Actor admits it’s easier to sing and dance in ‘How to Succeed …’ than it was to disrobe in ‘Equus.’ By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe Photo: Getty “I’m excited. Terrified, but excited,” Daniel Radcliffe told MTV News in the summer of 2007 as he prepared to take the stage — and doff his drawers — in a London-based production of “Equus.” Radcliffe eventually took the production to Broadway in 2008, but even a year later, the nude scene never got much easier. Even the prospect of singing and dancing on Broadway — talents the 21-year-old actor readily admits don’t come naturally to him — is a delight by comparison. That’s why, as Radcliffe walked the red carpet at the opening for his new musical, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” he admitted that tapping his toes on Broadway is far less terrifying than ripping off his skivvies. “I’m still going to have to go with being naked onstage,” he laughed. “The dancing and singing thing, it is scary, particularly on Broadway, because it is the home of the musical. But once you’ve learned it, it can become really fun. I can’t say the same about being naked onstage. This is a much more fun show all around.” That’s not to say “How to Succeed” has been a cakewalk. Radcliffe and his fellow actors endured an exhaustive rehearsal schedule and nearly a month of previews before officially opening on Sunday. “We’ve had a long-ish preview period — I can’t say ‘long’ anymore because of ‘Spider-Man’ — but it feels great to be here and know the show is set now and we don’t have to rehearse during the day and we get to chill out,” he told us. “Honestly, coming in and doing a two-and-a-half-hour show every evening will seem like a holiday after the last couple months.” Related Videos MTV News Rough Cut: Daniel Radcliffe
Haley Reinhart, Naima Adedapo have smallest Twitter followings, a metric that seems to mirror ‘Idol’ voting trends and popularity. By Gil Kaufman Scott McCreery Photo: FOX There are so many ways to quantify which “American Idol” finalists are popping with voters. From the screams and elaborate signs in the IdolDome on Wednesday nights to the number of weird promotional items being offered on eBay and bootleg fan sites that pop up to encourage power-voting , “Idol” popularity is a tricky thing to measure. One of the best new ways, though, is to track the contestants’ Twitter account and see who has the most followers. After stumbling out of the gate with their social-networking efforts last year, amid worries that loose lips might ruin the show’s finale, the “Idol” top 11 are back in effect on Twitter and chatting it up with their online fans, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The move makes sense, since for the first time in the show’s history, followers can vote online this year and the contestants can use their tweet smarts to curry more favor. On the one hand, the list of top personal Twitter pages reflects the pecking order of the singers this season, with bullfrog-voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery topping the tally with 49,173 followers. But when you see that Casey Abrams is #2 on the roster (47,824), even after nearly being eliminated last week, it makes you wonder if Twitter is a good indicator of popularity. Coming in at #3 is bearded smoothie Paul McDonald (40,295 followers), with leading contender Pia Toscano close on his heels (34,271) and (at press time) just ahead of teen Lauren Alaina (34,250). Bottom-three visitor and fellow teen Thia Megia (32,922) is at #6, sneaking ahead of resident rocker James Durbin (32,772), followed by another bottom-three veteran, Stefano Langone (30,340), gospel crooner Jacob Lusk (19,864) and two-time bottom-three dweller Haley Reinhart (19,043). Not surprisingly, the list is rounded out by eliminated contestants Karen Rodriguez (17,572) and Ashthon Jones (7,978). In a troubling sign, wild-card singer Naima Adedapo , who has hit the bottom three once, is sandwiched in between the two eliminated singers at #12 on the list with 15,538 followers. McCreery might lead the list, but his tweets are mostly bland platitudes, many of them devoted to announcing when he’s hitting the hay, extolling the virtues of Cap’n Crunch, excitement about meeting boxing great Muhammad Ali and playing catch with the show’s security guards. “Not much going on right now. Just got outta rehearsal and now I’m just layin’ on the bed looking at the ceiling,” he wrote as the first week of live performance shows was getting under way. “Thinking about life.” Abrams, who has teased McCreery about the cowboy’s trouble in figuring out Twitter, talked about his trips to the hospital , fielded offers to jam from former finalist Andrew Garcia and entertained album title suggestions for his many Twitter alter egos, including “Lumberjack” and “Paul Bunyan.” McDonald has kept things pretty business-like and focused on show-related details, while high-schooler Alaina is typically active on the service, mostly expressing her love for her fans, a tactic also employed by Toscano. Durbin keeps things focused on professional wrestling and entreaties to bring back real rock , while Megia thanks her “Thianatic” followers and frequent tweeter Langone gets lots of love from past “Idol” contestants (Lee DeWyze, David Archuleta, Michael Sarver) and their followers amid spirited defenses of his mother. Although the “Idol” kids live in a media bubble, Lusk has lamented the passing of rap luminary Nate Dogg . Reinhart has made her feed a fount of excitable comments to fans and fellow contestants. Adedapo might be the most active tweeter, responding to fan and friend comments throughout the day on an almost minute-by-minute basis, sharing details about her children and keeping in touch with her fan-generated TeamNaima feed. The Reporter noted that the seven most-followed contestants have all been considered fan favorites at some point this season, with Abrams and Megia the only ones to hit the bottom three. Four of the six least-followed were wild-card picks, with five of them dropping into the bottom three at least once since the semi-finals. Which “Idol” finalist are you following on Twitter? Let us know in the comments below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘Idol Party Live’ With MTV News’ Jim Cantiello And Michael Buckley ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Haley Reinhart, Naima Adedapo have smallest Twitter followings, a metric that seems to mirror ‘Idol’ voting trends and popularity. By Gil Kaufman Scott McCreery Photo: FOX There are so many ways to quantify which “American Idol” finalists are popping with voters. From the screams and elaborate signs in the IdolDome on Wednesday nights to the number of weird promotional items being offered on eBay and bootleg fan sites that pop up to encourage power-voting , “Idol” popularity is a tricky thing to measure. One of the best new ways, though, is to track the contestants’ Twitter account and see who has the most followers. After stumbling out of the gate with their social-networking efforts last year, amid worries that loose lips might ruin the show’s finale, the “Idol” top 11 are back in effect on Twitter and chatting it up with their online fans, The Hollywood Reporter noted. The move makes sense, since for the first time in the show’s history, followers can vote online this year and the contestants can use their tweet smarts to curry more favor. On the one hand, the list of top personal Twitter pages reflects the pecking order of the singers this season, with bullfrog-voiced country crooner Scotty McCreery topping the tally with 49,173 followers. But when you see that Casey Abrams is #2 on the roster (47,824), even after nearly being eliminated last week, it makes you wonder if Twitter is a good indicator of popularity. Coming in at #3 is bearded smoothie Paul McDonald (40,295 followers), with leading contender Pia Toscano close on his heels (34,271) and (at press time) just ahead of teen Lauren Alaina (34,250). Bottom-three visitor and fellow teen Thia Megia (32,922) is at #6, sneaking ahead of resident rocker James Durbin (32,772), followed by another bottom-three veteran, Stefano Langone (30,340), gospel crooner Jacob Lusk (19,864) and two-time bottom-three dweller Haley Reinhart (19,043). Not surprisingly, the list is rounded out by eliminated contestants Karen Rodriguez (17,572) and Ashthon Jones (7,978). In a troubling sign, wild-card singer Naima Adedapo , who has hit the bottom three once, is sandwiched in between the two eliminated singers at #12 on the list with 15,538 followers. McCreery might lead the list, but his tweets are mostly bland platitudes, many of them devoted to announcing when he’s hitting the hay, extolling the virtues of Cap’n Crunch, excitement about meeting boxing great Muhammad Ali and playing catch with the show’s security guards. “Not much going on right now. Just got outta rehearsal and now I’m just layin’ on the bed looking at the ceiling,” he wrote as the first week of live performance shows was getting under way. “Thinking about life.” Abrams, who has teased McCreery about the cowboy’s trouble in figuring out Twitter, talked about his trips to the hospital , fielded offers to jam from former finalist Andrew Garcia and entertained album title suggestions for his many Twitter alter egos, including “Lumberjack” and “Paul Bunyan.” McDonald has kept things pretty business-like and focused on show-related details, while high-schooler Alaina is typically active on the service, mostly expressing her love for her fans, a tactic also employed by Toscano. Durbin keeps things focused on professional wrestling and entreaties to bring back real rock , while Megia thanks her “Thianatic” followers and frequent tweeter Langone gets lots of love from past “Idol” contestants (Lee DeWyze, David Archuleta, Michael Sarver) and their followers amid spirited defenses of his mother. Although the “Idol” kids live in a media bubble, Lusk has lamented the passing of rap luminary Nate Dogg . Reinhart has made her feed a fount of excitable comments to fans and fellow contestants. Adedapo might be the most active tweeter, responding to fan and friend comments throughout the day on an almost minute-by-minute basis, sharing details about her children and keeping in touch with her fan-generated TeamNaima feed. The Reporter noted that the seven most-followed contestants have all been considered fan favorites at some point this season, with Abrams and Megia the only ones to hit the bottom three. Four of the six least-followed were wild-card picks, with five of them dropping into the bottom three at least once since the semi-finals. Which “Idol” finalist are you following on Twitter? Let us know in the comments below! Get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘Idol Party Live’ With MTV News’ Jim Cantiello And Michael Buckley ‘American Idol’ In 60 Seconds Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
‘He looks like he’s going to punch a baby,’ the season-six runner-up says on MTV News’ ‘Idol Party Live.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Jim Cantiello Blake Lewis on “Idol Party Live” via Skype Photo: MTV News If you’re an “American Idol” fan and haven’t yet tuned in to MTV News’ “Idol Party Live” with our own Jim Cantiello, you are missing out. In addition to the interactive platform that provides can’t-miss post-game analysis, commentary, interviews and conspiracy theories, each installment features a VIP guest like “Jersey Shore” starlet Sammi Sweetheart and “My Life as Liz” leading lady Liz Lee . This week, Cantiello and hilarious guest commentator Michael Buckley were joined (via Skype) by season-six runner-up Blake Lewis, who shared his thoughts on his favorite contestants and his continued love for Jennifer Lopez. First up, Lewis’ rapid-fire thoughts on the season 10 contestants. In the thumbs-up category, Lewis likes Jacob Lusk, Stefano Langone and Casey Abrams, the latter of whom he offered a few words of advice in order to avoid being sent to the bottom three or eliminated too early. “I like Casey, [but] I think he’s been scaring America,” Lewis said. “He looks like he’s going to punch a baby. I want him to smile. … Each week he’s been screaming.” Lewis was equally forthcoming with his opinions on the female contestants, and he was particularly surprised to learn that Haley Reinhart avoided elimination but did admit she has the chops to sing. “I think she’s a great vocalist, but she’s unsure,” he said. Regarding early favorite Pia Toscano, Lewis joined the ranks of many “Idol” watchers with a plea for Toscano to sing something other than a ballad. “I want her to sing something uptempo,” he said. “The producers need to arrange something groovy for her voice.” Speaking of love for the ladies, Lewis didn’t miss an opportunity to praise the judging talents of Lopez, who was one of his celebrity mentors during the season six. “I’ve been praising J.Lo, because she’s just a queen and her comments are right on,” Lewis said, adding that he “fell in love with her” when she made an appearance on the show during Latin Week. “My love is so strong. She was the best mentor for our season,” he said. What do you think of Blake’s “Idol” thoughts? Let us know in the comments! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” every Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty ! In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Videos ‘Idol Party Live’ With MTV News’ Jim Cantiello And Michael Buckley
‘It feels good to be home!’ the ‘Idol’ alum exclaims after her performance. By Kara Warner Jennifer Hudson performs on “American Idol” Thursday Photo: FOX In the midst of the season’s most surprising results episode , “American Idol” alum Jennifer Hudson returned to the stage to perform the new single from her just-released album I Remember Me. After Ryan Seacrest proudly introduced J.Hud to the crowd, emphasizing the fact that the season-three contestant is the show’s only Oscar winner, Hudson took the stage to perform the ballad “Where You At?” Sporting a black dress with cut-outs at the shoulders accented with bits of gold, Hudson’s look was fresh, elegant and sophisticated, much like her performance of the song, which is filled with heartbreak and words of love lost. At the end of “Where You At?,” Hudson was warmly received by the enthusiastic audience. “It feels good to be home!” she exclaimed. One of the major highlights in Hudson’s performance, in addition to the song itself, was the sight of her fellow season-three contestant George Huff singing backup. Huff, who was as smiley as always, received a hearty round of applause as soon as Seacrest pointed him out to the crowd. Regarding Hudson’s new album , as well as her transformation — both mentally and physically — over the last couple of years, she recently told MTV News that she feels like a new person. “Oh my God! It’s like a new me. It’s like a new introduction of myself — for myself and to others as well — in every way, from image to music to everything,” she said. “And it’s like, in a way, for me, I’m rediscovering myself at the same time. I like the old me too … if I could just marry the two together, then I feel like I’m in good shape.” What did you think of Hudson’s new single? Let us know in the comments! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” every Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty ! In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Artists Jennifer Hudson
Stefano Langone, Thia Megia join seeming front-runner in bottom three. By Gil Kaufman Casey Abrams Photo: FOX The thing about being a front-runner on “American Idol” is you never know when America’s voters are going to turn on you. Unlikely bearded sex symbol Casey Abrams learned that lesson the hard way on Thursday night (March 24) when he made a surprise visit to the bottom three. Actually, he was not only in the bottom three, he was the lowest vote-getter and, in the biggest surprise so far of the season, he had to sing for his supper to keep from being eliminated in one of the most chaotic finishes to an “Idol” results show in history. He ended up being bailed out by this season’s one and only judges’ save, but the scare was hopefully enough to teach all the remaining top 10 that nobody is immune this season. In fact, after two weeks of all-female bottom threes, on Thursday night’s show, not only did a male contestant almost go home, but the two bottom vote-getters were both boys, reversing the gender tide that had been building. In the end, it was Abrams on the chopping block. He began singing “I Don’t Need No Doctor,” the song that got him on the show in the audition round, but he had barely begun when Randy Jackson cut him off and asked for the musicians to stop. The tension filled the air as a confused Abrams looked around to see what he might have done wrong to anger the judges. “We were wondering when we heard the results, ‘Why is Casey at the bottom?’ We don’t know. You deserve to be here,” Jennifer Lopez explained, telling Abrams that when the judges heard the results, they knew immediately that they would pull the ripcord on the save. Casey, who has already taken two trips to the hospital to deal with a stomach ailment tied to stress, looked like he was going to be sick and was clearly overcome with confusion over the decision. “Are you kidding?” he said, visibly shaking as he went and embraced the judges, repeating the words, “I can’t believe it!” He fell to his knees as host Ryan Seacrest embraced him then raced out to hug his mother as the rest of the contestants welled up with tears at the emotional moment. “I thought that they … I knew if there was someone that got cut tonight … I thought they wouldn’t use the save,” Abrams stammered. “It’s unreal … I started singing and the fact that you cut it … scared the stuff out of me.” Lopez said when the judges heard the results they were confused and they knew they had to act. “We just want you to get back to the musician that you are,” she said. “No more antics … you deserve to be here.” Randy told Casey to cut out the growling and use his formidable skills and not lean on gimmicky tricks, such as his widely derided emo-funk take on Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” last week. What all the drama means is that two people will go home next week, but, as previously decided by producers, for the first time, 11 singers will go out on this summer’s tour. It was a wild cap to a night that never quite went the way many experts had predicted . Lauren Alaina, Pia Toscano and Scotty McCreery were the first trio brought out as Seacrest began building the bottom three early in the show. And, no surprise, all three made it into the top 10. The second group featured James Durbin and Paul McDonald, both of whom seemed like sure bets to make it through as well. And, of course, they were safe, though Durbin nearly had a heart attack when Seacrest called out the wrestling maniac’s hero, Hulk Hogan , to deliver the good news, as well as a smackdown to Seacrest. The third group was bound to feature at least one bottom-three dweller, but it was both Stefano Langone and teen Thia Megia who got the hook and headed to the cellar for the first time. There was more bad news when Abrams, Haley Reinhart and Naima Adedapo stepped up. When Ryan said he was sending someone back to safety, Naima pointed at Casey, assuming he was the one escaping the bottom, but she was shocked to get the pass herself. And then things went way off-track when season-long favorite Abrams was sent to the naughty stools for the first time in the finals after seemingly nailing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” the night before. Megia was the first one sent back to safety, and after three weeks in which the judges have shown him endless love, suddenly Abrams did not have as self-satisfied a look on his face and seemed like he was feeling the pressure of potential elimination. It was a roller coaster of a night, all right, one that began with the top 11 wearing contrasting black suits and white sparkly dresses for a group sing-along to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” But instead of the usual bland medley, none other than Motown legend Stevie Wonder came out to serenade them with his funky hit “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Wonder then called out judge Steven Tyler and serenaded him with “Happy Birthday” on the rocker’s 63rd birthday. The show also featured a performance of the country-pop ditty “Stuck Like Glue” by twangtastic duo Sugarland and a visit from season three “Idol” finalist and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson , who performed the first single from her second album, I Remember Me, the funky, dramatic ballad “Where You At?” What do you think of the judges using their save on Casey? Did he deserve it? Let us know in comments below! Don’t miss “Idol Party Live” every Thursday on MTV.com, following the “American Idol” results show, for analysis, celebrity guests and even some karaoke — get in the conversation by tweeting with the hashtag #idolparty ! In the meantime, get your “Idol” fix on MTV News’ “American Idol” page , where you’ll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions. Related Photos ‘American Idol’ Season 10 Performances
Jersey Shore is headed to Italy to film Season Four this spring, but not before an epic finale this evening. Or at least one that will tie up some loose ends. Co-creator and executive producer SallyAnn Salsano spoke to EW about tonight’s season-ender, the coming international edition, TWO spinoffs and more. There’s certainly a lot to discuss, to let’s get to the excerpts below: On Ronnie and Sammi’s epic fight : “I spent more time with Ronnie crying than I know what to do with. I genuinely love these kids and I get attached.” “As it’s all going down, it’s as real as it gets.” On editing the show : “You guys see seven minutes of [fighting] a week, I’m seeing 14 hours. Once you say something out loud you’re on the hook for it.” “It’s not so much advising them as sometimes throwing it out there as a question during the interviews: “How did this go down? How do you think I see it?” “And sometimes by them talking it out, then it becomes real. Their feelings for each other are so strong that it sometimes overrides right and wrong.” On Sammi leaving, then coming back : “She needed space, she needed to get away. At the time she really didn’t know if she was going to be back.” On Deena’s return : “All signs point to Deena to coming back. The intent was for her to get along with everyone.” Beyond that, “we’re happy with our cast.” On the grossness of this season : “It’s what they’re like. They waited days to call Danny to fix the toilet. I wouldn’t wait that long, but it’s not my house.” On going to Italy : “I think it’s going to be fun. Just getting them there will be entertaining to watch. I have fun watching them go to a store in America.” “I think there everything will be fun. Communication will be funny. It’s a culture that they’re interested in, and it’s probably different than they think.” On Pauly D’s spinoff : “That was so much fun. I never laughed so hard in my life. Both [the Jersey Shore spin-offs] feel very different from Jersey Shore.” “It’s funny to see them in their own world. It’s Pauly in the clubs and his home-life with his best friends, his posse. His head of security, his manager.” On the Snooki and JWoww spinoff : “That’s another one we were in stitches the whole time. I always call it Snooki and JWoww Save the World.” “It’s just letting them loose in the universe. JWoww wants to move out, Snooki has to get out from her parent’s wing, so they move in together.” “It’s real. They’re really buying a house. This is all new to Snooki – buying toilet paper, and paying a bill – things that seem normal to you and I.” On tonight’s season three finale : “Everything you thought about every person comes true. You see everybody’s true colors in a good and bad way.” “You’ll see some resolution. Normally, the last episode is just getting out of the house and saying goodbye. But this episode ties up some loose ends.”
‘There are fights, but there are good times,’ Deena says of the episode, which airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET on MTV. By Eric Ditzian, with additional reporting by Ade Mangum Deena Cortese Photo: MTV News How did this season of “Jersey Shore” go so fast? It seems like just yesterday we were embarking on a new journey in Seaside Heights, wondering if Sammi and Ronnie might actually get together, how Deena would fit in with her new roomies and whether the show’s honorary castmember — the duck phone — would be defiantly quacking away on a daily basis. And now, just like that, the season is coming to an end on Thursday (March 24) with a final, drama-filled episode. It’s like we popped into a tanning bed for a little UV-base building and woke up looking like Fozzy Bear. Not cool! At least we’ve got a new, Italian-flavored “Shore” season coming down the line soon. Until then, it’s time to get pumped for the season finale, and to that end, Deena and Vinny gave us a couple of teasers. “It’s very important to watch this episode, because it’s like watching the first one: You have to put an end to things you started,” Vinny told MTV News. “You’re going to see your basic fighting and drama, like Deena — I got into a little fight with her. You’re going to get the Ronnie and Sammi fighting. You’re going to get a lot of comedic moments as well. There are a lot of cliffhangers that still aren’t answered, and this last episode will put a button on everything.” It might be a little fight in Vinny’s eyes, but Deena called that war of words — centering on the ongoing, friends-with-suspect-benefits relationship between Vin and Snooki — the single incident on the show she wished never happened. “The least favorite moment was me fighting with Vin in the upcoming episode, just because Vin’s one of my best guy friends in the house,” she told us. “Even though I was trying to be a good friend to Snooks, it is what it is.” Oddly enough, Deena’s favorite event of the season also involved a fight, albeit one of a much more lighthearted variety. “The moment that I loved the most was the water fights and the pranks, because that really shows how close our bond in the house really was,” she said. “Although we fight sometimes, our bond will never break and we really do have a good time together.” And it’s the roommates’ togetherness, above and beyond their less glamorous moments of brawling and boozing, that the season ender ultimately highlights. “The finale is one of the best episodes. It shows drama, comedy — anything you want,” Deena said. “There are fights, but there are good times. The whole episode sums up our family.” Don’t miss the “Jersey Shore” season finale tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: ‘Jersey Shore’ Jersey Shore (Season 2) | Ep. 26 | Sneak Peek
GCH hope to have their long-awaited Papercut Chronicles II in stores ‘before summer.’ By James Montgomery Travie McCoy Photo: MTV News When Travie McCoy released Lazarus last summer, he did so mainly to provide his fans with a soundtrack to their “good times.” But then McCoy dropped “Billionaire,” hit the road with Rihanna and Ke$ha, released a slew of additional singles and, suddenly, nearly a year after the fact, the “good times” still haven’t stopped. While he’s still happy to let Lazarus breathe, even McCoy knows that it’s time to turn his focus back to his other project, Gym Class Heroes. For more than a year, he’s been talking about the band’s next album, The Papercut Chronicles II, but now, it sounds like he’s entered the homestretch, and he’s happy to tell fans that they’ll finally get to hear the record in 2011. “We’re about 30 to 35 demos deep now. We had a really awesome session right before this tour started, and we got a lot done. We’re definitely in the stages now where we’re definitely picking the cream of the crop. … The songs are starting to take shape and come together,” he said. “We just wrapped a song with Adam Levine called ‘Stereo Hearts’ that came out amazing, so you guys might be hearing that song a lot sooner than you’d think. It’s definitely that time, regardless of how far or how much longer the Lazarus cycle continues to bring out the sexy MILFs, we’re definitely looking to get this record out this year.” As the title implies, PCC II is a sequel to the band’s second album, 2005’s The Papercut Chronicles, and McCoy said the ties go much deeper than just the title alone. “There’s a song tentatively titled ‘Kid Nothing and the Nothing to Kid Abouts,’ and what’s really cool is we’re bringing back a lot of the themes that were on the original Papercut Chronicles, making the connection between the two albums,” he explained. “And this song actually starts off where ‘Kid Nothing vs. the Echo Factor’ ended … the outro of that song starts this song, and it becomes this crazy, like, Nine Inch Nails-sounding thing. Sonically, this record is going to be crazy. And these are just demos. Once we go in and give ’em the Gym Class treatment, it’s a wrap.” And speaking of wrap, the goal now is to wrap up pre-production on the album and hit the studio — with “a couple of guys who I don’t want to reveal just yet,” McCoy smiled — where, at long last, GCH can put PCC II to bed. “In a perfect world, after this tour is over, I have a couple commitments to take care of, but after that, I’m jumping right into the studio,” he said. “So once again, in a perfect world, we’re going to have this record out before summer.” What are you expecting from the new GCH album? Let us know in the comments!
