Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Brooke White announced a pre-release of her new album and sang three songs from the CD during a live Webcast Thursday evening.

After technical difficulties delayed the start of her USTREAM concert on Facebook for 34 minutes — and even then the broadcast was in audio only — Brooke started the show with her current single, “Radio, Radio.”

Appropriate that there was no video, huh?

The piano-accompanied set also included the Kings of Leon song “Use Somebody,” a cover tune included on her upcoming album.

And she performed the album’s title tune, “High Hopes and Heartbreak,” which she described as a disco type dance tune. Except not Thursday night.

“I’m about to play it for you, acoustic style, stripped down on the piano, so it’s going to be different,” Brooke told her audience. “And I hope it goes well.”

Not to worry, Brooke. It sounded wonderful. The highlight of the Webcast, in fact.

As for the album pre-release: “High Hopes and Heartbreak” will be available Tuesday on iTunes, a week before the album hits stores. That’s also the day Brooke will release the video to “Radio, Radio.”

Brooke also answered questions from the studio and on-line audience. Among them:

Question: If you could do a duet with any singer, who would it be and why?

Brooke: “I don’t think I have just one answer. But just the other day I was thinking that I do this cover of ‘Rhiannon’ by Fleetwood Mac, and I was kind of dreaming the other day how amazing it would be to actually ring Stevie Nicks into singing that song with me. I would play the piano. And if she just wanted to sing, I would not sing. (prompting laughter) Or we could sing together, we could harmonize. That would be a dream duet.” (I think “ring” is the word Brooke used; the audio Thursday night wasn’t fantastic either, but you get the idea.)

Question: Do you start with the melody or lyrics when writing a song?

Brooke: “Whatever I can get. Generally, I am more apt to find melodies in music than lyrics. I have a terrible time with lyrics. But if I get a lyric and a melody at the same time, I know it’s golden. I know we’re good to go. … Somebody did say at one time that the best songs are written in like 15 minutes. If that’s the case, then I’m in trouble because it took a little longer than 15 minutes to write most of them.”

Question: What would say was the pivotal moment that launched your career?

Brooke: She said there were lots of moments, but Idol was “massive.” She also said this about the show: “American Idol was kind of like taking us on a helicopter ride over the top of Mount Everest and saying, ‘Look at this. Look at all this. This is fun.’ Then, when it’s over, you’re kind of dropped off at the bottom of the summit with your backpack and all your tools and told, ‘OK, now climb back to the top.’”

As for touring …

Yes, Brooke says, there will be a tour.

“I am going on tour with people,” she said. “And soon you will find out who I am going on tour with.”

But that announcement wasn’t part of Thursday’s Webcast.

NOTE: Come back Tuesday to comment on Brooke’s new album.