Jason Castro: Exclusive Interview!

I got a chance to speak with Jason Castro on the phone as he was waiting to board an airplane to Los Angeles where he’s set to join 14 other Idol alums for a concert and meet & greet at the Nokia Theater—a pre-final bash sponsored by AT&T.

I spoke with Jason about the new single he’s about to release to Christian radio, his next album, and the big change coming in his life-he and his wife Mandy are expecting a baby girl in August!

Update:  Jason spent a hellish day at the airport and did not make it to Los Angeles yesterday.  “This was the longest travel day that i didnt actually travel. I feel defeated.., ” tweeted Jason.

Working on a new album? New Songs? “Right now, I’m always writing and we’re getting ready to go out with the second single to [Christian] radio, so we’ve got a little life left in this album. But, I’m looking forward to the next album. I’ll be taking advantage of my downtime to write a lot of songs.”

When will his next album come out? “I would say early next year—that’s what we’re aiming for. Or maybe do an EP or something this winter and have the album out this spring.”

What’s the name of his next single? When will it be released? “I don’t know if it’s 100% yet, but it’s one of my songs called “Wait” That’s my personal choice. I love that song. I don’t have a date yet, we’re still figuring that out.”

Does he have tour plans? “We have some tour dates coming together for the fall. This summer is looking—just a couple of one-off dates here and there. But the fall is when we’ll start touring again. I think there’s actually going to be another leg of the winter jam concert—the tour that I was on this winter.”

On touring with the Winter Jam, “Winter Jam was great!  I had a blast. It was a lot of fun to be on a big tour like that.  I really haven’t done anything like that since the Idol tour.”

Will the next album be a Christian album, or will he mix it up again, “I’m going to mix it up, kinda the same as my current album. I don’t really like defining it as a “Christian” album. I think music is for everybody. Some songs on there are part of my life—my faith. There’s always going to be songs like that. It’s been cool with the audience of faith—I know they were big supporters of mine on Idol. My home church was one of my biggest supports. It’s been cool to kind of reconnect with that whole scene, because there’ s a lot of people that didn’t even know that I had an album out. Christian radio play has been great for me.”

On getting played on Christian radio, “Things have been good. It’s been a really great experience for me. All the radio people—it’s been really fun. I’m glad that I’ve been able to reach a lot more people now. “

On Jason’s impending fatherhood in August, “I have a baby coming! It’s a little girl.”

Has he picked out a name for her? “Not exactly. We’ve got a couple names—we haven’t really settled on one yet.”

Has the idea of becoming a father changed him or changed his songwriting? “It hasn’t really affected by writing too much yet. I’m sure it’s going to as it gets closer. It’s funny, we’ve been laughing about it—it’s kind of unreal right now—’oh, we’re going to have a baby. She’s not here yet.’  Every step we take it becomes real. It’s a transition, reality slowly sets in.  But, I’m just excited. I can’t wait.”

Will he be sticking close to home the next couple of months? “That’s kind of the plan—a couple of shows here and there—getting ready for the baby.  We’re getting ready to move into a new house (he’s staying in Texas).

On song writing, working on collaborations? “I’ve been writing at home, writing with a lot of my friends and band mates and stuff.  I’ll probably start making some trips around. As I get closer [to making an album] I’ll start making some collaborations with people in Nashville and New York. I’m looking forward to collaborating with some of the writers I worked with on the last album.  I made some good friends out of that time.”

Thoughts on this year’s Idol? “I’ve really enjoyed Idol this season. It had a little different vibe to it. I like the new judges and as far as the finalists, I think they are both great. They’re young, and they’re talented. It’s really cool. I’m so happy for them. Scotty was one of my favorites from the early auditions. I was a big fan of his, so I’m kinda rooting for him.”

What will he be singing at the AT&T concert? “I’m performing tomorrow in front of a pre-show that’s going on for an AT&T promotion in the courtyard around 2:30? I’m going to do a couple of songs. I think “You Are” and “Hallelujah”.

Will he perform on the finale? “Last year they did everything last minute when they called us all up for the Simon going away event. You never know, but right now I’m just planning on being in the audience.”

About mj santilli 34866 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!