Interview on WSOC-FM 103...

Bucky Covington on stage in Weldon, NC; photo by the very kind Blu. Thanks, Blu!

(The podcast is now available! Click here to listen to Bucky's interview at the WSOC website.)

We're listening online to WSOC-FM in Charlotte, where Bucky's said to be scheduled for an interview today at about 8:10 ET or so. The station requires a brief registration before you can use the player--so pop in there now and sign on up.

Another Bucky fan in the same thread mentions that Bucky might be speaking with the WQRD 94.7 morning team in Raleigh "anywhere from 5 to 10 a.m."--no online streaming there, but there's an "audio vault" to keep an eye on...

We'll attempt a play-by-play here, technology permitting--stay tuned...

(My computer froze and died just before the interview began, but thanks to some very kind tech-savvy friends, I'm able to offer a recap after all. Thanks!)

The DJ exchanges some banter with Bucky about "The Rock"--Rockingham, NC, Bucky's hometown--to open the show. (Tanner also introduces his assistant, who is a Rockingham native, and Bucky compliments her on her voice..."I love the accent, sweetheart!")

They begin to discuss Bucky's upcoming CD and the single--Bucky says that he was under contract until August 25th. The DJ asks, "Before that, Simon owned your butt, is what you're saying?" Bucky laughs and says "more or less!" Mark Miller's initial contact with Bucky is brought up--Bucky talks about the people who called after his time on Idol, recalling one character in particular with a memorable line who wanted to turn him into the next Elvis: "I won't be happy until you're making five, six million dollars a year--and if you're making that much, you don't care what I'm making." Bucky replied, "Are you kidding me!"

"Mark calls me up and says 'what kind of music you wanna do?'" Bucky goes on to say that he told Mark that he didn't want everything handed to him in the first year or two--he wants longevity and a career. Mark answered that that's the only way he'd go about it, and the decision was made.

They discuss "Different World"--the DJ mentioned that the song got a great response from listeners, but that he was skeptical, considering the nostalgic theme and Bucky's age (29.) Bucky answers that not everyone can relate to all of the lines in the song, of course, but he could personally relate to some--the "no seatbelts in cars" was one. He recalled family roadtrips with seatbells installed, but unused: "one kid lying on the back dashboard, one in the seat, one in the floorboard". And the "TV with three channels" line was part of his own childhood experience, too; he and the DJ had a laugh about the old-fashioned TVs with tinfoil covering the rabbit-ear antenna. ("And if the President was on? You were screwed.")

The DJ asks if Bucky's still in touch with his Idol friends; Bucky replies that he's in touch with Chris, Elliott, and Kellie. DJ says he'd love to see a Bucky and Kellie bill at Coyote Joe's, and Bucky agrees that it'd be fun, recalling his Coyote Joe's appearance with Taylor Hicks and LMBO during the Idol tour. "Sounds like a plan to me!"

They discuss the album, due April 17th. Bucky says he worried about the CD--to him, a good album is one that you can put on and play from start to finish, without having to skip through a song, and he thinks the one he's working on has "very good potential for that." Mentions that he was sent some really good songs, and co-wrote some of the others. Bucky says he's proud of the album "and I'm my worst critic", and he's hoping that everyone else will like it, too. DJ says "keep pluggin'--it's a process."

The DJ asks, "Is there anything you'd like to say to the local listeners?" Bucky, on behalf of himself, Kellie and Chris, thanks everyone who watched the show for calling to vote--"when you picked up the phone, you were making our dreams come true" and adds that he hopes to pay everyone back in the form of a good album, then thanks everyone again. "Hope to see y'all soon!"

More news next post--c'mon back!