The beauty of American Idol — other than seeing untalented people being made fools of in each season's initial episodes — is that it affords aspiring singers the ability to get noticed. In such a hard-to-even-get-through-the-door kind of industry, just mentioning your name on this show can be a big boost.
For season seven, early-round send-off, Josiah Leming, such exposure worked, but only on his terms. Series producers recognized his talents, but Leming soon realized that the show was merely "gloried karoake" and that if he really wanted to make his own music, he could no longer do so on American Idol.
While the details of the fallout are sketchy, the Tennessee native's dreams are coming to fruition with the release of his debut EP, Angels Undercover.
One of nine children, Leming dropped out of high school at 17 to pursue a career in music, for which he has no regrets. "It's the only thing I want to do," he states in a press release. "I'd rather die in a ditch somewhere than not be able to make music. There are no other options for me. Music is my way of getting things out. It has saved my life many times."
Leming's EP teaser reveals the moodiness and rebelliousness that he felt during his life growing up in rural Morristown, Tennessee. He externalizes much of this pent-up rage and any feelings of inadequacy in the anthem, "Theysay," with satisfactory softness at first, but which later yields to fuming explosion as he repeats, "They can burn in hell."
One of the continual battles Leming fights is whether to convey his confused emotions either passively or aggressively. The pseudo-ballad, "This Cigar," divulges the alternative road many of us go down to fight or indulge our personal demons, through the inhales and exhales of cigarettes or the sips and gulps of alcohol. Those might seem like easy or clichéd solutions, but the alternatives ("To Run") aren't so attractive either.
Article comments
1 - Alice
My favorite part about this is that he's trying to garner a reputation as a legitimate, "above the Idol" artist and yet most his fans are tweens.
2 - judy
actually his fan base is growing way beyond tweens bc he is finally getting exposure beyond his 45,000 myspace fans. He was first seen on AI but his talent stretches far past that arena.
3 - dockery
Why don't you state the lyrics before this? The song is not about believing in heavin or not. Its about a young man who is stuggling with why the woman who has been everything to him is being taken slowly with cancer, while he doesnt have the power to do anything to stop it. In the song he screams not to deny his mother what she ownes, as in the wonderful life she has so greatiously dedicated to her children and she deserves better than what she is being delt. About a higher power she has believed in and followed during her life only to take her with such great pain.
4 - judy
dockery......beautifully said.
5 - dockery
Thank you so much Judy! I just felt I had to voice weather people thought I was right or wrong. I have met Josiah, and the comments some people write about him (emo, blah,blah,blah,) He just sings life, true life! Sometimes its hard to take, and most of us close our eyes when it comes to hardship. He puts it to words. You should not be afraid to face hardship and make the best of what you have. That is not emo or a dark soul, its a true warrior of life. Thank you for puting a smile on my face today.
6 - vaselisa63
As to Angels Undercover song, it made me cry, which I rarely do.In its simplicty, it hits all the emotional highlights. I lived through agonizing slow loss of both my parents to cancer. I too felt the helplessness, and bargoned with God. One curious thing happened with me after listening to Angels Undercover I finally listened to recorded voice of my parents after years of keeping the tape in a drawer. I believe Josiah's music was the key. Not everyone will be so moved,
7 - musiclister
For me,he has always been just o.k. I think he will sell some copies, but not have a large impact. I believe that within a week of the cd, after his core fans of some thousnds buy the tracks, sales will tank and he will probably be let go of his contract with Warners. He then will be back where he started, and I believe that will be fine with him. He just wants to make music for music sake, which is fine, but it won't translate into a huge commercial sucess. He just doesn't seem to have enough of a following.