"Idol" farewell song a beginning for young songwriter

By Ann Donahue

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Fox's "American Idol" is about to move from the cross-country audition rounds toward the meat of the show -- the Hollywood elimination episodes that whittle down the contestants to the top 24. But one up-and-comer won't have to worry about getting an awkward consolation hug from Paula Abdul.

Capitol Records artist Ferras, a 25-year-old singer/songwriter/pianist, provides the "farewell song" that plays as the "Idol" contestants are dismissed from the Hollywood tryouts. It makes its first appearance on the show February 12.

The song, "Hollywood's Not America," is from Ferras' new album, "Aliens & Rainbows," scheduled for release April 1. It's a hooky Elton John-esque ballad that shows off Ferras' impressive vocal range, and was co-written with the Matrix's Lauren Christy.

"I was sitting down writing one night with Lauren, drinking wine and talking about Hollywood -- how people come here to achieve dreams, and you realize at one point that it's never going to be enough," Ferras says. "When you get to that point, you realize, 'I love myself, I love who I am, I don't need all these things.' I don't want to be preachy in the song -- it's just an observation. People ask me, 'Do you even like L.A.?' And yes, I love it."

For the past eight years, Ferras found himself in the agonizingly familiar pattern of almost-maybe-not-quite-getting-a-break. He eventually found an ally in Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, who introduced him to Capitol Music Group chairman/CEO Jason Flom.

In March, Ferras will begin a monthlong North American tour with A Fine Frenzy.

But beyond his performance chops and vocal prowess, Ferras has the kind of back story that makes even the most jaded industry type do a double take. "My dad kidnapped me when I was 5," he says. "He says we were going to Disneyland, and we got on a plane to Jordan."

En route to the airport, Ferras and his father stopped at a toy store, where he picked up a mini-keyboard to play with during the flight. While in Jordan, as his parents battled over custody, Ferras wrote his first song and played it over the phone to his mother, who was still in the United States. "I think that sort of marked my ability," he says. "I associated any kind of emotional exchange -- the highs and the lows -- to writing music."

With the help of the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, Ferras' mother eventually was able to get him out of the country by sneaking him out of his father's house in the middle of the night and concealing him under blankets in the back seat of a car.

So, all this making-it-in-Hollywood stuff? For Ferras, it's a snap. "It's a whirlwind ... but I couldn't be more excited," he says. "I'm ready."

Reuters/Billboard