It's the afterglow of Idols Finale and as my swan song for Season 4 I have one final article. The Interviews.
It was one interview actually, as I got to speak to them both at the same time.
Jody & Andriette
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It was early in the morning (for some) and the girls have already been through quite a few interviews but they seem in good spirits. I'm armed with my pen, notebook, alot of questions but also with some trepidation.
because I've been trying to think of questions that everyone wants answers to - and I can't seem to think of any.
In the end everything turns out well. Everyone is relaxed and I end up having loads of fun and learn a few things in the process...
ME: Congratulations to both of you, Jody for winning and Andriette for making it so far and for being such a worthy adversary. Jody, what was the first thing that went through your mind when you woke up the day after the finale?
Jody: Thank you. The first thing I thought was, I can't believe I won!
Me: Now that the buzz has worn off, what are you feeling?
Jody: I'm very excited for my future, I just want to get into the studio and start recording.
Me: Andriette, everyone seems to think that you’ll be getting a contract as well, have there been any talks about this? (This interview was before the media release)
PR Official: Dave will be meeting with her soon to discuss it.
Me: And if you record Andriette, will it be an Afrikaans album?
Andriette: English. I’d probably have one or two songs in Afrikaans because that is who I am but I’ll be recording mainly in English.
Me: What music are you listening to right now – what’s playing in your iPod?
Jody: *grinning* Michael Jackson
Andriette: I’m listening to Alpha Bell. (hope I got the name right) That’s the band Munro was in before Idols. It’s REALLY good
Me: What is your all-time favorite song?
Jody: Black and White
Andriette: I love all music... my current favorite is rock and I'm really loving "Bleeding Love" by leona Lewis. She was the winner of Britain's X-Factor
Me: Jody, how old where you when you first picked up your hairbrush to sing?
Jody: I was about 9 years old.
Me: And who was your biggest inspiration and motivation?
Jody: My dad. He’s always been the one that’s been there.
Me: You are clearly very close to your family. Will this affect your move to JHB?
Jody: We’ll be moving together. They’re definitely moving with me.
Me: It’s still early days yet but do you know where you want to be after Idols?
Jody: Definitely making music. It’s what I love to do.
Andriette: Same here, music is future.
Me: Tell me about Andriette before Idols? And how has she changed?
Andriette: I used to be shy but I have definitely come out of my shell and I’m a lot more outspoken now. *laughs* and I like my style a lot more now
Me: What made you decide to enter Idols this year?
Andriette: I always wanted to enter before but then there was school and then there was studies… This year I finally decided to give it a go.
Me: Jody, there are big debates going on around age and you being too young, if you knew then what you now, would you wait? Would you do anything differently?
Jody: Nope, I’d do everything exactly the same.
Me: Who was your closest friend on Idols?
Jody: Bjorn
Andriette: Maybe it’s because we’re Afrikaans *laughs* but first it was Carla and then later Munro.
Me: And the two of you, how did this affect your friendship? Are you constantly aware that the other is the competition?
*look at each other and smile* Andriette: We’re given little choice because we’re living together in this house and we have to do everything together.
Jody: But yah, you are aware that you’re in the same competition but on the other hand we’re still good friends.
Me: What was your worst Idol moment?
Jody: Without a doubt, Monday nights.
Me: Was there ever a time when you thought it would be you that would be leaving
Jody. Yeah. 3 TIMES!
Me: and what was your best Idol moment.
Jody: Also without a doubt, the duet Andriette and I sand at the finale.
Me: the duet was awesome! Are you thinking of recording it?
PR Official: They’ll be meeting with Dave to discuss that as well.
(I’m really holding thumbs that it does happen because it was awesome!)
Jody: And the funniest thing is that we only had an hour to practice it.
Me: AN HOUR???
Jody: Yeah really. We’ve been so busy that we didn’t have much time to rehearse it.
Me: Your schedules are pretty hectic, how do you manage to prepare 2 or 3 songs for your performance each week
Jody: Any spare moment we have is spent rehearsing. At night, whenever we can.
Andriette: We recorded the “winners” song on Friday already and I was so glad because at least I got to practise it 3 times.
Me: Andriette, the competition was tight, there was no way of knowing who was going to win, how did that affect you especially on Sunday? What was your day like?
Andriette: I was surprisingly VERY relaxed. I was taking it easy because I knew that whatever had to be done was done. I was ready.
Me: Jody, take me through what happened before the performance. Preparation wise.
Jody: We rehearsed it EXACTLY the way you saw it. Everything form the breaks in between, everything is exactly the same. We sing, then we have to run backstage and get changed. So while Andriette’s on I’m rushing around trying to get done.
Me: So there’s no time for nerves.
Jody: None whatsoever.
Me: Song choice is very important. How did you choose your songs each week?
Jody: I chose songs I knew because it would make my performance easier. I didn’t want to try and learn a whole new song and then forget my words.
Andriette: I chose songs that I didn’t know because I wanted to try new and different things.
Me: I noticed you picked a lot of Elvis-like tunes, was that for Randall’s sake.
Andriette: It’s what I like to sing, I like old songs better actually. (looks at PR Person)
Me: And what where the judges like? Did you get to see them other than when you were performing?
Andriette: No, we only saw them during performances and they are actually very nice.
Jody: We understand that they’re there to add entertainment to the show and that they have a job to do. They gave us a lot of good advice.
Me: Do you ever read what is being said about you?
Jody: YES!
Me: And how does it affect you?
Jody: We realise that it’s only people’s opinion but sometimes they can be really mean.
Andriette: Exactly, at the beginning I used to hang out at the M-Net Idols Forums but they I got really bad messages so I just didn’t log on there anymore. One person told me that Munro rocked and I sucked and that I should just go to hell. Why they want to send me there, I don’t know.
Me: Yeah, you can criticize the performance but there's no need to get personal.
Andriette: and that’s exactly what it was, they would get very personal.
Me: But you did have a great many fans out there. And obviously you have a lot of (inadvertent) influence on them. Do you think that as an Idol you have a social responsibility.
Jody: it’s nice to be able to do what you want without worrying about what people are going to think, but yes, I think we do. If I am seen as a role model then that’s a compliment, so thank you, and I realise that I do have a social responsibility to fulfil.
Me: The competition was pretty tough, from the top 4 it was anybody’s guess as to who was going to win, what was it about you, do you think, that made people vote for you (excluding your exceptional voice)
Jody: I think it was the younger generation that voted me in. They could identify with me – and I’m very thankful for that.
Me: What makes Jody different from any other Idols winner.
Jody: I’m not going to fade!!
Me: What is the craziest or wildest thing you’ve ever done?
Jody: Uhm, when I was very young – very, very young – I was playing in my grandmothers garden and I, uhm, ate a snail.
*laughter*
PR Official: With the shell on???
Jody: *laughs and nods*
Me: And what did it taste like?
Jody: CRUNCHY.
Andriette: When I was about 4 my brother (who was 7 at the time) and I were playing in the backyard. He used to like making fire and I would climb onto a pile of bricks to watch him. One day I was sitting on the bricks looking down at him trying to make a fire and I just decided to drop a brick on his head. *laughs* we had to rush him to the emergency room to get stitches.
Me: Has he ever forgiven you?
Andriette: NO! He still reminds me about it. In fact he has a bald patch on the back of his head where the stitches used to be
And that’s all we had time for before I had to say my goodbyes. But not before I managed to get a few seconds of video footage with my cell phone. Take a listen to what they had to say.
And thats it folks.
Over and Out!