American Idol & Idol Shows - Kalan Klan #4: Still supporting, even through the hiatus!

brasha · 04-16-2006, 04:52 PM

Janelle!!!!! Do you have an opener for this thread?

EphramIsHot · 04-18-2006, 06:40 PM

Not saved on my comp.

But give me a day or two, and I'll get one put up.

xoxHelenxox · 08-30-2006, 11:36 PM

Hey Kalanadians

Mind if I join this thread?

Kalan =

EphramIsHot · 08-31-2006, 07:49 AM

Hi Helen!!! I'm Janelle

Of course you can join us here!

Wow, this is so exciting that this thread is being brought back to life. I'm thrilled. And I may just have to spruce up the opening post. Oh, and change the thread title.

Do you post on any other Kalan forums or anything, Helen?

ETA: I forgot, I wasn't the one who started the thread! Whoops. Shari, could you change the thread title, as it no longer pertains to Kalan? Maybe something like "Still supporting, even through the hiatus" or something like that.

brasha · 08-31-2006, 08:17 AM

I think you can edit it in, Janelle. That's one of your powers as a mod

EphramIsHot · 09-01-2006, 12:26 AM

There we go.

It wasn't working for me last time.

brasha · 09-01-2006, 08:40 AM

Helen! Please join in

EphramIsHot · 10-01-2006, 09:58 AM

Well. I'm not sure if people know this or not, but Kalan is soon planning on getting into the studio!! He's staying in Medicine Hat until around Thanksgiving, and then he's headed back to Toronto.

Good news for Kalan fans.

Also, on the Family Forums (the main website, with a link to the forums, is www.kalan-porter.com), Kalan has been answering one fan-submitted question a day. He's doing this for twenty days, and we've so far gotten fifteen answers. We've also gotten two new pictures of him. So I'm now going to share all his answers here. This might require some double-posting, so I hope you all forgive me for that.

Letters courtesy of Kalan, of course, and cantdo07 and the Kalan Porter Street Team.

Question 1:
How are your mom and grandma doing?

First of all I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers over the past few months. It’s been a stressful time and your support means a lot to our whole family.

Mom is doing very well and the prognosis is good. Her hair is slowly starting to grow back. I really like her bald head though. I think she looks pretty cool actually. Sorta G.I. Jane/Buddhist monk. I’m not sure she totally agrees though because there’s still a mad rush to find her wig anytime there’s a knock at the door.

Grandma is also doing well. She’d be even better if she’d give herself a chance to heal from surgery. The day after her operation she was back in the garden pulling weeds and in the kitchen baking pies. She still works circles around everyone else in the family.

The time off this summer has been so nice. Shortly after Mom finished her chemo we took a family trip to Victoria. My uncle has a beautiful place just outside of Sydney. Grandma and Grandpa came and we had a great little family get away, boating, whale watching, and relaxing.

I once again have to thank all of you guys for your patience, allowing me to take time off this summer.

~~~~

Question 2:
Can you milk a buffalo? Could you put buffalo milk in cereal? Do you ever name your buffalo?

Hah! I guess theoretically you could milk a buffalo. Not sure you would want to though. Unlike cattle, buffalo aren’t domestic. Weighing between 1000 and 2500 pounds, buffalo can easily outrun a saddle horse or clear a six foot fence. The females are often much more temperamental and dangerous than the males. Funny how that works. At home, we actually only handle the herd once a year to wean the calves. Other than that they pretty much handle themselves.

We don’t normally name buffalo but growing up we did have a small orphan calf that we bottle-fed. We named him Buffy. Three times a day, everyday for months we would prepare the warm milk with Grandma and take turns feeding him. Then one day Buffy mysteriously disappeared. Dad told us he had died of lead poisoning. It wasn’t until I was a bit older that I understood what that really meant. Buffy had joined us for many a family dinner.

~~~~

Question 3:
What was your most embarrassing moment on stage?

Wow! So many to pick from.

I think one of my most embarrassing moments happened out west as we were finishing a string of shows back to back.

This show started out like every other show with an intro by our sound guy Tony and my entrance playing violin. Everything was going great. We finished our first song, In Spite of It All, and I walked up to the mic to address the crowd.

“How ya doing tonight, Grande Prairie?!”

Except tonight there were none of the usual cheers, no screaming, nothing. The crowd just starred back at me.

“Lame crowd,” I thought.

Just then Derek leaned over and whispered, “Umm…Kalan…Lloydminster.”

The next night I walked on stage for sound check and in big masking tape letters was the word “M-E-L-F-O-R-T”.

~~~~

Question 4:
What is your process for writing songs? Do you write lyrics or music first?

Well a normal writing session goes kinda like this.
I start with the lyrics….then I’ll throw them away….
Next I write the music….then I’ll throw that away….
And well.… that’s normally my process.

Actually, so far each song has been quite different. I haven’t really developed a foolproof process and I’m not sure you ever do. It seems to be a lot of trial and error. Sometimes I’ll get a melody or musical idea and work to fit in lyrics. Other times I’ll come up with a cool lyrical line and then try to put it to music.

One of the most important things for me is to always have a notepad or some way to record ideas throughout the day. Ideas often hit me when I’m least expecting it. I often find the best ones come not when I’m sitting down trying to write, but rather when I’m out doing things. So many times driving I’ve had to pull over to jot down an idea on some old receipt or napkin. I’ve often called my cell phone and sang a little melody on my own answering machine so I could remember it later. There is nothing worse than having a great idea and forgetting it.

I also get ideas late at night. I keep a little tape recorder by my bed so that when I wake with a brilliant idea I can record it right there. Then when it comes time to sit down and write, I sift through all the scraps of paper and half asleep song ideas and pick out all the ideas I like….

….then I’ll throw them away.

~~~~

Question 5:
What the funniest thing you did as a kid?

Once when I was about four, I got in a fight with my mom. I can’t remember exactly why but I think it had something to do with refusing to eat my asparagus. Now I could eat some vegetables. Beans and peas were ok. I could do cauliflower. Even broccoli could be negotiated. But asparagus…well… everyone has their breaking point. So I decided my only option was to run away. I was going to live at Grandma and Grandpa’s house with candy cupboards and treat jars galore. I was never coming home.

So I filled a giant suitcase with all my favorite books – no clothes or shoes - just books, and started the trek to their house. Mom still has a picture of a determined little runt, sporting a stylish mushroom/bowl cut, dragging a 40 pound suitcase through a foot of snow.

When I finally arrived I began to unpack in my new sanctuary, where I would live happily ever after, free from evil reign of the vegetable Nazi.

My “lifelong” boycott held strong until later that evening when I was baited home with the promise of our traditional Friday night popcorn/movie party. Like I said… everyone has their breaking point.

EphramIsHot · 10-01-2006, 10:02 AM

Kalan responses continued.

Question 6:
Do you have a girlfriend?

Ahh…I knew this one would come up.

I am very recently single.

I am a pretty private person when it comes to dating and relationship stuff. In fact, not even my manager, BMG, or my parents knew about this one until the very end.

The unpredictability of this industry is not exactly conducive to long term relationships. Between touring, and rehearsing, and long hours in the studio, there is hardly time for a social life let alone a romantic one.

As hard as it can be to break up with someone, it can feel pretty good to be “free” again. Maybe it’s a guy thing, I don’t know.

Breaking up can be bittersweet... but other times it’s just sweet.

~~~~

Question 7:
Did you have a job in high school?

Because so much of my after school time was spent on music, there was little room to squeeze in a job. I remember one time Mom calculated that I spent an average of 35 hours a week in lessons or rehearsals. Although this restricted the cash flow, it fortunately allowed me to avoid the fast food counter that defined the adolescence of so many of my friends.

That being said I was able to make some spare change playing gigs in a string quartet. We started off playing the odd event for a charity or a family friend, and by the time I was in high school, we were a classical machine booked one or two gigs a weekend. We had business cards, flyers, a bank account, and a going rate of 200 dollars an hour. We had big binders with about an hour and half of music that could be played and repeated as desired. No one really notices when you play a Mozart Divertimento six times.

Although we played banquets, receptions, and funerals our biggest clients were by far weddings. Weddings were great. Usually fast and painless, they often took place in the afternoon leaving Friday and Saturday nights free. That being said, we soon developed a love/hate relationship with the typical North American wedding. All the pros could easily be offset by one major setback; having to deal with the bride and her mother. While I’m sure you’ve heard of the term Bridezilla, and we definitely had our share, an angry bride pales in comparison to the overbearing wrath of THE MOTHER.

It also didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off. After a few years on the wedding circuit, we became so jaded and cynical that even the most touching moments became eye rollers. In order to stave off boredom we would play games like “Pick the Crier” and “Divorce or No Divorce”. By the end of our wedding stint, we had all made pacts that we were never getting married… and even if we did… it would be a quick “in and out” and probably involve Elvis.

~~~~

Question 8:
What was it like moving from Medicine Hat to Toronto?

It definitely took some getting used to.

Being raised on the ranch was every boy’s dream. With no neighbors for miles around, we grew up with plenty of open space, ideal for running, horse riding, fort building and being a kid.

I then moved from this vast beautiful paradise into a cement box, nineteen floors up, next door to a woman with a passion for door chimes and yappy little dogs. I had a beautiful view of an office building…investment banking I think… through a small window I could open a total of 4 inches when I was feeling extra outdoorsy. Not exactly the most artistically stimulating environment.

There are definitely aspects of Toronto I like though. Because there is so much diversity in a big city, it seems to demand an openness and acceptance of differences that can sometimes be hard to find in small areas. In Toronto, no matter how strange you are, there is always someone stranger.

There is also so much to do and see. Toronto is never boring.

That being said, I often miss the small town sense of community. A place where you go out for dinner and see 20 people you recognize. A place where everyone knows your name, your family, your job, the vehicle you drive, who you last dated, and the time you tripped rushing up to accept the “Best Mutton-Busting” award.

It’s funny how I’d grown up my whole life counting down the days until I could escape Medicine Hat, and now I miss everything about it… the places, the people, even the world’s second largest teepee.
I guess now I have the best of both worlds. I have had this amazing opportunity to go out and explore all the world has to offer. For this I am so thankful. At the same time I’ll always have the ranch… a safe refuge to come running home to.

~~~~

Question 9:
What do you like most about being a musician?

I guess what I like most, is striving for that perfect match between lyrics and melody that somehow pinpoints our sense of longing and finds a small echo of truth able to refresh our perspective on the human condition.

I think maybe that’s the goal of any artist, whether it’s a painter, filmmaker, or musician… to try and capture that certain unknown something that words alone can never quite touch, and release it to the world to help comfort and enlighten.

For me, music not only has the power to help you see things in a new way, but also the power to heal, revealing we are not alone in our suffering. There is peace in knowing I am not the only one that feels the way I do.

But I don’t know… maybe music is not really that serious at all. Like any entertainment, maybe it’s really just about helping us briefly escape the everyday world of bills and taxes, and if only for a moment, enjoy the mystery of what it means to be human.

~~~~

Question 10:
What is the craziest rumor you’ve heard about yourself?

Throughout this whole experience I have definitely heard my share of outrageous stories. Having come from a small town, I wasn’t exactly foreign to the world of gossip and rumors. That being said, this industry has taken it to a whole new level.

I’m an alcoholic drug addicted gambler and I live in the Idol mansion, with assistants and a private jet. When I’m not touring, I’m at some exclusive celebrity party or on a resort in the Caribbean with friends. I’ve been romantically linked to Theresa, my opening act Amanda Stott, an Olsen twin, and on numerous occasions, a tall beautiful blonde, which happened to be my sister. I lip synch, my hair is a wig, I have a huge team of people calculating my every move and apparently on tour, I threw a huge tantrum when catering brought me Snickers instead of O’Henry. Ironically because of my peanut allergy, I’m allergic to both.

I remember sitting on my 200 dollar Ikea couch in my 600 square-foot apartment thinking, “Man! My life sounds cool.”

But I guess every job has its pros and cons. Coming off the show, it didn’t take me long to identify the parts that weren’t my favorite. I learned quickly the huge responsibility that comes along with celebrity, whether it be to your fans, your family, or your own reputation.

Most of all I’ve just learned to laugh… take myself a little less seriously. Besides, it’s probably when people stop talking and caring about what I’m doing that I should really start to worry.

EphramIsHot · 10-01-2006, 10:07 AM

And again, more responses.

Question 11:
What do you think of your older fans?

I am so thankful for my older fans. A broad fan base can be one of the biggest blessings for any artist. On tour, it is so rewarding to look out and see 5 and 55 year olds simultaneously giving me the “Rock” sign. My older fans are not only some of the most supportive and dedicated, they also help reassure me that I do have some substance beyond my curls.
I remember my first experience with my older fan base. It was a corporate gig, one of my first public appearances post-Idol.
Derek and I had worked up a short acoustic set and everything was going as planned until unexpectedly out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large white object come lobbing up on stage. At first I wasn’t quite sure what it was… a small blanket maybe. But then I looked a little closer and felt the blood rush to my head. It was a bra… a very…very large bra.
We finished the set and made our way back to the dressing room. For some reason, Derek brought the garment. He sat down beside me, and like a proud parent, informed me that this was my first onstage bra, an important keepsake and souvenir in any rock and roll career.
Just then there was a knock, and a heavy-set elderly woman appeared in the doorway. As soon as I saw her, I just knew. She had come to retrieve her missing wardrobe… she needed it more than I did.
She smiled, gave me a big awkward hug, and proudly asked if I would sign her “brassiere”.
Flustered and slightly traumatized, I began signing.
As I wrote my usual autograph slogan, the surrealism of the whole situation suddenly hit me like a flying double D.
“Thanks for the support!”

~~~~

Question 12:
How do you handle the screaming girls?

The whole screaming girl thing has definitely taken some major getting used to. At times it can be very strange, but I guess there is no point in pretending to be overly modest; it’s also a lot of fun. There is nothing like a loud, energized crowd to inspire a band to play their best.

That being said, I remember reading some negative reviews describing my show as nothing but, “young girls screaming for curly hair.” It really got me thinking. Maybe that’s all I am - a young guy with a hair style. Maybe the seas of screaming girls prevent me from being taken seriously. Maybe a more diverse audience would help.

Shortly after, we were playing Thunder Bay and I noticed two guys, standing to my left in the front row, singing along and matching the girls, scream for scream.

I kept singing but as I turned back left, I noticed they were holding a large rainbow shaped sign and in bright neon letters were the words:
“KALAN IS BEAUTIFUL LIKE A RAINBOW”
And it suddenly dawned on me. These weren’t the regular bribed husbands or patient fathers.

Now even though I’m a redneck Albertan at heart, living in Toronto, has definitely widened my perspective. In fact I have some good gay friends. Still there’s something about being “beautiful as a rainbow” that made me… well… slightly uncomfortable.

I looked over at Derek and Mike and could tell by the gleam in their eyes that I was never going to live this down.

Singing Nature Boy, subconsciously favoring stage right, I recall looking down at the long hair and tonsils below me, thinking, “Forget about diversity…I’ll take screaming girls any day!”

~~~~

Question 13:
What do you do for entertainment in Medicine Hat?

Medicine Hat is actually quite similar to Toronto… minus the people, restaurants, and existence of anything fun to do. We did have the regular pubs and movies, but in a small town, that gets old real quick. Growing up we had to be creative.

In Alberta, the drinking age is 18 and out of all my friends, I was the last to turn. After sitting at home, while each of my friends celebrated their coming of age with a bad case of the 24 hour flu, I was determined to enter adulthood with some good clean wholesome fun.

This is how we came up with… mattress riding. Now mattress riding, not to be confused with its distant cousin “mattress dancing”, was the brain child of my girlfriend at the time, and involved tying an old mattress to the back of Dad’s truck, and dragging it through the snow. Sounded like a plan to me.

So we loaded up the mattress and 15-20 audacious friends and headed off to a large empty parking lot with a fresh two feet of snow.

We started off slow, like a trashy version of a sleigh ride, but by the end we were taking sharp turns at 50-60km/h, usually resulting in an explosion of snow and limbs.
We rode that mattress into the wee hours of the morning, until we were too sore and numb to continue. Mattresses aren’t quite as soft frozen.

And that was my 18th. I’d like to see ‘em try that on Bloor St!

I still had a headache the next day, but this was worth it; much more memorable than a bad night with tequila and a toilet bowl. No…I hadn’t experienced the traditional intoxicated festivities, but I still had a blast… managing to avoid the shame, regret, remorse, and loss of brain cells.

Besides, I made up for it the following year when I moved to Toronto and turned 19.

~~~~

Question 14:
How did you find co-writing?

Looking back, I remember always hoping for some hidden songwriting secret that could be passed down in a sort of underground writer initiation. Unfortunately, this was not the case. For me, it was co-writing that really started my songwriting education.

When I first started writing with other people, I was a little skeptical. It seemed somewhat daunting to sit down with a complete stranger and in 2-3 hours, come up with a work of art. Many times the session would start more or less like this:
“Hey…Nice to meet you…Yah beautiful weather…I agree, the Flames are the best… so how about that fear of insignificance and our inner struggle for self fulfillment.”

It did take some time, but after many awkward co-writes, I started becoming more comfortable with the process.

I found that although the first writing attempt would often fail, the more frequently you wrote with each person, the more success you’d have. It also took time to discover the type of writers I worked best with. A lot of professional songwriters are very “start at 9:00- end at 4:00- bang/boom- there’s your song” type of writers. I don’t work so well in those situations. I think that’s why I liked writing with Stevie Salas. The first time we met, we sat down and discussed where I was artistically and what exactly I wanted to say.

Personally, co-writing has become a balance between learning from the pros, and trusting my own instincts and abilities. I read an article once about how Tina Turner hated “What’s Love Got To Do With It” before she recorded it. It went on to describe how many artists often dislike their biggest hits before they are released. Well… if that’s the case, my album is destined to be a world-wide smash!

Still, I think trusting that gut feeling, is an essential skill for writing and surviving in the industry. I would often channel my inner Dr. Phil: “I feel…that although your idea has some merit….lets keep looking.”

This intense writing journey I’ve been on throughout the past year, seems to be lifelong practice; each song a kind of snapshot of where you are at the time. I am so looking forward to releasing my own songs and continuing to develop my craft.

~~~~

Question 15:
What was your proudest moment besides winning Canadian Idol?

My proudest moment prior to Canadian Idol actually began on the slopes of Hidden Valley Ski Resort. It was a beautiful morning, the first snow day of the season, and I was ready to hit the hills. Up until that point, snowboarding had treated me fairly well, causing only odd bruised tailbone or ego. Little did I know, that particular morning would even out all my injury-free days in one fell swoop.

On that fateful day, I crashed and broke both of my wrists. Of course the fall wasn't anything cool. I wish I could say something like "I over rotated attempting a death defying backside 780" or "I just missed landing an extreme big air method twist", but in all reality, I caught an edge while staring at a girl who was on the chairlift. Smooth Kalan...very smooth. The doctor told me six weeks in double casts. I remember sitting in emergency, starring at the interesting angle of my protruding wrists, and in a throbbing Tylenol-3 induced daze, slowly realizing the new challenge of once everyday tasks.

Showering was bad. For my first post-trauma shower, I sat in the bathtub wearing nothing but a swimsuit and plastic arm covers, as Mom shampooed my hair. As she washed away every trace of self respect and dignity, I remember thinking "It doesn't get any lower than this."
That only happened once. After that, I refused to shower until my Dad picked up some cattle pregnancy test gloves that I could seal at the elbow using elastics.

Although that was rough, I found the hardest part was not being able to play music. Besides canceling several weeks of concerts, weddings, rehearsals, and a possible orchestral tour of Japan, I had been preparing for a major viola competition scheduled to take place in 5 weeks.
The Concerto Competition was one of the most prestigious in Medicine Hat. In this competition, twenty or thirty string and piano students would audition for a panel of judges and be chosen to perform as soloists with an orchestra. Even if I somehow convinced the doctor to remove my casts early, there was no guarantee I would have the wrist strength and mobility needed to play. But I was determined.

So I began practicing the only way I could; visualizing my fingers and hands and hearing the music in my head. I would sit in my room for hours envisioning every aspect of my performance, mentally rehearsing every bar. Dad said he enjoyed this new noiseless practice and wished I'd started it sooner. I kept this up for the next month, all the while pleading with my doctor for an earlier cast removal. Finally after 4 weeks and 3 days, I got the go ahead.

Anyways, after all was said and done, I was selected as a finalist having been cast-free only 3 days. I was so excited. It was a testament to the power of the mind overcoming incredible odds (not quite the 9000 to 1 of Canadian Idol, but still incredible).

That day I learned two important life lessons. Perseverance can overcome huge obstacles and attractive girls can create them.

~~~~

Well, those are all of his answers so far; we still have five more left to receive this week. Feel free to discuss them here! I think that some of his answers are very insightful. And also, he's hilarious.

EphramIsHot · 10-01-2006, 10:11 AM

Also, we received two pictures of Kalan this week. They're of him with his fan mail - a letter-writing project was put together for him by two of the fans on the boards. Everyone sent them letters for Kalan, they put it in a decorative mail bag, and delivered it to him in Medicine Hat. It was for his two-year Canadian Idol victory anniversary.

Anyways. On with the pics!

IMO, this is a much better look for him than the look he had at the Junos recently.

brasha · 10-01-2006, 02:05 PM

He looks amazing

I'm on my way out the door so I'll save the interview for when I have more than a minute to read

EphramIsHot · 10-02-2006, 08:39 AM

Doesn't he, though?

brasha · 10-03-2006, 07:40 PM

The last pic reminds me of Brenden Fraser a bit

The interview is amazing. He's growing up and is very articulate

EphramIsHot · 10-04-2006, 01:03 PM

He most certainly is.

We're getting new questions again this week, so I'll share them here.