Former Canadian Idol contestant Jacob Hoggard finds fame tarnishes his dafter stunts
PREVIEW
What: Hedley with Maurice
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Jacob Hoggard's Victoria show is sold outView Larger Image View Larger Image
Jacob Hoggard's Victoria show is sold out
Hedley front man Jacob Hoggard can no longer afford to act like a total idiot.
"It's unfortunate, at my age, how much I can't be like that anymore because we're so much under the spotlight," Hoggard, 23, said during a recent interview from his Abbotsford home.
"Normally, at this age, it should be a complete meltdown. But I can't do that kind of stuff anymore. There's no anonymity for me to hide behind. I don't have the luxury of getting away with s--t that I could have."
Almost since the inception of Hedley -- which, depending on the source, came about either shortly before or directly following Hoggard's third-place finish in 2005's Canadian Idol contest -- the singer's penchant for hijinks has made plenty of headlines.
Hoggard, who worked in construction prior to a career in music, said he has always prided himself on his patience-trying antics. "I've always been pretty good at finding out what people don't like and then doing it to the point where they are going to absolutely lose their minds, and then stopping. I've done that with everything. I always learn lessons the hard way."
His bad-boy shtick, be it drinking milk from the teat of cow during the Calgary Stampede or mooning a national TV audience, isn't entirely a thing of the past, Hedley fans will be happy to know. But the Jackass behaviour of its 2006 Try This at Home DVD is obviously less of a priority these days.
Around the time of Hedley's hugely successful 2005 debut, which sold nearly 200,000 copies, daredevil pranks were good for business, if only because they got people talking. Nowadays, with an audience in place, there are expectations to meet, real money to be made and families to support.
Hoggard, who is married and bought his first house in Abbotsford last summer, now realizes that his actions have consequences.
"I don't think I have experienced as many ups and downs as I have in the last two years," he said. "It's been pretty ridiculous. I've had to learn some really tough lessons. This is a pretty unforgiving business sometimes because there are a lot of egos and a lot of sensitive people. You have to learn how to carry yourself sometimes. It's been great for me, I think."
And great for the band, too.
Hedley, which also includes bassist Tommy Mac, drummer Chris Crippin and guitarist Dave Rosin -- all of whom joined Hoggard in the group following his Canadian Idol run -- is gaining ground on some of Canada's more established acts. The energetic pop-rock quartet has notched five Juno Award nominations since their 2005 self-titled debut, including one in 2007 for Group of the Year.
It hasn't been terribly easy for Hoggard. When Hedley's video for 321 topped the MuchMusic video charts in 2005, his fans (mainly female; mostly teens) were in the thick of Canadian Idol fever.
Critics of the band snickered at the masterful marketing that appeared to be tailor-made for the mainstream. However, when the band's current hit, She's So Sorry, also hit No. 1 at MuchMusic, following the October release of Hedley's second album, Famous Last Words, the boo birds were pretty much all out of boos.
continue
What: Hedley with Maurice
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.
Jacob Hoggard's Victoria show is sold outView Larger Image View Larger Image
Jacob Hoggard's Victoria show is sold out
Hedley front man Jacob Hoggard can no longer afford to act like a total idiot.
"It's unfortunate, at my age, how much I can't be like that anymore because we're so much under the spotlight," Hoggard, 23, said during a recent interview from his Abbotsford home.
"Normally, at this age, it should be a complete meltdown. But I can't do that kind of stuff anymore. There's no anonymity for me to hide behind. I don't have the luxury of getting away with s--t that I could have."
Almost since the inception of Hedley -- which, depending on the source, came about either shortly before or directly following Hoggard's third-place finish in 2005's Canadian Idol contest -- the singer's penchant for hijinks has made plenty of headlines.
Hoggard, who worked in construction prior to a career in music, said he has always prided himself on his patience-trying antics. "I've always been pretty good at finding out what people don't like and then doing it to the point where they are going to absolutely lose their minds, and then stopping. I've done that with everything. I always learn lessons the hard way."
His bad-boy shtick, be it drinking milk from the teat of cow during the Calgary Stampede or mooning a national TV audience, isn't entirely a thing of the past, Hedley fans will be happy to know. But the Jackass behaviour of its 2006 Try This at Home DVD is obviously less of a priority these days.
Around the time of Hedley's hugely successful 2005 debut, which sold nearly 200,000 copies, daredevil pranks were good for business, if only because they got people talking. Nowadays, with an audience in place, there are expectations to meet, real money to be made and families to support.
Hoggard, who is married and bought his first house in Abbotsford last summer, now realizes that his actions have consequences.
"I don't think I have experienced as many ups and downs as I have in the last two years," he said. "It's been pretty ridiculous. I've had to learn some really tough lessons. This is a pretty unforgiving business sometimes because there are a lot of egos and a lot of sensitive people. You have to learn how to carry yourself sometimes. It's been great for me, I think."
And great for the band, too.
Hedley, which also includes bassist Tommy Mac, drummer Chris Crippin and guitarist Dave Rosin -- all of whom joined Hoggard in the group following his Canadian Idol run -- is gaining ground on some of Canada's more established acts. The energetic pop-rock quartet has notched five Juno Award nominations since their 2005 self-titled debut, including one in 2007 for Group of the Year.
It hasn't been terribly easy for Hoggard. When Hedley's video for 321 topped the MuchMusic video charts in 2005, his fans (mainly female; mostly teens) were in the thick of Canadian Idol fever.
Critics of the band snickered at the masterful marketing that appeared to be tailor-made for the mainstream. However, when the band's current hit, She's So Sorry, also hit No. 1 at MuchMusic, following the October release of Hedley's second album, Famous Last Words, the boo birds were pretty much all out of boos.
continue
Comments
Post a Comment