Out of all the contestants on Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious, Alexis stood out as the one who definitely had a lot to fall back on if she didn’t make the group. In the third episode of the series we learned that she’s interested in dental school and is in the top 15 percent of her college class. However, even with her intelligence and good looks, Robin Antin and the other judges felt she lacked the charisma to truly make an impact. Today we had the chance to sit down with Alexis and talk to her about her elimination, drama in the loft, and who she thinks has what it takes to become a member of Girlicious.
Read on for the complete mp3 and transcript of the interview.
Hey everybody, this is Don from BuddyTV, and today I’m talking to Alexis from Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious. Just to get us started, I was wondering if performing is something you’ve always been interested in, or is this first time you’ve tried out for anything like this?
Well this is the first show I’ve ever tried out for, but I’ve been performing my entire life. I started singing and dancing when I was three-years-old. I danced competitively and was trained classically for 15 years. I took vocal lessons at Carnegie Mellon University in my hometown, and I’ve been working for this for my entire life. That’s ultimately why I came to California and decided to go to school here, so now I’m ready to promote my own career.
What was it like living in the loft with the other girls? What was the vibe like in there?
I’m totally used to it because I’m in a sorority at USC, so living with a lot of girls I’ve experienced. But there was a lot of cattiness, and I’m totally not like that. I was not raised to be like that. On my downtime, instead of doing that stuff I would study. I was there to work. I don’t like to talk like that about other girls, so there was some tension, but good times too. I met a lot of girls that I’ll keep in touch with and they’re all very talented, so it was very competitive. A very competitive atmosphere, but we had fun too.
The judges seemed to come down on you a bit for not standing out enough amongst the girls. Did you think that was fair or do you think you should have had some more time to deal with that?
You know, it’s so funny the way they edit it. I definitely think I stood out. Even Ron Fair said I had a good voice but it just didn’t blend, because I do have a pop country vibe going on. I know I’m talented and I know I have star quality. The Pussycat Dolls are amazing. So talented, incredible singers, incredible dancers, but my style is just very different. It was hard on the show to be thrown a Cyndi Lauper song or a “Baby One More Time” song and have to sing and dance at the same time. Not only sing and dance at the same time, but in a totally different style. Robin was looking for, she even said herself, maybe not someone who is an excellent dancer or an excellent singer, but someone that she can mold. I’ve been working at this for so long that I feel as if I’m already molded. I am a country singer, I love to dance, and I am who I am. As much as I’m willing to be versatile, I’m not going to change who I am to meet everybody else’s needs.
Were there aspects of the editing that bothered you? Or things that you didn’t think came across correctly?
Yeah, particularly last night. I probably had some of the best comments from the kids, but maybe because I was getting eliminated they decided to throw in a few of the bad ones. Of course you never know how they’re gonna edit it, and any publicity is good publicity and exposure. It’s out of my control at that point, so I know that I did what I had to do and I know who I am. The people who love me know who I am, so whatever.
Which of the challenges was toughest for you that you had to do?
Well, I’d say the national anthem was a challenge for me. I was in a group with Cassandra and Jamie, who are two of the best dancers in the group but are weaker vocally. You know, the national anthem is a very challenging song. I want to say that it’s unfair that we were in groups, but at the end of the day Robin is creating a group, so you have to be able to work well together in a group. I just feel like I shine more as a solo artist, and that aspect of it I would say was difficult — having to be able to work in a group and yet shine individually at the same time. That was hard with “The Star Spangled Banner” being such a difficult song.
From what you’ve seen of the girls, do you have any favorites or predictions who will make it to the finals?
I think vocally Carrie is definitely, definitely on par. I think dance wise, I think Jamie has a great vibe going on. She’s very spicy. I’m not really sure what they’re looking for, and I think that was part of the problem too because my style is so different. But I definitely say Carrie or Jamie. They got it going on.
What’s in the future for you after this? Are you still going to dental school and performing at the same time?
I just applied to dental schools and I’ve been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania, so if I go back east that’s where I’m gonna go. I’m hoping to get into USC. I just had my interview there this past week, and I’d love to stay here to be able to pursue my music career at the same time. I definitely am going to be promoting myself as a solo artist. I have a five song EP which you can hear on my website, which is alexistunes.com. I have a MySpace, which is basically myspace.com/alexispelekanos. I’m hoping to be performing here and using the show to promote myself here. I’m ready to do it, I’m excited.
– Interview conducted by Don Williams
(Image courtesy of the CW)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
