MAY 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A Ari Michaelson KIMBERLY CALDWELL After moonlighting in reality TV, a lifelong performer rediscovers her voice AFTER A SUCCESSFUL RUN ON THE Most of the writing took place two years in a creative way instead of a negative way. 2003 season of TV’s American Idol, Texas ago, before I even got the record deal—so When I re-recorded it for the album, I had native Kimberly Caldwell detoured into work when I was writing I didn’t feel the weight of to take myself back to that place and make as a TV personality with gigs on outlets like somebody hanging over my head and telling sure I was feeling what that girl was feeling Fox Sports and MTV. Now she returns to me what to write and how to write. It was when she initially wrote it. center stage with her long-awaited debut a nice release to be able to write exactly album, Without Regret, a set of party-starting what I was feeling. What is your favorite memory from the anthems and pensive, stirring ballads that recording process? reintroduces the lifelong performer as a How does your writing process work? Defi nitely when [producer] Marshall Altman musical force. We caught up with Caldwell I’ve been set up with big-time writers, and and I went into the studio with the live band after a marathon night at restaurant-and- that’s where the pressure comes in. But on one of the few days when they were all arcade chain Dave & Buster’s. “I literally normally I’m just hanging out with one of there. We saw all of these amazing session spent over fi ve hours there,” she confi des. my musician buddies who loves writing as players, some of whom I’ve also been lucky well. I have an outside patio with a garden, enough to perform with. I went into the What was Idol like for you? so we sit around with a couple of beers, pen studio, put on headphones and just jammed I was only 20 when I was on the show. I’ve been and paper, and we do it old-school on guitar. out with them. It was special, a real “aha!” performing since I was 5 and professionally I usually have an idea of what I want to write moment when I heard these great musicians since 11, and I was so focused up until I about, and then the brainstorming starts. bringing my songs to life. was around 16. But when you’re between 16 and 22 I think you’re legally supposed What is “Taking Back My Life” about? Do you have any regrets? to be a little unfocused. I don’t know how I wrote that maybe six years ago about some No, no regrets. My 83-year-old grandma the 16-year-olds on the show handle it. stupid boy. It was a moment where I was taught me that everything happens for being let down by a guy and I needed a a reason. That’s made life a bit brighter. Did you feel any outside pressure while release. A friend of mine, [co-writer] Brett If I think like that, it’s easy for me to live making the record? Epstein, had a studio and had offered to without regret. It’s tough to stay focused There was a lot of anxiety and excitement get together and write. Anytime you’re on that, but 99 percent of the time that’s over fi nally getting the opportunity to make going through something like that, you feel where my head is. an album, but I didn’t really feel any pressure. the need to get it all out and hopefully do it –Jesse Thompson ‘It was a nice release to be able to write exactly what I was feeling.’ 2424 M mag 11.indd 24 5/31/11 8:49:23 PM.