Kalan Porter - The Official Kalan Porter Street Team

Canadian Idol winner plays Empire Theatre
By: Emma Koehle - Loyalist College Online Pioneer
Published: March 21, 2008

Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter performed at the
Empire Theatre in Belleville on March 14.
photo by Emma Koehl

Most people would expect the most influential part of Kalan Porter's life to have been when he won Canadian Idol; his latest album, however, begs to differ."About two years ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.

There were some songs written when she was diagnosed and it was kind of a low point and then other songs like the single were written when she was getting better and it was like a weight off your shoulders and when you're feeling on top of the world," says Porter.

The seriousness of his personal life made a very obvious change in Porter's music. His sound developed from something very commercial in his first album to what it is now: something deep, mature and much more personal.

When he was just 19 years old in 2004 Porter won the reality show Canadian Idol.

"I didn't want to do it at first; I was very resistant. It gave me such a huge opportunity, there are pros and cons of it for sure; there are some people that will never like me just because of that Idol thing, there's always that kind of stigma attached that you came from a reality show and it's hard to be taken seriously."

After winning he came out with his debut album 219 Days.

"The first album was sort of what it needed to be; it was made very quickly, and to be honest I didn't really have a lot of control over it. I got complete control over this album. So now to be touring stuff that you're really proud of and happy to be doing is something completely different."

He wrote much of Wake Up Living himself, collaborating with some of the best song writers in the industry.

"I recorded my last album in the States with a guy named Brian Malouf who's worked with everybody from Michael Jackson, Madonna, Pearl Jam, some really great acts. So it was really cool working with him on some writing."

"I used to think when you got into (writing) there would be some kind of elite songwriters' circle like the Da Vinci code and you've got like this inner secret where it's how to write a song. I've written with some amazing writers in LA and they all sort of start the same: start a few chords, okay. Start singing, and yeah, they get some words. It's pretty random."

Asked what he might do with his next album he answered,

"I'm going back and forth between whether I should do something really like indie; kind of weird that I really like, something sort of electro-pop-- not like a Euro-dance record, along the lines of Justice. It's funny, because I have a wide fan base: some of it's young girls, but also a lot of women going from early 30s to 45-50 -- so if I do an electro record I think their heads might explode."

The Empire Theatre in Belleville was Kalan Porter's 12th stop on his Canadian tour to promote Wake Up Living.

Porter performed in front of a crowd of more than 500 fans at the Empire on March 14.

Ten year old Victoria Stinsol from Kingston was lucky enough to go up on stage with him

"It was very exciting," she said, laughing, after the show.

"You see that hand she's not moving? Kalan touched it and now she won't touch anything with it," her mother says.

"Touring is a huge thing for me. You know, I don't know what I'll be doing in five years or if I'll be able to continue to do it on this scale, but I'm just really thankful," says Porter.

He finished his tour the following night in Toronto at Danforth Music Hall.

© Copyright by Online Pioneer (Loyalist College)

Porter coming to Belleville with new show
By: Michael J. Brethour - The Shield
Published: February 2008

Kalan Porter, the 2004 Canadian Idol winner, will be hitting the stage at the Empire Theatre in Belleville in mid-March.

On March 14, fans will get a chance to see Porter in Belleville, one of only three Ontario dates in his 25-venue tour. In a phone interview with The Shield just prior to the debut of his new show format at a show in Prince Albert, he commented on the tour. “I am still a little nervous, tonight is the first night for the new show. We had done the full-out rock show for my first tour and it went over very well. We received a lot of feedback that people wanted a more intimate show and we are trying to deliver just that this time around.”

Porter hails from Medicine Hat Alberta, is the son of a cattle rancher father, Rick, and a stay-at-home mom, Janet and is the older brother to his two sisters. The blue-eyed curly blond-haired Porter blew away the judges in the 2004 Idol competition with his mature, yet smouldering rendition of House of the Rising Sun. He released his debut disc 219 Days in late 2004 after cleaning up on Canadian Idol just a few months earlier.

He’s been a busy guy ever since, although his life took a sudden detour just as plans for a follow-up record were shaping up. “I had just gotten off tour and was heading back in the studio, and I found out that my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I made a hard decision to go home, with the lack of longevity of other Canadian Idols it was a big risk to take.” His second disc Wake Up Living, released September 2007, was a tough album to write and record. Porter co-wrote the bulk of the record, allowing him to translate the experience of watching his mother battle cancer.

“It gave me a real creative fuel for the album. Some of the songs were about when she was in the thick of things and going through her operations. I didn’t think it would turn out to be as dark as it was, but you write about what you’re going through, it covers a spectrum of emotions, highs and lows…”

The new disc, produced by Brian Malouf, who has worked with artists like Pink, Madonna, Bon Jovi, showcases Porter’s maturing personality.

Down In Heaven, the first single, speaks to the feeling of being on top of the world and symbolizes the moment when his mother finished her chemotherapy and was cancer-free.

“Mom is good now with no relapses, a few scares since but so far so good,” he said. Porter is touring with just a keyboard player and guitar player. “It’s a very forward thinking show, I will be playing violin, piano and bass guitar, there is a lot of loops, we even have a laptop on stage.”

Porter stated that he is a firm believer in giving the audience a little something different during each live performance, “I always wanted to do shows that are shows, if you wanted what was on the CD, you would just buy it. The biggest thing about a live performance is an instant feedback, there’s no perfection to it.” He said it’s unrealistic to do a brand new show every night, “But regardless I want the audience to walk away feeling they have seen something special.”

© Copyright by The Shield Media Group

Porter rocking through Canada
Medicine Hat's own Kalan Porter is taking the stage on March 4
By: Kim Dick - The Medicine Hat News
Published: March 1, 2008

Kalan Porter says life has been a little hectic and he had to cancel one show but overall the Wake Up Living tour has been rocking its way through Canada.

The three-piece ensemble promises to give audiences a whole different Kalan Porter show, one that is more intimate and interactive.

“I have a lot more interaction with the crowd, a lot of joking around, people coming up on stage,” said Porter. “We have some other weird surprises where we involve the crowd so it’s kind of fun.”

Porter says he feels more comfortable on stage these days, sometimes a little too comfortable.

“Sometimes I have blurted something out on stage and I kind of regretted it afterward,” joked the artist. “I can’t believe I just said that in front of 1,000 people... but people are relating to the show on a whole different level.”

Hatter audiences and Porter fans will be happy to find out what this show has in store for them, as Porter is showcasing many of his talents.

With Ben on keys, Ricky on guitar, Potter Is playing violin, piano, guitar, viola, keyboard, bass, a drum and tambourine.

“Any time you are trying something new, you don’t know how people are going to react, but it’s been really good.” he said. “We didn’t want to just go out there and play off the album, we really wanted to make it a show.”

The band will play a little of everything in Medicine Hat, including tracks off Wake Up Living, 219 Days and some covers.

“Some of the old songs we have remixed and given them a new vibe said the artist.

He said audiences can expect a little Michael Jackson influence on one song in particular.

And the Medicine Hat native is glad to be back in Alberta and will be happy to be playing a hometown audience, which he says is always the highlight of his tour.

“But also, I am definitely more nervous to play at home,” he said. “When you are playing in a sea of people you don’t know, it’s a lot easier... When you can pick out friends in the crowd, your violin teacher and high school math teacher, it’s a little more intimidating.”

But all in a day’s work for the musician, who says he doesn’t shy away from a challenge.

I think it’s really important to not let yourself get too comfortable and really keep challenging yourself to try something different,” said Porter. “And it’s really been a challenge arranging these songs for a three-piece.”

What’s next for Kalan Porter, well he will finish up his tour in Toronto mid-March and return to the studio to prep for the next single.

His video, Hurray, was also recently released on YouTube with incredible response.

Now that video is topping the charts on MuchMusic.

But for now he is just looking forward to making a stop in Medicine Hat.

“I hope to see some familiar faces in the crowd,” he said. “I will be staying after the show and signing for whomever sticks around... as long as people are there, I will meet everybody.”

Kalan Porter takes the stage 7 p.m. at the Cypress Centre Auditorium, March 4.

Tickets are available through the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede.

© Copyright by The Medicine Hat News

Idol Inspires
By: Angela Rugama - Staff Writer
Published: February 26, 2008

Photo by Angela Rugama
A CHANCE OF A LIFETIME - Hailey Callehan met with
Canadian Idol, Kalan Porter before the concert Saturday night.
The two took a few minutes to rehearse prior to the performance,
where Callehan would be Porter's guest on stage.

Many wish they could meet their favourite star, but few have the opportunity to do so and even fewer are given the chance to share the spotlight. Saturday night welcomed Canadian Idol, Kalan Porter, to the Ulmer Chevrolet stage at the Vic Juba Community Theatre, where a packed house witnessed a little girl's dream come true.

Thanks to her aunt's diligence and WayneFM, 10-year-old Hailey Callehan was treated to a private backstage meet and greet with the multi-talented Porter. After some giggles and a hug from her idol, the Grade 5 student had a brief rehearsal for her musical debut, which seemed to calm her nerves.

"I've only been on stage for my hip-hop recital and Christmas concerts, so I'm really excited," said Callehan.

Porter was very charming, appearing cool and collected before his Border City performance, which was only his second since returning to the Prairies. "I'm really excited to be back in the Prairies; I live in downtown Toronto which has its own uniqueness, but I really miss Alberta and the prairies and it feels good to be home," shares Porter.

Having only one show under his belt since starting this new tour, Porter admits that since scaling down from a full sized band to a three man performance, some adaptation was required on his part.

"I was pretty nervous, actually the most nervous I've been in a while, just because we had the last show so down and a well oiled machine. This new show is so different and out of our comfort zones. Because don't have drums or bass, we are all having to compensate on different things," explains Porter.

As Porter stepped on to the stage, a thunderous applause broke out and not a jitter could be detected as he treated the crowd to an absolutely amazing performance.

With outstanding vocals and truly exceptional musical talent, Porter proved he is still a Canadian idol.

Post Idol Pandemonium
Kalan Porter still makes fans go wild
By: Clara Ho - Sun Media
Published: February 22, 2008

It still makes Kalan Porter uncomfortable seeing himself on television or hearing his songs on the radio.

"It's really strange sometimes," says the 22-year-old singer, taking a break from rehearsal. "I'll still be out with friends or something and we'll be at a pub and my video will come on. I usually say, 'Can you turn that off?'"

Kalan Porter became a household name when he was crowned Canadian Idol four years ago.

DOWN TO EARTH

The down-to-earth musician from a ranch outside Medicine Hat is still, well, a down-to-earth musician - but now he has the music career he'd dreamed of.

Porter is making his first visit to Fort Saskatchewan Sunday night for a concert at the Dow Centennial Centre, followed by a performance at Edmonton's Winspear Centre Monday night. Porter promises his upcoming shows will be unlike anything he's ever done before, leaning towards something a little more intimate.

"On this tour, I'm playing a lot of guitar, piano, violin, viola, doing some percussion. I try to incorporate a lot of the things I grew playing into a live show," he said.

"We've got a laptop up on stage, a bunch of electronic things going on. It's going to be a forward-thinking show."

Prior to his Canadian Idol audition in Edmonton, Porter was studying music, his passion, and business, which he hated.

The classically trained musician decided to enroll at McGill University for viola performance, but plans changed after his Canadian Idol win.

"At first, I wasn't sure that (winning) was what I had in mind," he said.

"And then I looked at it and said, 'You know, this is an amazing opportunity to get out there and get a possible break in the industry.'"

Three Juno nominations, one MuchMusic Video Music Award, a 70-show cross-Canada tour, and two albums later, Porter's made his break.

And most importantly, he continues to grow as a musician.

"If people compare the two albums, there's definitely a huge amount of growth," said Porter, comparing his post-Idol debut 219 Days to last summer's Wake Up Living.

Porter describes his first album as "what it needed to be."

But writing and recording the second album was a very personal, almost painful experience, during which his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

TOOK TIME OFF

"I'd just come off a huge tour, all these exciting things, and it was a real high. And to go from that to hearing someone in your family has cancer shook my whole world," explains Porter, who chose to take time off to be with his family - a difficult and risky decision for a rising star.

Now his mother is doing much better, Porter is back on the road and, as usual, the fans are still going wild - something Porter hasn't gotten used to.

"When you go from being an average kid in school playing music at the back of a little, skuzzy bar and no one listening - to go from that is an adjustment," he said.

But it's an opportunity that he's ever grateful for, he adds.

"You look back and you never know if this ends in a year or two or five years or whatever.

"You've just got to be thankful that you got a shot. And something to tell your grandkids, if nothing else."

© Copyright by EdmontonSun.com

Kalan Porter here in March
By: Mark Weber - Red Deer Express
Published: January 20, 2008

Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter is including Red Deer on an Alberta tour slated for March. Porter plays the Memorial Centre March 3.

Porter released his debut disc 219 Days in late 2004 after cleaning up on Canadian Idol just a few months earlier.

Porter beat out nearly 9,000 other contestant, and success after the Idol whirlwind came easily with the disc promptly landing double platinum status.

He’s been a busy guy ever since although his life took a sudden detour just as plans for a follow-up record were shaping up.

His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I tried being in studio to keep my mind occupied, but I couldn’t focus,” he recalls.

“I couldn’t work. All I thought about was how I should be home.”

He did just that, although it wasn’t altogether an easy decision.

“I spent many sleepless nights wondering ‘would the fans still be there? Would the record company still be supportive?’ But there was only one thing to do. I needed to be home.”

As to his second disc Wake Up Living (released last summer) Porter admits it was a tough album to write and record.

“The songs really speak to the events that were occurring in my life at the time and how you can find a sense of beauty, support and life at the most unexpected times.”

He co-wrote the bulk of the record, and the process gave him a superb outlet for his emotions as he watched his mother beat her battle with cancer.

Meanwhile, the new disc, produced by Brian Malouf (Pink, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi), showcases Porter’s maturing personality.

Down In Heaven, the first single, speaks to the feeling of being on top of the world and symbolizes the moment when his mother finished her chemotherapy and was cancer-free.

Walk on Home is a testament to breaking out on your own while Out of My Head wraps up the record and is perhaps the most personal song on the album.

For tickets, call 343-6666 or visit the ticket center at www.blackknightinn.ca.

© Copyright by RedDeerExpress.com

Be A Nice Boy
Kalan Porter is no false idol. He's just careful about his look and sound
By: Lindsay Norris
Published: December 17, 2007

When Kalan Porter won the second season of Canadian Idol in 2004, the 18-year-old from Medicine Hat became an instant Canadian superstar. (No, it’s not an oxymoron.) His song "Awake in a Dream” strummed preteen heartstrings and became the best-selling debut single in Canuck history. Since then, Porter has released two albums, taken an ill-timed break from the music biz, and embraced his inner geek, making a video with his grandma instead of a half-naked model. After a couple dozen e-mails to his publicist, we landed a few minutes of face time with Porter when his tour touched down in Alberta. Meet the dude behind the image.

HAIR. Some people spend more time discussing Porter’s ’do than his music. It is spectacular hair: curly, blond, and artfully dishevelled. But in early 2007, he appeared in an MTV interview with straighter, darker hair. He looked 10 years older, and suave. Unfortunately, his golden curls were back for his tour last fall – and in the video for “Hurray,” in which Porter engages in a cutthroat scrabble battle with his granny (who is, of course, an actress). He even drinks from a juice box, for crying out loud.

AGE. At Porter’s Idol audition, a judge looked at the skinny teenager, who was wearing baggy blue jeans and an oversized button-down, and asked, “Are you 12?” Porter’s earnest rendition of “House of the Rising Sun” vanquished the judges’ scepticism. Ironically, they praised his maturity. Still, after he won, people joked that he had to show ID at the after-party.

TUNES. Porter is not proud of his first album, 219 Days, released just two months after his Idol victory. “It was what it needed to be,” he says. Read: he had to capitalize on his television fame. (Whatever happened to Idol’s first star, Ryan what’s-his-name?) 219 Days was schizophrenic, said reviewers. Still, it garnered him three Juno nominations. But Porter put work on his follow-up on hold to spend time with his mom, who was undergoing chemo for breast cancer, and rebounded to co-write most of the songs on Wake Up Living, released last August. The result is a more musically coherent CD. Shedding the Idol shackles, it seems, may do as much for his career as winning.

THREADS. The show’s stylists convinced Porter to shed his oversized togs in favour of black blazers and crisp T-shirts. The effect was part poli-sci student, part poet. But it was wasted effort: Idol aired a video of Porter wandering through a herd of buffalo on his family’s ranch, cementing his good-boy image. “The audience does put you in a box,” Porter says. “For me, it was always, ‘oh, he’s very shy,’ and, ‘oh, he’s so wholesome.’ It’s weird to be labelled as something that you don’t think you are.” In other words, he’s no altar boy; he just knows who buys many of his albums – parents. “I live in Toronto, I’m a young guy, I like to go out,” he says carefully. “I have a huge responsibility to young people buying my albums, but I also have to be myself.”

© Copyright by Unlimited Magazine.com

Porter's Back and Ready to Headline Telethon
By: Kim Dick
Published: November 30th, 2007

Kalan Porter is back home in Medicine Hat this weekend and gearing up to be this year’s special musical guest at the 11th Annual Christmas Telethon fundraiser.

The Medicine Hat & District Health Foundation annual telethon event raised over $520,000 in 2006 and hope to raise more this year with a new format and homegrown Medicine Hat talent.

“I am really excited to be coming back and doing this kind of thing,” said Porter. “It was meant to be and fit into my schedule . . . it just fit perfectly.”

Porter recently issued a fundraising ‘call to action’ to his fans and Canadians across the country in support of his mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Since then, Porter has made a commitment to help support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run For the Cure and his team raised over $50,000.

Porter says he is all for supporting the telethon event and looks forward to contributing to the good cause.

“I spent a lot of time at the Medicine Hat Hospital, so any way that I can give back in a small way, I jump on board,” said Porter.

Porter, who currently resides in Toronto, says he was back out west doing corporate gigs in Calgary to promote his second album, Wake Up Living, released in September.

Fans at the telethon will hear some old tunes, some Christmas tunes and of course, music from his most recent album.

“A lot of this album was written during the time my mom was going through cancer,” said Porter. “It really did come from that time.”

Porter says the fans have been very supportive particularly when he took time off to be home with his mom.

“It was important that I do that and come home and be with family but at the same time it was pretty scary,” said Porter. “Being in an industry like this, it’s so fickle. You don’t know if people are going to remember you in six months.”

Porter says the decision was tough to make but he knew it was the right thing to do and is thankful that the industry was there for him when he got back.

“I am really just trying to enjoy the whole thing you never know when it is going to be over.”

“I would love to keep doing music as long as I can but you just never know in an industry like this so I am just trying to have fun with it.”

He is also looking forward to taking a break from his hectic schedule to hang out with his family over the holidays.

“I am home for the holidays, I am in Calgary and Medicine Hat this weekend, back to Toronto for about a week and then I am back home for Christmas,” said Porter. “Toronto is so busy and there is so much going on . . . to come back home and relax with family over the holidays, I think it will be a relaxing Christmas.”

In the last couple of months, Porter has suffered from two bouts of strep throat, but says he should be recuperated by Sunday.

“Maybe I need my tonsils out or something.” he joked. “I have been battling that, whenever you’re out meeting a lot of people and on planes, maybe it has something to do with that.”

Kalan Porter is headlining the 11th Annual Christmas Telethon at the Cypress Centre Auditorium Dec. 2 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Tickets are $75 each or 10 for $500 and are available through the Health Foundation at 528-8133.
The show will be aired on SHAW Cable, CHAT 6&3 and Bell Express View.

© Copyright by Medicine Hat News.com

New album brings Kalan back to Metro
After stepping away from spotlight to support his family through a health crisis, former Canadian Idol is back with a new album
By: Eric Lewis - Times & Transcript
Published: Saturday October 13th, 2007

Kalan Porter wasn't sure where his music career would go following an extended break after touring for his hit debut album 219 Days. He wasn't even sure he would have a career anymore.

At first, the 2004 Canadian Idol winner went right into the recording studio after the tour for 219 Days. He didn't want to lose the momentum he had gained after winning the national singing competition and following it up with hits like "Awake In A Dream" and "In Spite Of It All".

But before he could get to work on the follow-up, Porter found out that his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. He says it "shook my whole world." Putting his career on hold, he returned home to southern Alberta to be with his family during a tough time.

Porter was in Moncton yesterday promoting his new album Wake Up Living. Sitting in the Times & Transcript newsroom yesterday, his famous blonde curls pulled back under a baseball hat, Porter says putting his career on hold was a tough decision, but one he knew was right.

"It was hard because I was kind of at the peak of everything," he says. "I've been doing music since I was really young. I've never actually had a real job. All my friends would be doing the fast food thing, and I was teaching violin and playing weddings, playing in the back of little bars and that kind of thing. To walk away from something that I've been doing for a long time was really tough."

But Porter says his family has always been tight-knit. He stayed home while his mother underwent chemotherapy and a double mastectomy.

"It was really strange," Porter says. "Your parents are always supposed to be there, they're supposed to have the answers and you can fall back on them, so I kind of caught a glimpse of a world without my parents, and that kind of freaked me out a little bit."

He says his mother is now cancer free, but the family is still keeping its fingers crossed to be safe.

The time off allowed the 21-year-old singer-violinist to regroup and ground himself before jumping back into his music career. He was concerned whether or not his fans and his record label would be supportive when he came back.

A year of writing and a few months recording with producer Brian Malouf yielded Porter's sophomore release Wake Up Living.

"This is a lot more the stuff that I want to be doing and that I've written. So touring and that kind of stuff will be a lot more fun," he says of the new album.

Asked what distinguishes it from his debut record, Porter says, "The first one was kind of what it needed to be. We did it in about six weeks. This record I spent a year writing, and I went down recording in L.A. for about five months with a producer named Brian Malouf who's worked with everyone from Michael Jackson to Madonna to Pearl Jam, so it was pretty cool to go down there and do that. This record ended up being completely different than the first one. It's a lot more me and a lot more personal."

Porter has performed a few shows in western Canada, and he says a full-scale tour will begin in January. He says there will be East Coast dates on the tour itinerary.

The last tour Porter did on the East Coast resulted in sold out shows in every city. In Fredericton, an additional date was added to meet the demand, and in Moncton the show was moved from the Capitol Theatre to the Moncton Coliseum to meet the demand.

Porter is excited to hit the road again.

"The interviews and videos, I'm slowly getting better at that, but I'm much more comfortable on stage performing."

© Times & Transcript - http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/

New album 'a lot more me,' Idol Porter tells Halifax
By DEAN LISK - The Daily News
Wednesday October 10th, 2007

He was introduced first as Kalan Porter from Medicine Hat. Then as Kalan Porter, Canadian Idol. Now, Kalan Porter wants to be known as an artist.

"I am still both of those, and people will always know where I came from," the singer said. "But at the same time, I am hoping I can move past it a bit and become an artist in my own right."

That is what the 21-year-old is hoping to do with his sophomore album, Wake Up Living. It was released in late August, and the video for the album's first single, Down in Heaven, is in heavy rotation.

"This album is a lot more me," Porter said yesterday while in Halifax to promote the recording.

The Albertan greets you with a firm handshake - nothing like you'd expect from golden-locked singer once referred to as The Little Prince.

"The first album was what it needed to be, and Canadian Idol gives you the opportunity to get to a lot of people really quickly, but maybe is not known for creating this great art kind of thing."

Still, he can't begrudge the success of his debut, 219 Days. The album went double platinum, garnered him three Juno nominations, and featured a sold-out 65-date tour.

"Canadian Idol is a bit of a double edged sword," he said. "I wouldn't be here without it, but I do want to move forward.

"I look up to people like Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson - people who have come from not as credible a background, but really established themselves as real artists."

It was after the tour ended that Porter began working on Wake Up Living. He spent a year working on the songs, and five or six months in the studio.

He said this album was a chance for him to do what he wanted - and that included adding violin and string arrangements to the songs.

He started the album, but left the studio after he learned his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It shook his world, and he went home to spend time with his family.

"At the start, I wasn't sure what I was going to write about. I hadn't a bunch of bad relationships and I hadn't had a tonne of life experiences, so this gave me a creative space to draw from, and the record ended up being a little darker and moodier than I expected."

Kalan Takes The Reins
2004's Canadian Idol alters his look, exerts more control over second album
By Sandra Sperounes, The Edmonton Journal
Published: Friday, October 5, 2007

KALAN PORTER
With: Skye Sweetnam
When: Saturday night at 7:30

Where: Myer Horowitz Theatre, University of Alberta
Tickets: $29.50 plus service charges at Ticketmaster, 451-8000
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EDMONTON - As children, we rely on our parents to tell us what to do.

Eat your vegetables. Go to bed. Brush your hair.

By the time we hit our teens, these words of wisdom no longer feel like friendly suggestions but annoying intrustions into our lives.

We want to start calling the shots and so we tend to rebel against out parents -- whether it be dyeing our hair, staying up late or skipping classes.

Like a stubborn teen, Canadian Idol champ Kalan Porter started to act up as he was preparing his second pop-rock album, Wake Up Living, for Sony BMG.

The shy, innocent rube from Medicine Hat was growing tired of his shackles and the advice dispensed by his manager and label executives.

Wracked with uncertainty over the direction (and feasibility) of his career, Porter exercised power over the one aspect of his life he could control.

He ended up getting rid of his trademark blond curls.

"I was writing songs that weren't really my thing and I straightened my hair and dyed it dark," says Porter, who was only 18 when he won the second season of Idol in 2004.

"I was going to be something completely different. I know some of my fans who saw me at the time thought, 'What's going on with Kalan?'

"Eventually, I kind of realized, 'Well, there are people out there that like me for who I am, I don't have to try to be something that I'm not.

"When you're really young and you have people telling you you should do this and you should be this, it can be kind of a mind game. I can completely relate to Britney Spears. This industry, if you let it, can really screw you up."

Porter credits his family -- and the near loss of his mom -- with giving him a "whole new perspective" on his career. In 2006, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so he put his album on hold to be with her.

"She's doing a lot better, but our story was one of the lucky ones," he says. "It had a happy ending to it -- for now, anyways."

When he returned to Wake Up Living, he decided he didn't want to rush the process -- even though he was afraid fans might forget about him if he waited too long.

While his debut, 219 Days, was recorded over a matter of weeks to capitalize on his Idol win, Porter ended up taking five months to record his new effort in Los Angeles.

He penned songs with the help of a few tunesmiths -- including Edmonton expat Greg Johnston -- and only wrote what came naturally, including lyrics inspired by his mom's health scare (Down In Heaven, Out of My Head) and his greater understanding of the sanctity of life.

He also exerted more control over the shape of the album -- writing string arrangements and playing violin -- but he didn't completely shy away from taking advice.

Hurray, for example, wasn't one of Porter's favourite songs -- until he was encouraged to retool the tune.

"We wrote it in Toronto and I absolutely hated the song," he says.

"My manager, to give him credit, he said, 'You should really do something with the song, rework it.' When I went down to L.A., I completely changed all the lyrics and then thought, 'Yeah, I kind of like this.' We did more things and it really started to take shape. It was a lesson for me in how a song can transform over time, and not to discount it right away.

"Now it's one of my favourites -- especially to play live. It's fast, it's got some violin in it. I'm really glad we did it."

Hurray, an uplifting pop-rock ditty, is also one of the best songs on Wake Up Living, which was released in August. It's not selling nearly as well as Porter's first album -- Wake Up Living only debuted at No. 7 on the Canadian charts -- but he's not surprised.

Look at Ryan Malcolm's career. The Kingston waiter didn't bother to record a second solo album and his new rock project, Low Level Flight, is still trying to take off.

"Canadian Idol gave me the opportunity to get to a lot of people very quickly, but it's not necessarily known for creating a long-term career," says Porter.

"It's really up to me to work hard, prove myself and earn credibility over time. I think I'm enjoying it a little more and trying to have fun with it. I don't know if this is going to be over in six months or five years. We'll see what happens. I've never had a real job, so maybe I'll be one of those squeegee kids who clean your car at the lights."

Growing Out of the Idol Mould
By: Cam Fuller, The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, October 04, 2007

KALAN PORTER IN CONCERT
Thursday, Oct. 4
Lakeview Church Auditorium (Hwy 16)
Tickets $29.50
Call 938-7800 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When he won Canadian Idol, Kalan Porter sounded younger than 18. Now he sounds older than a 21-year-old.

Work and worry will do that to a person. Three years after becoming the second winner of the national singing bee, Porter has cheated obscurity with his new album, Wake Up Living, and a new attitude.

The extended pause between records was caused by a family emergency when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent successful treatment. That harrowing experience gave depth to Porter's songwriting, a more philosophical, big-picture look on life.

"I was very young when I first won Idol," says Porter. "I had people all around me telling me this is who I should be and this is what I should do and this is the kind of music I should make."

Media interviews were rough.

"I would always think of something witty and intelligent to say 10 minutes after the interview was over," he laughs. "I was so young I didn't even know what I thought about things -- I hadn't even thought about them."

Kalan II, in contrast, is a more confident person who has something to say. The delay in releasing the follow-up to his smash debut album, 219 Days, was longer than some artists' entire careers. But Porter believes the result is better than anything rushed to market would have been. In short, it allowed him to grow up.

"That, in the end, gave me a creative, new place to draw from. At first, maybe I wasn't 100 per cent sure what I was going to write about. I'm young, I haven't had a bunch of miserable, failed relationships."

Wake Up Living found Porter waking up in the guest house of his L.A. producer Brian Malouf (Pink, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi). They collaborated with the same songwriters who've penned tunes with and for Gretchen Wilson, Carrie Underwood and Paul Brandt.

Throughout the process, Porter was smart enough to learn from the experience of industry professionals without having them dictate who he was.

"The people that are great and have lasted a long time kind of get that. The record needs to be you, needs to be your own creative thing, and they just try to facilitate that."

Porter's first album contained the biggest debut single in Canadian music history. But if his second does half as well, it will be twice the accomplishment.

"The Idol watchers can be kind of fickle and definitely Canadian Idol isn't necessarily known for creating long-term careers, so we didn't really know what to expect. I think the response has been great. We're just trying to get out there and really work the stuff," he says.

Porter recently assembled a new band for the tours ahead. It's a big five-piece with players from Joydrop and Esthero.

"I'm excited to get back on the road. I missed it. It's been too long.

"I think this tour is really going to be a lot of fun just because they're young guys, fun, and we've been working the heck out of this show."

Part of Porter's transformation is an ability to poke fun at himself. His video for Hurray depicts him playing Scrabble with his hyper-competitive grandma. "Nice hair, jackass," she spells at one point.

"I don't take this thing too seriously. I'm just trying to enjoy it and have fun with it because you never know how long it's going to last," he says.

"People will always know where I came from but I hope they will give me a chance to kind of prove myself and earn credibility over time. That's my goal and we'll see what happens."

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007

Kalan Porter Not Staying Idol
By: Theresa Taylor - Sun Media
Published: September 29, 2007

There was a time when Kalan Porter couldn't distance himself far enough away from the show that made him an insta-star.

He describes being crowned Canadian Idol 2004 as a "double-edged sword" adventure.

"I had the opportunity to do amazing things and a break that I wouldn't have ever got without that show," says Porter. "I have friends who were playing in bands in scuzzy bars back home and they never got the chance I did."

The 21-year-old from Medicine Hat, Alta., was barely legal (18-years-old) when Idol judges plucked him from the prairies and threw him into the ring of the national singing competition. Three years later and Porter has just recorded his second album and is getting ready to head out on a cross-Canada tour beginning tonight at the Mod Club.

His new release, Wake Up Living, is a departure from Porter's first, Idol-infused release (Awake in Dream).

"I went through a time when I really hated everything about that first album, I couldn't even listen to it," he says. "I went on the road with a band and completely changed everything about each song, sometimes you couldn't even recognize them. It's not the kind of music I would want to make now, but looking back I can say, 'Hey that's where I was at that time,' -- I only had about six weeks to make that album so ..."

The violin-wielding, blond-haired songwriter's new album took him closer to a year and a half to compose.

Porter says he was nearly ready to head into the recording last summer when his mother was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer.

He immediately returned home from Toronto to his family's buffalo ranch in Alberta to be with her, and the album was put on hold.

"It was a tough decision, walking away from it -- because in this industry, especially coming from Canadian Idol, you just don't know how long the spotlight and the fans are going to be there for you -- but it was really important for me to go home," says Porter.

His mother is doing well now and Porter says the experience has changed him as a writer. "Ours is one of the lucky stories," he says.

The time at home on the ranch gave Porter a chance to fine-tune the songs he had already written as well as work on new material.

"I did write a lot during that time, before it happened I wasn't really sure what I was going to write about. I haven't had a ton of life experience, bad relationships, that kind of thing," says Porter.

"This gave me a whole new creative place to draw from and a lot of this record came from that. There were some songs that we wrote basically a week after my mom's diagnoses and it was pretty raw."

Wake Up Living is a grownup recording, while still commercially accessible in sound the release is peppered with plenty of quirky violin and string arrangements that Porter composed himself.

If this first cross-Canadian tour goes well Porter hopes to schedule more dates for 2008.

"I hope that people will give me a chance to show what I do and base their opinions on that, not where I came from," he says. "At the same time, I'm grateful I had that opportunity ... Idol. I'm not one to bite the hand that got me here but now I'm ready to establish myself as my own thing, based on my own music."

Kalan Porter Unscrambled
Over game of Scrabble, Idol winner talks music, life
Nick Lewis - Calgary Herald
Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Kalan Porter plays Scrabble with his grandma in the new music video for his upcoming single Hurray!, easily the best tune the young Canadian Idol alumnus has released.

So when we had the chance to sit down with the 21-year-old for lunch, we figured a game of Scrabble would be a great way to get him to open up. Even though the Medicine Hat-born singer claims to have played the board game only a few times before, he was a great sport, agreeing to a "first to 200 points" match.

Here's how the game went:

Turn 1: Kalan draws the letter "B" and gets to start off the game, making "Retro" for 12 points. I follow with "Mate" to match his 12. He orders the first of four cups of coffee he'll be drinking in the next 90 minutes.

I ask him, is it just me or did your voice get deeper?

"I think it might have," he says. "It's just natural, I was 18 when I was on Idol."

Turn 2: Kalan follows that with "pair," which scores him a paltry six points. I use his "P" to make "bicep" for 22 points.

Kalan orders a steak salad and I get a steak sandwich. We begin talking about girlfriends and how they influence what you eat. "When I'm in Toronto and I'm with my girlfriend, she eats a lot of salad, so I do the same," he says. "When I'm on the road, it's a lot worse." I ask him, if he has one of those "Idol romances"? "No, no, no," he says with a laugh. "It's no show-mance."

Turn 5: After Kalan makes the word "bang" (nine points) using the "B" from my "bicep," I make "hinge" with his "g" over the triple word score for 27. The score sits at 95 for me, 53 for Kalan.

Kalan talks about how he's digging the new Alicia Keys single, and this somehow brings us to talking about award shows. So, have you seen the Britney meltdown on the MTV Awards?

"No, I haven't," he says. "I feel kind of bad for her. I'm really small-scale, and I know how it feels to have people say things about you, I can't imagine what it's like for her. And it's really easy to get caught up in stuff, especially if you don't have right people around you."

Turn 6: What's interesting about this isn't the board anymore, but the fact that a sweet, elderly lady walks up to our table, apologizes for interrupting, but wants Kalan to know that she thinks he's a "wonderful young man" for everything he's done for his mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer which is, thankfully, in remission. Kalan took time off from his music career to spend time with her, and it sounds like it was never a tough decision to make.

I ask him how she's doing and he says "much better, thanks for asking." We talk about it a couple of times in the conversation, but he never says the word "cancer," only referring to it as "the incident." It's completely understandable.

Is it weird, I ask him, to have complete strangers come up to you and talk about intimate details about your life? "It used to be," he says. "But I'm getting used to it. And people have been really nice, really supportive."

Turn 7: Kalan makes the word "pogo" for 11 points, and I manage to use a triple word score to squeeze in "wee" for 24 points.

We begin talking about the novel video for Hurray!, and where the idea came from.

"I met a couple of guys from the Ryerson film program, and we sat down and talked about a bunch of ideas and this seemed the most fun," he says. "I'm doing another video with them pretty soon, probably for the song Destination."

It's too bad MuchMusic and MTV don't play very many videos anymore, I say.

"Because it's hard to make interesting videos anymore," he says. "You've gotta get guys who can think outside the box, who you can riff with back and forth. I'd like to do an OK Go type video, where instead of treadmills, we have the Tony Little Gazelle Freestyle."

Turn 8: Kalan makes the word "tex" for just 10 points, a misuse of the letter "X" (8 points) I tell him. I make "ax" and "an" for 15 over another triple word box.

I ask him if he'd like to remain in the music industry, even if the singing doesn't work out.

"Before Idol, I was always going to play classical music," he says. "And after making this record, I can see wanting to get into the production side of things. I've never had a regular, serious job. Even when the rest of my friends were doing the fast food thing in junior high, I was playing weddings and playing bars, that's all I did. I don't know what I would do if not this. I guess I could always be a squeegee kid, washing windows at traffic lights. I'd need to get some camo, though."

I press him further. Have you considered taking any courses on the side, or going to university just in case?

"I could, yeah," he says. "I thought about that. When I went home, this was when my mom was going through the thing, I enrolled in a few classes and never ended up going. But I don't know what I would take. I really like writing, I'd like to do that, but I think I'd be bad at it."

I press on. When your mom was going through treatment, did it shake you up, make you re-evaluate what you're doing?

"Well, yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking," he says. "What am I doing? I thought I should get a serious job and be home and around family. It did give me a new perspective on the whole thing. I knew going home I might be walking away from music for good. I had been doing it for a while. But I thought, my career could be over in six months or it can go on forever, and the only way to know is to keep doing it."

Your mom's gotta be proud, I tell him.

"Yeah, I think so," he says. "Her and dad came to the David Foster Gala I performed at (last week). They usually come out to all the shows that I play nearby. It's really nice to have that family support. If you don't, this industry can really get to you."

Turn 9: In the midst of a great conversation, we almost lose track of the game. Sitting at 192 points, I need just eight to win. Kalan is at 122. He makes the word "doll," using his "d" to make "queued," scoring 22 points. I make "lazer" for 26 and win.

Final score is 144 for Kalan, 218 for me.

"I've got to practise before I do this again," he says.

© The Calgary Herald 2007 - www.canada.com

Porter dishes over breakfast
By Courtney Gillies - Medicine Hat News.com
Sep 13, 2007, 02:14

Kalan Porter was only 18 years old when he was crowned the season two winner of Canadian Idol. In the three years since his career took off, Porter has not only released two albums, 219 Days and Wake Up Living, but he’s also taken time off to be with his family during his mother’s battle with breast cancer. Now he’s 21 and more confident in who he is, his music and what he has to say.
Porter sat down with The News and answered some questions to give his fans an idea of who he is beyond being a musician.

News: What’s one thing your fans don’t know about you?
Porter: There’s very little honestly. When I was on my first tour the crew guys and the whole band had a tradition that on every tour they got a tattoo. And these are like hardcore guys. They said ‘Kalan, you have to come get a tattoo.’ So I went and looked through and worked myself up and then at the last minute I said I am not getting it done. I got my ear pierced up top and I was like, ‘yeah, I’m hardcore,’ but then no one noticed because my hair covers it up.

News: Will you get a tattoo for your second tour?
Porter: Maybe. We’ll see. I couldn’t get over the crew guys. They would go in and be like, ‘yeah, a shark is kind of cool. Put it on.’ But you’re going to have this for the rest of your life. I’ve always said if I wanted a tattoo I would pick it out and get it a year later. If I still like it a year later that’s the one, but there hasn’t been anything a year later that I’ve still liked.
News: What is one question unrelated to music you get asked the most?
Porter: I always get asked about my hair. I thought before this album I would shave it all off and just get rid of it.

News: Why do you think people have such a fascination with it?
Porter: I don’t know. It’s weird. When I was younger I always had curly kind of wavy hair and if I put gel in it I could get it curly, but I never used to wear it like this. When I did the Idol audition I put some gel in it and everybody kept talking about the hair so I had to maintain it. So it’s kind of become this pain I’ve had to maintain. I’m thinking ‘damn why didn’t I just wear a ball cap that first day.’ I think after I’ve gone out and promoted and reconnected a little I’ll shave it all off. You know do it for cancer or something. It would be really fun.

News: What talents amaze you in other people?
Porter: People that are really funny like comedians, people with a good sense of humour. I really respect that and get a kick out of people with a good sense of humour. The other day I was playing at a David Foster charity event in Calgary and he brought up this 11-year-old girl who could sing like I’ve never heard before. She was like a young Michael Jackson. Unbelievable. Not even just like cute little girl. I respect people with natural ability.

News: Did you have to work for your talent?
Porter: Yeah. When I was young I practiced all growing up and worked pretty hard at music, but some people are just naturally talented.

News: Who is your favourite singer or group right now?
Porter: I really like the new White Stripes
album. I’ve been listening to that a lot. I bought Ryan Adam’s new album and it’s good, but I’d never really been into him before so I started listening to his older stuff which I really really like. He’s kind of alternative-country-type thing kind of Neil Young alt/country. I could definitely see myself doing a record like that sometime.

News: What has been your most expensive purchase?
Porter: When I first won I bought a vehicle. It was an Xterra so it was kind of a big thing. I drove it home and went to park in my parking garage and it didn’t fit and hit the sign. I had to park two blocks away. So for six months I drove this big ridiculous vehicle in Toronto and had to park two blocks away from home. I sold it and now I take cabs.

News: What’s the last movie you watched?
Porter: