Trying something new

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 18, 2007

NEW YORK - Singing a mix of operatic tunes and sweeping ballads has been a successful formula for Josh Groban. Since the 25-year-old made his debut six years ago, he has sold millions of albums with his soaring voice and classical-crossover sound.

But Groban decided to tinker with the formula on his latest album, Awake. He collaborated with the likes of Dave Matthews and Herbie Hancock, and used African rhythms on some songs. It was a bit of an artistic risk, but one Groban felt he needed to make after a life-changing trip to South Africa.

Your trip to South Africa really influenced the record. Were you searching for a different artistic view before you got there?

When I went to South Africa, the only thing that I knew was just how much that I wanted to be there, and how much I've always ended up loving the music from South Africa. . . . Meeting Nelson Mandela, and being able to be the ambassador to his foundation (to help the poor and those with AIDS and HIV) . . . that just left me with a feeling of wanting to come back and wanting to dedicate part of my life to helping that cause. Musically, it just kind of restirred something that was already there and made me very inspired to take the risk to try.

You wrote a song on the album with Dave Matthews. Most people wouldn't picture you two together.

Dave and I hooked up because I basically just asked him. I was such a fan of the music for so long, and when I wrote the melody to Lullaby (a song on Awake), I knew that Dave would be this incredible lyricist for this song, him being South African and just having a great poetic way of writing lyrics. I thought he would really understand the heart of the song, so I sent it to him, and we kind of did it together over the phone.

We don't see you much in the gossip pages. Do you deliberately try to keep a low profile?

We're in an age now, press-wise, where people are so addicted and hungry for every little piece of information that if they can't see your privates, they don't care, and I mean that literally. When that starts happening, you become much more famous but much less interesting as an artist . . . because people stop turning to the art as a way to find out more about you.

What are some of your guilty pleasures?

I am a normal 25-year-old guy. Just because it's not (captured by) paparazzi doesn't mean I don't like to go out to clubs. It doesn't mean I don't like to hang out with my friends, go drinking and go have a good time. I can be young and stupid, too.

[Last modified February 18, 2007, 00:16:18]