you were up there? What was that like? A. Overmyer: It reminded me how I used to feel when I performed. I quit doing it for two years. I’d completely given it up and it was like I get up there, start singing and oh, yes, now I remember why I did this. It was really a neat feeling. What is that feeling like? A. Overmyer: That’s a tough one to describe. I don’t know. It’s a good feeling, having everyone’s attention on you and having the ability to provide entertainment that comes out of your throat that gets people excited. They start jumping around, so it makes you jump around more. They start screaming at you, so I’ll bend down and sing in their face. It’s kind of a back-and-forth tennis match, where the ball goes back and forth. It’s a really neat thing. You really love that energy and the give and take as a performer? A. Overmyer: Yes. It’s so much fun. It’s the same way when you go to a good rock concert, you know? It’s on both sides. I’m just glad that I got the opportunity to do that. I really like that you stuck with your style. Not just with your music, but with the way you looked. Did you have any trouble with the stylists, the costume folks, the hair folks? Did they give you any grief about it? A. Overmyer: Not at all. I mean, I was able to just kind of do my own thing, you know? It made it really nice. That was one thing I was kind of nervous about, that it’d be a fight, but they were really good to me. Thank you to FOX for allowing us to participate in this AI Media call.

03-20-2008, 09:47 PM	#2
Vonna Land of Ozzy Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Central California Posts: 2,589	Re: AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again! What a great interview Yardgnome!! Had no idea they get such little sleep. Two hours.. Amanda seems to be a very grounded person. Her dad gave her sound advice. Wish her the very best. __________________ It is a game called Survivor....James

03-21-2008, 02:12 PM	#5
Leo Tame Racing Driver Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Philippines Age: 24 Posts: 9,979	Re: AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again! Interesting interview. Thanks YG. __________________ So, to borrow the phrase from the ancient philosopher Clarksonius, 4th century BC: "how hard can it be?" "Anyone willing to do what is required to become president of the United States is thereby barred from taking that office." - Proposed amendment to the US Constitution

03-22-2008, 09:08 AM	#6
famita FORT Fogey Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,061	Re: AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again! YG, thanks for the interview. I really enjoyed Amanda as the "different" singer. It would have been nice to see her go farther in the competition. She knew what was what.

03-22-2008, 10:35 AM	#7
Arielflies Honeyed and Feathered Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: With My Thoughts Posts: 3,898	Re: AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again! Thank you so much for the interview. I truly hope that when she is awake and alert enough to start knocking on doors, someone answers. She is so smart to know her style and her venue. I enjoyed her performances and I hope she finds that big stage with the energy once more. __________________ Black is the new Blue, though I'm not sure why.

03-22-2008, 07:01 PM	#8
Krom Fool... but no pity. Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 17,719	Re: AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again! She almost seems too damn levelheaded and realistic to be a reality show contestant! Where's the delusion? Where's the ego driven anger? Or conversely if she doesn't have that, the opposite extreme we also often see of insincere kissing up? You know, that fake "we were like a family" crapola that gets shoveled out regularly by bootees... Instead, we get someone who realizes that this has created a career opportunity, but it might not work out. Who's willing to polite about her Idol experience and her fellow Idols, but not falsely glowy. I wound up hating most of her later performances, but I think in some way they show one of the big issues with Idol. In the real music biz, if someone's voice was unsuitable for a song, they wouldn't record it. They'd have tons of choices, more than 20 or 25 to pick from, not have other people claiming the same songs, and producers stepping in handing the best ones out like candy to their favorites. Amanda sounded LOUSY in her later weeks, and good in the earliest ones, because Idol strives for what it strives for--someone they can mold. And Amanda, if she has a prayer of success, is only going to do it by being herself, obviously. __________________ "Not to denigrate the TV show, but nobody ever died," Cannell said recently. "We drove cars off cliffs and people got out and walked away. We're not going to do that [in the movie]. In this the tone is more dangerous - you can really die. It's very tense and exciting." Stephen J Cannell, on the new A-Team movie being produced

03-24-2008, 12:24 PM	#10
graycat11 FORT Fogey Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,142	Re: AI Interview with Amanda Overmyer: The Colorful Hair Curse Strikes Again! Amanda is very level headed, well mannered, practical. She comes off as a no nonsense person who knows exactly what she wants in life. Amanada is a pretty woman even with the funky hair do and make up you, can see this.