Watch Caleb Johnson Discuss ‘Testify’, Collaborating With Aloe Blacc & Missing His Hometown: Interview

Robbie Daw | August 12, 2014 10:10 am

Recently, American Idol winner Caleb Johnson stopped by the Idolator studio to talk to us about his love of good ol’ rock and roll and his debut album Testify, which was released today (August 12). We already posted the first part of our chat with him, where the Asheville, North Carolina native played a game of Rock Dudes Vs. Divas: Who’s More Badass? (Scratching your head over what that might be? Click the link and find out!)

And above you’ll see Johnson explaining the collaborators he worked with — including “Wake Me Up” and “The Man” crooner Aloe Blacc — during his whirlwind journey to get Testify recorded since his Idol win in May. He also clues us in on the best things about his hometown: “There’s great barbecue and beer. Asheville is like Beer City USA [for] four years in a row. That was like the OG of the mircobreweries.”

As far as his album’s title, Caleb took inspiration from the the LP track “Testify,” and the notion that music is like religion for him.

“For me, personally, rock and roll is like a religious experience where you listen to it and you’re impacted by the music, by the singing by the driving beat,” Johnson tells us. “It’s kind of like a revival.”

Watch Caleb Johnson discuss his debut LP Testify above, and let us know your thoughts on our chat with the latest Idol winner below.

Get an eyeful of even more pop music coverage, from artist interviews to exclusive performances, on Idolator’s YouTube channel.