At the age of just 22, James Mathison has become a significant figure in the Australian entertainment industry. When he�s not telling Idol contestants "Tonight�the journey ends for�We�ll tell you after the break�."; he�s jumping aboard the Channel V bus and stowing away to cities all along the East Coast. I catch up with him after their Brisbane shebang


Detour is getting a great response- is there a good rapport between all the people involved?

Yeah, definitely- I mean, you have a group of people who wouldn�t normally be involved with each other. You�ve got professional skaters, musicians and television crew stuck together for long periods on a bus. It gets pretty hectic, but everyone realises the end goal is to reach kids all over Australia, so we all pull together and do it.

Being in your position, what can you see that is an important issue in the music and entertainment industry?

I think there needs to be some sort of a support structure for young bands... I know it exists in some areas, like in Perth. Same with New Zealand- everyone pitches in, there are great venues to go to and no restrictions. Record companies need to think of different ways to sell cds...

Well, in a way there�s a whole generation of kids not buying cds now. In that respect, are you for or against the paid download scheme?

I think it�s a great thing. There are kids growing up with Kazaa, or burners in their house. I think a dollar a song for downloading is a great idea. Kids don�t want to buy an album for one good song, but they will be prepared to pay a few for one of their favourites.

You get to travel around Australia as one of the perks of your job...

Yeah, it�s not bad! (grins)

Are there places you can see where there�s good culture and music happening?

Well, we travel so much we don�t really get to see a lot of the local bands, but Brisbane is always amazing, particularly the younger bands. But anywhere you go you can find it. In terms of my favourite spot though, I�d probably say the hills outside of Byron. Murwillumbah is beautiful. So peaceful it�s ridiculous...

Would you live there?

I think you could get used to it... yeah...

Australian Idol is back again this year. When someone gets into the Top 12, do you think there�s a danger of them having longevity to their career, or do they know what they�re in for when they sign up?

You know what, I think the whole process is really designed to weed out the ones who won�t be successful. If you have chinks in your armour, you won�t make it to the final. It�s up to them. I think Guy has a very unique voice, and Shannon�s almost become a bit of an Australian icon. In my opinion, now that they�re getting experience, they�re going to get even stronger.

Did it stun you, the reaction from the public?

Oh yeah...it got a thousand times bigger than any of us thought it would be.

How did you deal with that?

You go to places where no one know who you are! We have a few dives we go to in Sydney where no-one cares, that�s the beautiful part!

This is a bit of a curveball question- have you even done an internet search on yourself?

No, actually!
If you go on Angelfire, there�s a little Australian Idol fanclub. They have a fantasy section, for example, a groupie having a threesome with you and Andrew or with Mark and D i c ko...would you like to comment?

(By this stage his eyes are like saucers and he�s cracking up)

Um... um... well, look, I�m doing the search as we speak! Let�s see how close to life they think it is... Maybe someone�s been reading my diary, my dream diary!

If you could be a rock star for the day, who would you be?

Keith Richards, I think! Hard to go past old Keith. Or maybe even Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips. They were fantastic at the Big Day Out.

Where were you ten years ago?

St. Augustus High school, kicking a footy around, trying not to bump into things! I saw a few bands, hung out with my mates.

And where would you like to be in 10 years?

Preferably in a hammock! Somewhere off the East Coast of Mexico with a Pina Colada.

With the little hula girls feeding you mangoes and fanning you with palm fronds?

Yeah! Or maybe just one. One beautiful senorita! That�d be nice.

By Kristen Veltmeyer.