As his tour with Lifehouse comes to a close this week, Kris Allen took some time to talk with me about being on tour the past year supporting different artists, the "Alright With Me" video he did for his fans, and what he thinks is the biggest misconception about his music.
I caught your show the other night in San Francisco, it was great.
Thanks, that was a really fun show.
My friend mentioned after the show that her favorite part about your set was that you’re converting Lifehouse fans in about eight songs or less.
Tell her thanks. That’s kind of what we’re trying to do.
Can you tell while you’re performing that you are drawing people into your music?
I feel like we can tell. It takes about three or four songs. You know they're like, “Oh, this is fun,” and by the end they’re like “Wow, that was a lot of fun!” And it’s always cool when you can win over the dudes. Girls are probably the best fans that you can have, but when you can win over the guys at a show, especially the older guys, it’s awesome.
Very cool. You’ve supported different bands this year on tour. Is it a feeling of “same thing, different band” or is the vibe different on each tour?
I think it’s a different vibe, you know? We were out with totally different kinds of artists. We went out with Maroon 5, and Keith Urban, and now Lifehouse. Also, I think the vibe really depends on the venue. With Keith, we were playing those monster fairs with like 10,000 people there. With Maroon 5, it was like smaller outdoors stuff, but still pretty big. And with Lifehouse we’re doing theatres. It’s been a blast, it really has been for every one of them. 
Is it more intimidating to play a small intimate show or a large venue?
The most intimidating crowd to play for is about five people. When it’s super small and you’re just sitting in a room with friends and they’ll go “Hey Kris, sing us a song,” you’re like, “Oh no, I can’t do that.” It’s really weird.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - lolo
Wow, great interview! Kris has really opened up lately. He is so talented and I look forward to his music for years to come.
2 - Sherrie Richey
Thank you for a respectful, insightful, and on point interview. These seem to be a rarity these days. Well done. Kris Allen is a very talented young rock star who needs more good press like this!
3 - Julie
Great interview! Interesting and thoughtful stuff from Kris. He seems to be in a really good place right now, I can't wait to hear the music that comes out next!
4 - Anna L
What a kickawesome interview!! Great questions. And Wipe It Away!! Flailing so much right now :D
5 - Chris
Great interview. Nice to see new questions and new answers. I'm really looking forward to the next album and hope to eventually see Kris and the Kris Allen Band in concert ... hopefully headlining so I get more songs :)
6 - Rana
This was such a great interview! Awesome job. Love Kris!
7 - renee
Thanks for a great interview. So nice to hear Kris talk about his music.
8 - Nekola
Thanks for a great interview! I like the different questions you asked. I can't wait to hear more music from Kris.
9 - Altrus01
Awesome interview. Great job! It really seemed to flow well.
10 - Jaycee
Oh wow What a great interview! Nice to know more about Kris and how well he treats his KAB. He is really a very simple guy but with a great big heart to others!
11 - kickyfeet
Thank you for this! I love that you got to get some new stuff out of him, that's always exciting.
I especially love to read the part about the AWM video and how much he wanted it to be a surprise considering we fans always know things before him. Haha! He's such a dork. :)
Good job!
12 - Aimee
Great interview!
13 - Diane
Great interview! Thank you so much. I loved all of your questions, and I especially love it when Kris opens up, so huge kudos to you!
14 - Akemi
Fantastic interview! Your questions were so great!! You should interview Kris every time he is in SF. :)
15 - Orihara Kaoru
Awesome interview! I flew to Milwaukee to see him, and it was so amazing. Got to meet him and the band after the show, and I just love them all so, so much. One small nitpick: this can't possibly be right, lol. I think the album's like 50 mins. :) --> "Running time: 2869 minutes"
16 - kate
I'm glad this underrated young musician is starting to get the accolades he deserves. He's very talented!
17 - Pips
Thank you for this awesome interview! Kris is really talented. I'm eagerly waiting for new music from him!
18 - Madeleine
Kris is very talented. I'm looking forward to his 2nd album
19 - RC
Thanks for the interview! I have heard some of the songs from Kris's first album, and really love that sound from him -- including Wipe It Away. Would love for him to perform some songs from that album, and his fans are looking forward to new music!
20 - Leslie
Thank you for a great interview. I love Kris and his music, and the video is awesome. Kris is so talented. I am a fan for life.
21 - Ali
Fantastic interview!!
22 - Mike Olsen
You're living your dream Kirsten!
23 - Tribiola
Thanks for this fantastic interview! Kris is so talented and interviews like these really let his passion for his craft shine through. Great job!!
24 - Oats
I love Kris's music and everthing about him. Enjoyed your interview with him. Happy Thanksgiving.
25 - Stephanie
I feel this guy has such potential, and in todays market that is saying a lot. He is slowly building a career and his fan base and doing in such a way that it will continue to grow. His love of music and the fun that it was meant to give shine in his performances. Good interview. I am a fan for life.