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Jason Castro got his start, like so many other singers of our time, as a contestant (on the seventh season of) American Idol (in fact, Jason was third-place runner-up on the show). The 22-year-old Texan earned himself many fans from the show, all eager to hear what he would do after the contest.
Just Jason
The first thing you notice about Jason Castro is that he’s totally real. But when he opens his mouth to sing, it’s like watching a different person. "I really think music is an extension of one’s self,” he says. ”One can’t go without the other, so my personality and character are a huge part of the music and that’s what people have told me they love about it – just the realness and that they can feel my heart and the emotion in the songs when I perform them.”
Jason grew up in Texas in a pretty musical family. His grandfather was an opera singer and his father and all five of his uncles sing and play guitar. Jason started playing drums in the fifth grade and played in bands through high school. In university he bought a guitar because he couldn’t play drums in his dorm room. “I couldn’t sing when I picked up the guitar,” says Jason. “So I read about singing techniques on the Internet, like how-to articles with breathing exercises, and taught myself.”
On Idol
In August 2007, Jason tried out for American Idol. "I started scheming, like, ‘There hasn’t really been anyone on Idol like me: a serious singer-songwriter who plays guitar.’” He made it to Hollywood and won over audiences with memorable performances where he accompanied himself on acoustic guitar and ukulele. In fact, Jason;s version of Over The Rainbow hit No. 1 on iTunes. After the show, Jason hit the road, performing on theAmerican Idols LIVE! Tour 2008.
LA Living
When the tour ended, Jason moved to LA and signed a deal with Atlantic Records. “Some people come off of Idol and sing what’s given to them, which is cool, but I sing because it’s an outlet for me to express the things I want to say. Atlantic understood that and wanted to help me take my writing and performing to the next level.” He started recording his first album in June 2009 with a goal to keep the music really natural and not lose the magic of his own voice.
Self Titled
Now Jason’s first, self-titled album is getting set to launch on April 13, 2010. The record relays a truly positive message of love and acceptance. “That’s really the common thread running through the songs: loving somebody and accepting them for who they are,” he says. Though many of the songs are personal to him, Jason doesn’t mind giving listeners a view into his world: “I don't think there’s a limit in art on how much of yourself you put into it,” he says. “That's the purpose and the magic of it – sharing something so deep that it can impact somebody else. When it moves you to hear about someone else’s experience, that’s what songwriting is truly all about: translating your feelings and passions to create meaning for others. That’s what I try to do every time I write a song or sing one on stage. And hopefully that’s what I’ve done with this album.”
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