Q&A: 'American Idol' alum David Archuleta bringing Earthly Delights tour to Pittsburgh

Singer David Archuleta released a deluxe version of his “Earthly Delights” EP in September, and now he’s on the road for his first big tour in five years in support of it.

“It’s been good. Tour takes a lot out of you, and that’s what I forgot because I haven’t gone in a while,” he said in a recent call. “But it’s also an adventure. You go and you’re in a different city almost every day, and it’s a whole experience.”

Archuleta, who finished second on the seventh season of “American Idol,” will headline an Oct. 14 show at Thunderbird Music Hall in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, with Rachel Bochner opening.

Archuleta, an ex-Mormon who came out as queer in 2021, said the new EP, which includes singles like “Crème Brulée,” “Can I Call You” and “Dulce Amor,” delves into the pleasures and pains of life.

“I just hope they find the fun in being more yourself, in the sensuality of life as well and not being so afraid of it,” he said of the EP.

In a September call from Seattle, Archuleta spoke with TribLive about the new EP, his current era, what he’d change about his time on “American Idol” and more. Find a transcript of the conversation, edited for clarity and length, below.

It looks like you were just here for the Pittsburgh Pride Festival in May. Do you have any memories of your time here in Pittsburgh then or in the past?

Pittsburgh always stood out to me on the “American Idol” tour when I went in 2008, just because of how beautiful the city was and we had time to go explore the city some, so I had a great time. I went with Jason Castro, who was on my season as well.

The “Earthly Delights” EP is your first new album in five years, so what have your thoughts been on the reaction to it?

It’s been good. I’m happy with the response, and I think people have caught on to the theme, and the theme kind of continues into the tour. It’s just about bringing everybody on the journey and so far, it’s been a positive journey.

With this new album, do you feel like you’re maybe getting in touch with more of your vulnerable side?

Yeah, I’d say so.

Was that something that you were comfortable with, opening up like that?

It’s a different kind of vulnerability. I would say maybe it’s not even so much vulnerability. I think it’s more like getting in touch with your confidence and things that once felt vulnerable, because sexuality and sensuality felt like a vulnerability before, something I wasn’t supposed to show, especially growing up religious and conservative. Now I feel like it’s a part of life. No one would be here if our sensuality and sexuality didn’t exist. It’s a part of life, and it’s something to be celebrated, and it’s a delightful part of life.

I’ve read that you’re also calling this your “loverboy era” currently, so what does that mean to you?

The “loverboy era,” I would say, is a combination of just playful flirtiness with the romantic aspect of sensuality as well. I’m a loverboy at heart, even with this more playful side of music coming out.

What’s been your favorite of the new songs to play live?

I really like “Lucky,” and I really like “Give You The World.” Actually, maybe my favorite song is called “Can I Call You.” So that’s probably my favorite one to do as well as far as just singing it, but the other ones are really fun to perform, from a theatrical aspect of the show.

Is there more music on the way? Does this EP serve as a precursor of what’s to come next for you?

Yes, it does. I’ve been writing quite a bit still, and I like to keep making music and creating it and releasing it so there’ll be more to come.

I’ve read that you’ve left the Mormon Church, so how have you found it trying to balance your spirituality with your identity?

I guess I don’t worry so much about it anymore. I just let it be. Before I felt like it was a bit excessive, but now it’s just allowing life to be what it is.

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Now that you’re in your 30s, how would you describe your life, especially with so much that’s happened earlier in your career?

I feel like it’s just letting life be what it is. I think also just as you get older, you don’t worry so much about trying to please people. As a kid, I think you’re conditioned to please the adults, the parents, whoever’s your teachers. Now it’s like, well, I realize that it’s not such a big deal to always keep the adults happy. And now you’re an adult yourself so you just kind of do what makes you happy.

How did being on “American Idol” help to shape your career? And with the benefit of hindsight, is there anything that you’d change about that?

No, I wouldn’t. I guess I wouldn’t have worried so much about impressing people and stressing about it, to the point of thinking my whole life depended on it. It really didn’t. It felt like it, and I think they wanted to make me feel like it did, but it doesn’t.

You have a memoir “Devout” scheduled for release next year, so how did it feel to put your life down on paper in like one place?

Honestly, it’s been like, oh my gosh, it’s just been a lot of work. It takes a lot of work. I’m not necessarily a book writer, but it is my story. So it’s only appropriate for me to do the work of telling it. But it’s a lot of meticulous work of organizing it all and making sure the story flows and what details to tell, how much to share. Sometimes it’s like, you know what? Maybe this is oversharing so you have to pull back. But I feel all in all, I feel good about the process. I feel like it’s a story worth telling, and I feel like it will hopefully make a mark on people.