Final 8 Week

I choose my songs based on loving them to bits first and foremost and secondly, they need to be successful on a commercial level as well.
 
It's very important to be yourself in this competition. If you're not being yourself you might as well not be here, because people will find out eventually. I am usually pretty easy going, but at the same time I can be quite intense and I am passionate about the things I believe in.
 
The comp is a very funny animal in the sense that one week, you can feel great and the next week, you feel like a nobody. And that can change from hour to hour… especially at this point. It's a really weird thing – but everyone is so, so good and I'm not just saying that.
 
I still think The Killers "When You Were Young" was my best performance, followed by last week. I was really happy with my effort last week and I think I showed Australia that I was more of a diverse artist and there was more to me.
 
The hardest moment so far was probably the first time I was in the Bottom 3. I was really happy with my performance – three out of four of the judges liked it (Dicko didn't). I was a bit shocked to be in the Bottom 3 for it. But last week, I was like, "Well, I am going to be gracious about this and if I do go out, I am going to go out with a smile on my face because it's been a great trip." Fortunately it didn't turn out to be the case. I thought I was definitely going home and pipping Mark at the post was like beating Collingwood in the grand final, in the last ten seconds, by one point! But I must say that Mark Da Costa was a fantastic competitor and I am sure he will have great success in whatever he decides to pursue.
 
Will my life ever go back to normal? Who knows? I really don't know at this stage. Idol really hasn't changed my life that much so far – I think if you go about your business like normal, people treat you like a normal person and you don't have much drama. That's how I've found it anyway. You certainly won't find me walking around with my sunglasses on inside and if you do, feel free to call me a knob!
 
Thanks to everyone who voted for me – I am so glad to have an opportunity to get out there again, especially on Brit Pop night. And please, please, please vote this week because I really don't want to be in the Bottom 3 again!

-Love you all dearly, take care, JB x

Final 9 Week

The best moment this week was singing in front of thousands of people at Federation Square. They were all just mad for it! It was fantastic. It's so good to be back in my adopted hometown of Melbourne. I'm originally a South Oz kid, but I moved to Melbourne about two years ago and I am very passionate about the place. [That said], I'm not going for them in the NRL Grand Final this weekend - I'm actually going for Manly, mainly because Miffy is a big Manly fan.
 
I'm not too into NRL – in Melbourne it's more about AFL. There will be an AFL hangover next week - this whole town comes alive on Saturday. There are a lot of people around and partying - it's almost as big as New Year's Eve.
 
The best advice I have been given… hmm. I think it's easy to get wrapped up in the competition and the goings on of Idol – I recently had a good chat with my good friend and producer Reggie Bowman and he reminded me that there's a lot that can happen after the show too. There's going to be something more for me to do. This is very important and I want to go as far as I can, but he has made me relax a bit and enjoy the time at Idol while I have it. This could all be over tomorrow.
 
The worse advice I've been given? That I should sing a Jesse McCartney song.
 
I don't really have a lucky charm but before the show I try and have a few cups of lemon and ginger tea with honey. It really warms my voice up. Apart from that I'm cool. Oh, I do say “You can do it!” in my head before I go on stage, like that guy out of “Happy Gilmore”!
 
I'm not really a sentimental type of guy so I haven't taken a lot of stuff from home to Idol HQ. I probably should put photos and stuff up, but I am always speaking to everyone on the phone and keeping in touch - with is great. I really appreciate my friends and family's support and the fact they're always contactable.
 
The competition hasn't changed me in the sense that I am still a kid from country town Australia who likes to hang out with the same people he's been friends with for ages (even though I like making new friends too.) I am just trying to stay grounded. Thankfully, I have a lot of people who would tell me if I am being a d**khead.
 
Thanks so much for voting for me this week and getting me out of the Bottom 3 into a more stable position. If you like what I do, please vote for me! I love all of you who vote immensely – you are the coolest!

-Jacob

Final 10 Week

I have been OK with being out of my comfort zone. When you sign up for Idol and audition months and months ago, back in your hometown, you know there are going to be genre nights. So from the get-go, I was thinking about what song I wanted to sing at Disco night, or Rock night. I love it! Predominately, I am an Indie Rock artist but I love experimenting with the different genres.
 
After Monday night, when I was in the Bottom Three, I lay awake in my bed. I was just thinking about ten thousand things – did I over-perform? Did I pick the right song? Have I got the right song for next week and the following weeks? Do I need to do an extra half hour on the treadmill every day? All that sort of stuff. I got up on the Tuesday morning and went for a really long walk for a few hours, came back and went on the treadmill and really blew out the cobwebs. I then spoke to my friends and family, and by Tuesday afternoon, after having a think about it, I was fine.
 
I was in the city earlier today and a few people were saying hello. It was really nice and cool… the kind of people that have been coming up to me, maybe because I am a bit older and quieter perhaps, have all been really polite and friendly. They just say things like, "I really like what you did." That's massive – just a massive thrill.
 
Every day, I learn something new about the music and TV industry. Its great. Ultimately, I would love to be a part of both and I am just soaking it in like a sponge at the moment. I really enjoy it - I really, really love it. Every day I am here is a bonus.
 
What keeps me grounded? I just feel so lucky that I've had an opportunity to do this. There are so many people out there that yearn for opportunities like this – people that didn't make it through that I thought were strong enough and some people that haven't even auditioned. All the people around here are so talented too. Beyond that, my family and friends are really supportive. They keep me in check.
 
Please, please, please, please, please - if you like what I do, please pick up the phone this week and vote. And if you have voted, thank you so much, I really appreciate all the support!

-Jacob

Final 11 Week

Fortunately my beautiful girlfriend has been in town, so I've been able to spend time with her whenever I was not working on the
show, which has been great. At this stage, no one in the media is really probing into my private life too much... But you do have to be
a little bit careful about how you behave. Obviously the paparazzi is a little bit hard for some of the Idols to get used to. No one expected that we would be photographed in our own home, but I guess that's something that we need to adapt to.

As much as I love living in Idol HQ with the other contestants it's really important for all of us to have time out from each other so we can relax. Don't get me wrong, I love it all, but a bit of time out is good!

This week hasn't quite been as hectic as last week. We did the rock photo shoot today which was a lot of fun. Sheridan the stylist put me in some outfits that were a bit out of my comfort zone, which I hated at first. But after having a few photos taken, it really came up well.

I was most nervous back in the semi-finals, but verdict night wasn't a lot of fun either. No one wants to go first and everyone deserves to be there. I was really surprised to see Holly go. It makes you realise how lucky we all are to be here.

When it comes to song choice, I believe it's not about choosing commercial songs, it's about choosing successful songs. The Killers are a band that don't follow rules, they do their own thing. I've always tried to dance that fine line between indie credibility and successful songs – I am not choosing songs because the general public likes them, I need to like them
too.

I think my friends and family know not to get too involved as far as my song choices go… I have a pretty fixed style. Not that I don't take suggestions on board! My Dad is a big music fan and he trusts my judgement and that I know the song and its place in the market. I was really fortunate on Sunday night to get fantastic feedback from all four judges – I hope I can continue to do good things. Obviously though, if they criticise us, it's for good reason. They want us to do the best that we can.

If I could only get one thing out of this, it would simply be the opportunity to make records until I'm old and grey.

-Jacob

First week in the Final 12

Moving into Idol HQ has been the highlight so far. It's just the most unbelievable mansion I have ever seen. There is that sea breeze I wanted so much, it's overlooking a bay, it's up on a hill – it's amazing.

Me and Marty are sharing a room, which is quite hilarious. We're probably the two messiest people. I'm clean but I'm messy, if that makes sense. I just haven't had time to get my stuff all sorted out.

Sam, the house manager, is out if this world! Idol HQ is pretty well organised - generally after 10:30, 11:00pm most of us quiet down and the piano goes off and all that stuff. There are no house rules and none of us have really taken on roles or anything.

What wouldn't I do to win Idol? I wouldn't do a centrefold spread for Cosmopolitan magazine – no one wants to see that! Except for my girlfriend, but she's biased!

At the moment I am really finding I am learning a lot from other contestants. It's nice to be in a group where everyone has different cultures and backgrounds. I'm inspired by Carl's staunch discipline. He always goes for a run at night, he's tidy, he's always the first one up. He's really suited to a competition like this because it requires a lot of discipline.

The toughest thing so far has been getting enough sleep. There has just been so much going on. I'm not really fearful of anything – I'm just excited to go forward. I'm a little bit worried that I might get sick so I really am trying to eat well and look after myself.

The most surreal moment was when me and Matt Corby met Delta Goodrem. We were at Austero the other morning doing radio interviews where she met Matt first. She was there telling him how much of a fan she was and how she really wanted him to win and then she met me and was told I was in the Final 12 too. The rest of the time she spoke to us she was just constantly apologising to me!

Without fans, or having people like what you do, there's no "you" in terms of being an artist. I think fans are very important. It's just so nice to say hi and meet them. To have people make posters and t-shirts and scream your name is just madness. I don't think that's something I will ever get used to.

-Jacob

How does it feel to be in the Final 12?

I think the look on my face when I found out I got through said it all… I was in absolute shock – but very, very happy! It's been awesome and crazy so far.

I'm really looking forward to living in Idol HQ. I'm sick of living in a hotel – I need some real air and I hear we might even have a sea breeze!

Now I'm in the Top 12 I'm not as nervous. I'm just looking forward to getting in there and running amuck and having a great time.

I've made a lot of good mates already - Marty and Matt are good friends, and Daniel and Madison – oh, and Lana and I are good mates too. Tarisai always keeps me entertained - I love winding her up like a spring!

I can understand why the judges might have thought that I didn't have much confidence –I've had a few knocks in my time. But now I am in the Final 12 I am really happy.

Making a record last year was a great experience – I worked with a great producer in Melbourne called Reggie Bowman. Because of that, I know where I'm going now. I know my style – I'm certain about myself. I'm also in a relationship now and that's very humbling. I'm a more centered person than I may have been some time ago.

-Jacob