David Archuleta has announced he will hit the road in spring 2019 for a month long trek across North America in support of his Postcards In The Sky album release. The tour will begin on March 27, 2019 in Alexandria, VA and weave through such cities as Boston & Chicago before hitting Las Vegas, NV & Santa Barbara, CA in mid-April. Tickets for all dates go on-sale Tuesday, December 18 here:https://davidarchuleta.com/home/live/
David is currently on a nationwide Christmas tour in support of his new holiday album Winter In The Airwhich was named one of “12 Christmas Albums To Play On Repeat” by People Magazine and features the hit single “Christmas Every Day.”
David is also writing new material for his next album scheduled to be released in late 2019.
“Two sold out shows and one amazing city! Thank you Franklin for spending these two past nights with me. I had a great time! what stood out to you my Tennessean friends? #WinterInTheAirTour “
credit @davidarchie
Such an awesomely fab pic of David!
This image will stick in my mind for many many more years to come.
This is what David was born to do. And he does it so well.
(Hmm .. and being such a stunning eyeful doesn’t hurt either! 😀 😀 )
I got to talk with @DavidArchie yesterday about his new Christmas album, Broadway, life after Idol, and more. He was so much fun to talk to! Read our full interview here:
I was all of two minutes into my phone conversation with David Archuleta yesterday when I remembered why he got a hundred million votes on “American Idol.”
There’s the singing voice, sure. I hadn’t forgotten that part. It’s incredible – the kind of voice that makes you mad at pop radio for not playing it more often (though “Crush” was a huge hit ten years ago). There’s not a note outside his reach, always pitch-perfect with the thick timbre of a woodwind.
But there’s his speaking voice too – bashful, grounded, real. You get the sense he went on “American Idol” because he was just too talented not to, not because he had even the slightest appetite for fame. In our time together, he’s friendly, unaffected, and sincere. He laughs a lot.
I like him right away.
He listens to my questions and gives them some thought before he answers. It’s the same thoughtfulness I’ve noticed in interviews over the years when he talks about music, the songs he likes, or the faith he follows
He’s called to talk about his brand-new Christmas album, WINTER IN THE AIR, and its accompanying national tour – David’s first time on the road in quite a while.
Maybe you’ve already heard about WINTER IN THE AIR. It’s on just about every list of the “Best New Christmas Albums of 2018,” thanks in large part to its Mariah Carey/Kelly Clarkson-inspired lead single, “Christmas Every Day.”
It’s a jam.
The whole album is a jam, for that matter, except those quiet moments when David stops to flex his fledgling songwriter’s muscles and reflect on “the reason for the season.”
We talk about that, as well as “American Idol,” his Broadway aspirations, and why, exactly, he loves Les Mis so much (pronouncing it perfectly as “Les Miserables” each time)…
AW: So your new album, WINTER IN THE AIR, marks your second official holiday record (third, I guess, if we’re counting the live concert album with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir)…
DA: Yeah!
But it also represents the ten-year anniversary of your time on “American Idol.” So, ten years in now, are you used to being famous yet? (Laughs)
You know, I was thinkin’ long and hard about that last night. (Laughs.) I was like, “Gah, have I gotten the hang of this?”
I don’t know if you ever really get the hang of it, or get used to it. But I guess after all is said and done, I feel like I have gotten the hang of my career… being a musician, an entertainer, a singer that’s in front of people.
I do feel like I’ve gained confidence. I’ve learned how to be myself in front of whoever, ya know? In that way, I do I feel I have.
But I will say: I haven’t gotten comfortable with, like, live TV cameras. I’m still working on that. Because I’m still camera shy. [It’s like a] phobia sometimes, because if I mess up, I can’t do anything about it. But still, it’s all okay.
A friend asked me the other day, how is WINTER IN THE AIR different from your first Christmas album, 2009’s Christmas from the Heart. I had a lot of thoughts on that, but I’m curious how you would answer that question – how is the new album different?
Well, that’s a good question. I would say the first album, Christmas from the Heart, I definitely tried to keep all of it pretty reverent – more of a sacred, just chill Christmas album.
For WINTER IN THE AIR, I wanted to have more of a balance between that and the side of having more fun – just kind of bouncy Christmas songs. So I added a few more of those, and I even tried writing a little bit more on this Christmas album.
So, I guess [the new album has] more of the classic-sounding ’40s, ’50s kind of Christmas songs, like “White Christmas,” “Holly Jolly Christmas.” But there’s also “O Come O Come Emmanuel,” more traditional… like really, really… I don’t even know what that word is. Not ancient, I guess, but like 1800s-and-before songs, mixed with 20th century songs.
You mentioned your writing. It’s been cool to see you branch out as a songwriter in recent years. That really comes through on WINTER IN THE AIR, which seems like an even more personal Christmas album.
Obviously, going back to the “American Idol” days, you wanted to be a singer. Was being a songwriter part of that vision too?
Not really. I had written some songs in high school, but I didn’t think I was going to be a songwriter the way I’ve become.
It’s been something I’ve had to work at a lot. It’s not something that comes naturally, like, “Oh, songs are just rolling through me.”
I’ve had to put a lot of practice and effort. A lot of times I’m like UGH, I kind of feel like a little kid that’s whining about doing his homework. “I don’t want to do it, I’d rather go out and play.”
(Laughs)
You know? But I just kind of have to exercise discipline. (Laughs) A lot of self-discipline when it comes to writing. It’s like, “Stay focused. Focus. And let’s get this done.”
I’ve been happy with it, you know? I wanted to write three originals on this WINTER IN THE AIR album, and I wanted three different kinds:
And then I wanted a spiritual one, “He Is Born.” That was like my testimony to the meaning of Christmas and the Savior’s birth.
And then I wanted a third one that was just a winter wonderland-describing song, which was “Winter in the Air,” and I named the album after that.
Touching on “He Is Born,” which is such a beautiful song, not only as a Christmas song but even as a worship song…
…One thing she has said before is that holiday music opens up a natural forum to talk with audiences about faith. I’m curious how you see that as someone who is not “a Christian singer,” but as a singer who has been candid and passionate in talking publicly about your own faith…
And then I wanted a spiritual one, “He Is Born.” That was like my testimony to the meaning of Christmas and the Savior’s birth.
And then I wanted a third one that was just a winter wonderland-describing song, which was “Winter in the Air,” and I named the album after that.
Touching on “He Is Born,” which is such a beautiful song, not only as a Christmas song but even as a worship song…
…One thing she has said before is that holiday music opens up a natural forum to talk with audiences about faith. I’m curious how you see that as someone who is not “a Christian singer,” but as a singer who has been candid and passionate in talking publicly about your own faith…
Yeah, I feel like people are more open to spirituality during Christmastime. It’s like “the spirit of Christmas” is spiritual. I mean, Christmas – it’s about the Savior’s birth.
So many of these songs that everyone knows and sings along to, whether they’re religious or not, it’s about that. It’s about faith, and a miracle, and following Him, whether it’s following the star, or following Christ – [there’s] so much symbolism about our Savior.
It’s kind of cool. You just sing these songs. And people don’t feel pushed and pressured, like, “Oh man, this person is shoving religion down my throat.” It’s just kind of like, “You know what? I’m just here to enjoy these songs that bring back memories – and feel that spirit of Christmas.”
And, yeah, I love how you can just talk about a song, and it’s basically your testimony about Christ. But people don’t feel that pressure they would in a normal circumstance. I think that’s why my favorite shows are Christmas shows, because it brings people from everywhere, all connecting to that spirit of Christmas.
You know, over the course of ten years, I think I’ve heard you sing in English, Spanish, Latin, French, Tagalog… I mean, that’s got to be some kind of a world record for a ten-year recording career.
(Laughs.) I don’t know. I do try, whenever I go somewhere new – I guess I didn’t do it before because I went to Vietnam and didn’t sing in Vietnamese – but that’s my goal: to sing in their language. Because music has such a way of connecting to people.
[Music is] a language, [so] you don’t have to say the same words in the same language or dialect for them to feel and connect to what you’re doing. But it’s just so cool when you get to sing in their language… they get so excited and sing along.
I mean, they can sing along in English too… but there’s something about it when you can sing in their language, whether it’s Tagalog in the Philippines, Mandarin in China or Taiwan… I love it.
It’s one of my favorite little challenges to give myself.
Since this is BroadwayWorld.com, I want to know: do you have a favorite musical?
Well, I will say Les Miserables, overall.
I have to give it a lot of credit because that’s what started me singing. When I was six years old, my parents were moving into a new house, and to keep us busy, my dad put in this Les Miserables VHS tape. It was the 10th anniversary of Les Miserables, to keep us busy while they were packing so we wouldn’t get in the way.
By the time they were done… and came to check in on us… well I was still there watching Les Miserables. I kept rewinding it, like, the whole day.
I even turned the rocking chair upside down to be my own little spot, because the whole cast sat on the stage for the 10th anniversary of Les Miserables, so I turned the rocking chair upside down so I could sit there and wait for my turn to go up on the stage.
I just was so fascinated with that music. And I love the story, I love the songs and the melody, and just the message of the balance between justice and mercy. I just think it’s such a beautiful story, and you learn so much – and think about so much watching it
You’ve done some acting. Do you ever see yourself performing in a Broadway show?
(Laughs) I have, you’re right. I have done some acting. I just don’t feel like I’m very good at acting. And I’ve never done a musical. But I have in the last, like, year… I have auditioned for a couple of Broadway things.
Oh really?
Yeah! But I just never got a call back. (Laughs). So I think my acting could still use some practice. (Laughs.) I actually started taking some acting classes, though, so I don’t know… maybe it wasn’t because I was super bad at acting, but maybe it was. Maybe they just found someone that they could use that was better for the part, or whatever, you know? But, I think it would be a good challenge to do sometime. I’ve already been open to trying it. I just get really nervous. I don’t know how many people memorize so many lines.
It amazes me. I was talking to Ace Young’s brother. [Ace] was on “American Idol” and he’s done Broadway. He did Hair and other things. His brother was like, “You know, he just has a gift, this ability to just pick up lines. He can just read them and just memorize them and have the thing ready in, like, a couple of weeks.”
I’m like, “How on Earth? How on Earth can you do that?” It takes me three days just to memorize one song. (Laughs)
I do feel, just like writing songs, if you practice and put effort into it, it can be done.
So that’s how I feel: I would like to challenge myself to do Broadway, because that’s how I got my start in music – because of a Broadway show, Les Miserables.
I’m going to start a campaign. I want to see it happen.
(Laughs)
Well, it’s kind of Broadway-adjacent, but I have to thank you for introducing me to one of my favorite songs: “Birdland” by The Manhattan Transfer.
(Laughs) Oh my goodness!! (Laughs) I love that song!
You wrote about it in the back of your book, Chords of Strength, and I downloaded and fell in love with it. It’s just the most joyous thing.
Yeah! I’m so glad! I love that song! It’s so cool!
Could not resist posting this lovely pic of David in Orlando- credit @Sam.iin.wonderland via FOD
Could not resist posting this beautiful song either which was mentioned during the interview
David Archuleta brings his Christmas Tour to the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah on Monday, December 10. We recently caught up with David and discussed his new Christmas album, what pressures might come from performing in Utah so often, and what are some of his favorite venues here in Utah. Enjoy!
Utah Concert Review: You recently released your new Christmas album Winter in the Air and your single “Christmas Every Day” is getting a lot of airplay here in Utah, so congratulations on that. How did you decide to release a new Christmas album?
David Archuleta: From the moment I released my first Christmas Album I’ve wanted to release another one. When we were finishing up Christmas From the Heart about ten years ago and I was like, “I’m going to have to do another one.”. You can’t fit all the great Christmas songs on one album. I love Christmas, it’s my favorite. They’re my favorite tours to do, so I just knew that I had to do another Christmas album. It was just a matter of when. But then I saw that Pentatonix released three in a row so I thought, “You know I guess I can release another one almost nine years later.”.
UCR: You’re right, there are so many Christmas songs, and even after recording your second Christmas album, there are still so many songs you can choose from. How do you decide what songs will make it on the album? That can’t be an easy process.
DA: So I worked with mainly two arrangers in picking songs. One of them in Nashville named Cason Cooley and another one in Utah, John Hancock who I worked with on my first Christmas album. We looked at a list of Christmas songs and I just weeded them out thinking “Well this would be fun but can I come up with a cool arrangement of it, and will it work with the other songs on the album. So the songs that remained on the short list ended up on the album.
UCR: Releasing a new original Christmas song can be a bold move. As I mentioned, it seems like your single “Christmas Every Day” is getting solid airplay. Were you nervous to put an original song on the album, or did you hear this song and have a good feeling about how it would be received?
DA: My goal was to push myself. Usually, I don’t write happy songs. I’m usually more emotional. And I knew with this album I was going to gravitate to more serious songs like “O Come O Come Emmanuel” or “In the Bleak Midwinter”. So I thought “Ok, what can I do to have some more upbeat fun kind of songs?” Because I do like songs like “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. But even on my way to the writing session, I thought “Maybe I shouldn’t do it. I don’t think I can pull it off. I’m not a good enough writer to write a song like that.” But I made it a goal. Something I tried to do is make goals to push myself, to move forward and do things I didn’t think I could do. One of those goals was to write a happy, classic Christmas song. So we went for it. The other writers, Cason Cooley, and Dave Barnes and I had a really good time! We were laughing a lot. They’re really good guys. It wasn’t a Christian Christmas song, but they’re both really good Christian guys. Dave Barnes does Christian music along with pop music. So it was really good preparation for Christmas in the middle of June when we were writing it.
UCR: That seems like the difficult thing about writing and recording a Christmas album. You’re not recording it during the holiday season, so it might be challenging to get into that mindset. It’s great you have those good guys to work with.
DA: I made sure to start in January actually because last time I did it all during the summer with my first Christmas album. So I wanted to get started on this when there was still snow on the ground. And it worked out. I had to cancel two writing sessions because there were ice storms, but it worked out because it was all wintery. And we worked on “Winter in the Air” when it was actually winter outside.
Photo by: Rachel Deeb
UCR: You’re doing a bunch of shows here in Utah on this Christmas tour. What are some things Utah fans can expect to see in these shows?
DA: I tried to make the show kind of a throwback with some of the classic 50s style songs. I wanted it to have that old feel. What I love is, Christmas songs allow me to delve into my soul and sing such meaningful songs and lyrics. Most of the Christmas songs out there are about Christ and his birth. So you get to feel this really beautiful emotion, and you can really let your voice and the instrumentation soar. So that allows for a heartfelt show mixed with a fun time.
UCR: You have such a strong following here in Utah. This affords you the opportunity to play multiple shows here every year. That has to be awesome to know that when you book shows here, you’re going to get a good turnout. However, most tours stop through a city or stage just once on a tour. Do you feel pressure to mix it up each time you come? Is it possible to make it different each time?
DA: I do sometimes get a little intimidated because I’m like “Well, they want me back, but I was just there!”. Usually, people can do the same show for two years. That’s the nice thing about this tour. It’s a show no one will have seen before. The thing is though, some people do like to come and hear the same songs. And I know for myself when I go see someone it’s nice to hear the songs that I like again and again. My new keyboardist, he was out with this duo named Aly and AJ and they have a song called “Potential Breakup Song”. He was telling me that they had this show where the crowd made them play it three times in a row because they loved the song so much that they just wanted to keep hearing it. And I guess that makes sense because sometimes I’ll be on a twenty to thirty-minute drive and I’ll have a song on repeat. I just want to keep hearing that song. I guess it’s the same with shows. And it’s a huge compliment if they want to keep hearing songs from me.
UCR: You served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. How did that experience help you when dealing with some of the challenges you’ve had to face in the music industry?
DA: My mission gave me perspective on what really counts. There’s a lot of people telling you a lot of different things. What will make you happy, what will make you successful, and what will make you fulfilled? I’m glad I got to experience a lot of that as a teenager before I went on a mission. I got to see for myself, “Ok, I’m going to try music and see if it really makes me happy.” Then be able to take a break and go on a mission and serve, then compare the two of them then say, “What brought me the most joy?”. So now as I continue with my life, how am I going to live my life, because what brought me the most joy? And there are so many things as a missionary where I thought, “I don’t need to change this about me. I don’t need to go back because I’m not a missionary anymore.”. Being a missionary is basically being a disciple of Christ, and I made a commitment to do that anyway. So I don’t have to make any exceptions. I can still serve people, and help people feel light. Writing songs that help people feel light and motivated and to keep moving forward and closer to God has made me happy and has made a huge difference. There are exciting things about being a musician. But there are also things that are more important than having a following, and having sales, and having people recognizing your accomplishments all the time.
UCR: OK, last question. As we discussed, you’ve played Utah quite a bit. You’ve probably played just about every venue here.
DA: (Laughing) I haven’t played all the venues!
UCR: Ok, most of the venues. So, eliminating any of the places you’re going to be playing on this tour, because obviously, you’re very excited to be playing them, what have been some of your favorite venues to play in Utah?
DA: That’s hard! I mean, amphitheaters have been fun. I remember at Layton High School the power went out. My family is from there so that was kind of fun and different. We just made do with it. Abravanel Hall is where I I announced that I was going on my mission so that was a really good memory as well. The Maverik Center was the first place I performed after American Idol ended which was pretty cool. I don’t know, it’s really hard to pick. I have a lot of really good memories in Utah.
Archuleta has four remaining dates in Utah. To purchase tickets or buy David’s Winter is In the Air go to… davidarchuleta.com
I think I’ve listened to you sing Oh Holy Night, be it CD, ITunes, you tube video, 34 million times it is sooooo beautiful. Thank You So Much for all of your beautiful, fun, joyous, foot tappin’, thought provoking, heartfelt music.
You’re welcome! Thank you for making music worth listening to 34 million times!
Congratulations David. Be prepared to see this number double or triple next year! You said your goal was to make music that connected. Guess what..you succeeded 34 millions times on Spotify!!!
Thank you for making music that is worth listening too…..I could listen to it forever.
Thank you, David, for giving us fans clean, meaningful music to listen to!!
And 65 countries is pretty impressive, too.
You were my #1 stream again for the second year in a row
Thank you for engaging so intensely and producing the best music out there. I love all that you do for all us fans. Here’s to 64 million times in 2019!!
YES, WE CAN EASILY AND HAPPILY LISTEN TO THIS ANOTHER 34 MILLION TIMES!
“MY GREAT GRANDMA WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOUR ANKLES BEING COLD. SHE WANTED TO GO BUY YOU SOME SOCKS OR SOMETHING. I TOLD HER IT’S OKAY GRANDMA. IT’S IN. IT’S A LOOK”
“ THAT’S ONE OF THE BEST COMMENTS I’VE EVER READ!”
It’s words and moments like this between David Archuleta and his fans that make us remember the unique relationship between David and his following – How much David is loved – Not just as a singer and artiste. Also as a person.
And in turn, he cherishes and holds dear the heart connection he is given. How many public figures command this sort of generosity of spirit from the public?
People of the world need more of this kind of interactions and exchange of love and warm heartedness. ♥ 😀
True to this credence, this is David’s latest rendition of JOY TO THE WORLD at Grand Junction
it is sooooo beautiful. Thank You So Much for all of your beautiful, fun, joyous, foot tappin’, thought provoking, heartfelt music.
THAT’S ONE OF THE BEST COMMENTS I’VE EVER READ!”
