http://media.www.theconcordian.com/media/storage/paper290/news/2008/09/23/Music/Oliver.Pigott-3447283.shtml
Voted off Canadian Idol's top 16, Oliver Pigott is the one who got away. First recognized alongside his younger brother Sebastian, Oliver is remembered for his rich Americana rock sound that evokes John Mayer and Jack Johnson.
Oliver's departure from the "talent show" was much too premature. Still this folk/blues inspired talent didn't stand a chance among the fluff that viewers vote through into the finals year after year. So as the expression goes, this was a blessing in disguise. Pigott's early elimination from Idol gave him the time to prepare for what is coming next.How's life after Canadian Idol?
The response has been great. Now my music is reaching a wider range of people. Idol also helped me develop as a performer.
How did the show help you grow?
I didn't have a lot of experience in front of the camera. Your mannerisms and the way you need to speak in front of the camera are definitely things that are not instilled. It took me a while to get used to it. I was much more comfortable with it near to where I was eliminated.
Do you feel the judges' opinions affect the votes that keep contenders in the game?
The judges have an influence and definitely helped keep me in there for a while. The judges serve to give people a picture of what they are watching, but the Canadian public is able to come to their own conclusions. Conclusions that are a combination of what the judges have to say and people take it into their own hands.
What was competing against your brother like?
Technically we were in competition, but it never felt that way. It never felt that way with everybody else either. I feel grateful to have met everyone on the show. It also gave my brother and I a chance to reconnect because we've been living in different countries. I know that we're going to be collaborating a lot now. We went into Canadian Idol to have fun and that's what happened.
How do you make a song choice from the billions of songs that you could choose from?
The songs that I chose are indicative of a lot of stuff that I have written. I grew up on the blues and a lot of my own music is based around it. I think you saw that when I performed those songs in Idol.
What do you hope viewers see in your performances?
I wanted to give people the idea that when I perform a song I interpret it in a way that is appropriate to the song. That may be in a wildly sexual performance or something toned down and subtle.
What is your next move?
A lot of touring. It's going to be great to be able to brainstorm with Sebastian. Really good and unexpected things are going to come out of it, things that I don't even necessarily know about yet. You'll be seeing a lot of us.
Oliver Pigott is currently on tour.
www.myspace.com/oliverpigott.
