Idol Chatter & Voice Views

They range in age from 12 to 17.

They hail places as diverse as San Lorenzo, Calif.; Houston, Texas; and Rochester, N.Y.

They’re called InTENsity.  And despite their short stay in The X Factor finals, they’d like to stay together.

If that’s possible.

The group’s members made that clear during a conference call Friday morning, the day after their elimination.

The conference call was punctuated by some of the most disappoint sounding joint hellos you’ve ever heard as InTENsity’s 10 members greeted one caller after another during the half-hour interview.

But the determination seemed to dial up a notch anytime someone asked about the group’s future.

“I was surprised at how easily we jelled,” said Francesca Duncan, 17, of Orange County, N.J.   “It’s crazy how close we’ve become over a short period of time.  It’s going to be hard separating.

“We honestly don’t know what’s in store,” she added.  “We want to stay together as a group, all 10 of us.  We really have high hopes for group.”

As for whether or not any of them might want to go off and do their own thing?

“Our name is inTENsity. There are 10 of us,” Francesca said.  “If one of us leaves, it’s not the same anymore.”

So the group that The X Factor formed from other groups and solo artists who didn’t make it through Boot Camp will be hoping for some high-profile gigs, a recording contract, something that will keep them together.

They face a slightly bigger challenge than established groups that have been eliminated from the show, noted Emily Wilson, 15, of Warren, N.J.

“When we go home, we go to homes all over country,” she said.  “We have to hope someone will notice us or want to sign us so we can still stay together.”

Added Austin Percario, 15, of Warren, N.J.:  “We just want to try to be positive, even though right now it mike seems like the world is kind of ending.  We just want to wait to see what kind of opportunities we get from here.”

A couple of  InTENsity’s  members agreed groups on a show like The X Factor face another challenge. By now, viewers know the story behind Chris Rene and Rachel Crow and former burrito maker Josh Krajcik by heart.

It’s a little tougher to get to know the personalities in a group of 10 people.

“I feel like America didn’t get to connect with us a lot,”  said John Lindahl, 15 of Travuco Canyon, Calif.  “I hope eventually they will.”

InTENsity also includes Nick Dean, 15, of Rochester, N.Y.;  Emily Michalak, 13, of Pine Brook, N.J.;  Arin Ray, 16, of Cincinnati, Ohio;  Lauren Ashley Redmond, 17, of Houston, Texas;  Ellona Santiago of San Lorenzo, Calif.; and Ma’at Bingham Shango of Houston.

Among the group’s other observations:

* Francesca said they were originally supposed to sing a mix of “Kids in America” and “We Got the Beat” on Wednesday, but didn’t want to come across as having a childish, teeny-bopper “vibe.”  Replacing “We Got the Beat” with  “Party Rock Anthem” was the group’s idea.

* All the members praised the hard work mentor Paula Abdul put into their performances, including serving as InTENsity’s choreographer.

* Francesca said, while the group isn’t “exactly like Glee,” she considered the comparison a “big compliment” because of how successful Glee is.  She also sees some similarities because InTENsity was made up of underdogs from Boot Camp, and member of the characters on Glee are underdogs of sorts.

* Emily Wilson predicted the Stereo Hogzz will do just fine from this point on, partly because Paula is their mentor, partly because the group’s fans will be twice as determined to make sure they don’t wind up in the bottom two next week.

* And Austin Percario explained another reason it’s difficult to leave The X Factor:  “This show literally makes you feel like star. We are put in makeup, wardrobe, hair.”  And the performances are big, he said, not just a group standing on the stage singing.  “It’s an amazing experience.”