Jai McDowall interview: 'I wanted to record heavy metal for new LP'

Earlier this year, Jai McDowall defied the bookies' odds by beating favourite Ronan Parke to be crowned the winner of Britain's Got Talent 2011.

To coincide with his prize of performing at the Royal Variety Performance in front the Queen, the Scottish singer has recorded his debut album, the suitably titled Believe.

We caught up with the star to see how life's been treating him since winning the UK's biggest talent competition.

How have you found the last few months following your win on Britain's Got Talent?
"It's been great. I don't think I'll ever get used to the fact that I'm the winner. I've started to get used to the lifestyle and what's required of you to do the job - so it's all good in that sense."

You have auditioned for The X Factor in the past, so why did you decide to enter Britain's Got Talent instead?
"The first time I went to X Factor the style of singing was different for me and I auditioned with country songs, which obviously isn't pop music. So then I thought to myself that I'd rather sing musical theatre-styled stuff anyway and thought Britain's Got Talent was a nicer process. I thought I'd try it before I went back to The X Factor for a second time."

So you would have auditioned for The X Factor again?
"Oh yeah, definitely. I would have never given up as this is what I want to do. I would have just kept plugging at it and doing everything I could to get to this point."

Congratulations on the new album - how did you find the experience recording it?
"Thank you very much. It was very weird to be honest. Mainly because I'm not used to it and it's all new. When I'm singing at home I'd be singing to two people, but when you're singing at a microphone and don't hear a response or a reaction from the crowds it was a bit strange!"



How did you decide what to record for the album?
"It was pretty easy because I've got quite an eclectic taste in music. It was pretty much a case of me bringing a lot of songs I thought would be good for the album to the table and then my management and Sony added theirs. We then whittled them down to a good number of tracks we thought would be good for the album. I thought it was going to be difficult, but it wasn't at all."

Were there any songs you didn't get to record that you would have liked to?
"Yeah, there were a couple of songs that I thought were good, but maybe not for this album. I like a lot of [heavy metal band] Nightwish's stuff and there was one of their track's I wanted to record. But we thought it was best not to include it as it didn't really go with the rest of the songs we had selected. If I'm successful and lucky enough to record another album then I'll look at including that on my next record."

Believe sounds very classical throughout - is that a genre you can see yourself pushing forward with?
"I got asked the other day if I would consider dance music! I thought, 'maybe, maybe not'! I'm not sure. I used to do a lot of karaoke so I'm used to singing lots of different types of music like country and pop songs. I'd like to try a country route one day. Probably when I'm an old aged pensioner! I'll become the next Willie Nelson!"

Who are your country music inspirations?
"My granddad used to listen to Kenny Rogers and Garth Brooks, so I like a lot of their material. Lonestar are a good band as well - I really like them."



How much input did you have with regards to the album's sound?
"I actually had a lot more input than I thought I would get. When I went down for the arrangement process I was surprised with the amount of say I was allowed to have. After I'd recorded it all I sat in on a few of the mixing sessions, but I left it to the professionals. It's one of those things where you can almost do too much and ruin it."

Have you had a chance to do any songwriting yet?
"I've tried lyrics as I don't play an instrument at the moment. I'd quite like to learn the guitar or piano so I can do that in the future. If I'm lucky enough to get a second album, I would definitely like to try my hand at writing my own stuff. I love it when artists get down to the nitty gritty and show they are real people. I love Kelly Clarkson for that, as she talks about her own experiences and life. I'd definitely like to be that kind of artist at some point."

How are you feeling about your Royal Variety Performance?
"A little excited and a little nervous. It will be a whole emotional rollercoaster on the day. I'm just going to keep practising the song and get it as good as I possibly can. In terms of staging; the less I know, the better! Just stick me in the middle and I'll sing! The more I've got to think about, the more nervous I'll get."

Susan Boyle recently told us she is backing you as a fellow Scottish singer - if the opportunity arose to collaborate would you be up for it?
"In a heartbeat. I definitely would, yes. I watched the documentary about Susan the other day and just realised that she is such an inspiration to people. She has come from a similar background to myself and she's had so much hardship in life that she has overcome. She's now doing what she wants to do and it's great."

What's in store for 2012?
"I have nothing planned yet. I'm going to try and continue to work some more after this album. As I said; if I'm lucky enough to get a second album I want to do some writing. I'd love to do a tour of the UK, but also do some shows Stateside as well as I have a lot of American fans on Twitter and Facebook."

Jai McDowall's debut album Believe is released on December 12.

Watch a behind-the-scenes video of Jai McDowall's new music video for 'With Or Without You' below: