TEDDY Geiger has the look, the sound and the attitude to light up the charts in Australia.
The 17-year-old New Yorker's debut album Underage Thinking is due out on June 17 and already the first cut For You I Will (Confidence) is causing a stir on radio and TV.
Geiger taught himself how to read, write and play music and by the age of eight, he was writing and arranging compositions for the guitar and piano. He plays guitar, piano, bass and drums on his new album and wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs.
The album was produced by Billy Mann (Sting, Pink, Jessica Simpson), who discovered Geiger at an audition for VH1's In Search of the New Partridge Family. He's also appeared on US TV in the CBS dramedy Love Monkey.
Geiger has shared bills with the likes of Hilary Duff, Pete Yorn, Brandi Carlisle, Simple Plan, Fall Out Boy, Jesse McCartney, Kelly Clarkson and Tyler Hilton.
The video clip for his first single features MTV Laguna Beach star Kristin Cavallari.
NEWS.com.au spoke exclusively with Teddy, who was in North Carolina, to pose him some questions from our readers. Here's what he had to say:
Q. Is it really Kristin from Laguna Beach in your film clip? Are you friends with her? (Disco)
A. Yes, it is and yes, we're friends.
Q. Are there any famous artists you would like to record with? (yvette)
A. I've always been a big Ben Folds fan, so I'd have to say Ben Folds.
Q. How do you handle all the attention and fame you're getting at the moment? (Renee)
A. It's very overwhelming, but I try to take everything one step at a time.
Q. I've heard you're the new face of Levis Jeans. Is this true? Also, the album's called Underage Thinking ... what's the story behind that title? (JacJac)
It's true, they've just brought out a range or RedWire jeans that work with your iPod, which is cool. And the title ... I'm under age and I was thinking ...
Q. What does it feel like to be constantly compared to John Mayer and Jesse McCartney? I think that both these guys are average and that you are 10 times more talented. (Kimberley)
Kimberley. Thank you. But I don't know, I'm a big fan (of John Mayer) and he's been going at for five years. Hopefully I will have reached where he's at in five years.
Q. When did you start writing music? Who taught you to play guitar? (Mark)
I learnt over time and I only really started writing when I was eight or nine.
Q. Your music is magical. Are you looking forward to coming to Australia? (Emma/Marissa)
A. Yes i am. I'm planning on coming around June 16 to June 22 and I'm very excited about that. (This visit will be) the first place outside of the US and Canada I've been to.
Q. Do you like older women? (Tanya)
A. I suppose I do - yes. I like everyone really.
Q. I heard the single on Nova this morning and loved it! Who did you write the song about? Someone at your school? (Larissa)
A. Yeah, it was someone at school. We just couldn't really get it together. It was interesting ...
I also threw some quick questions at the rising star.
Q. Who is 'The Swan Master' and 'Pointy Eric'? (Teddy did his own illustrations on the CD sleeve notes. These were two of his creations)
A. That's a difficult question to answer ... The Swan Master is the master ... of swans ... he has great control over them. And pointy Eric? Well, he's just pointy ...
Q. What's your favourite song on the album and why?
A. Gentlemen. Because it's the last song I play when I'm live.
Teddy Geiger's For You I Will (Confidence) (single) is due out on May 20, while Underage Thinking (album) is due out on June 17.
Related links:
Blog: What do you think of Teddy? »
Geiger's MySpace digs
His SonyBMG artist page
Teddy's official site
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