My interview with Amy Brittain

Roman Arkhipov has a new name, "Troy Harley," and a new American rock-and-roll lifestyle to match.

 

The Russian native, who achieved pop fame through the reality music T.V. show "Star Factory," has relocated to the sunny shores of Los Angeles, California. In L.A., he's traded in his winter coat for a surf board and ditched the boy band image that was tough to shed back home. 

 

The raspy-voiced singer, with his trademark long, wavy blond hair, even earned a spot last summer on The Van Warped Tour, a multi-city rock festival that winds through the United States each year. He also signed a deal with J.K. Music Group, an independent record label, and recorded several tracks with Randy Jackson, the well-known American Idol judge and producer who's worked with rock band Journey and R&B icon Mariah Carey.

Now he's in pursuit of the ultimate American dream: true rock n' roll stardom, the type of fame that could make him a household name in the United States.

 

But Harley's own musical journey started back in Moscow, where he was a university student studying international relations. In his free time, he played in a band.

 

"For me, it was a kind of dream," he said of his musical aspirations. "I thought it was impossible."

 

Then, he auditioned for Star Factory. The first two attempts were unsuccessful, but, as he says, "The third time was good for me."

 

After competing on the show, Harley, following the instruction of the show's producer, joined a boy band called Chelsea.

 

"I had no choice," he said. "I tried not to lose myself. I still tried to keep my rock style. That's why I had skulls on my outfit, with silver rings and crosses. It was pretty funny because we were a boy band with black ties and suits."

 

After completing his recording contract, he decided to leave Russia for the United States. He thought America, unlike Russia, would be more accepting of his desire to perform rock music.

 

The cultural challenges haven't been too difficult, he said. Learning to sing in English was pretty easy, and, as Harley adds, his raspy voice helps cover up his accent. His voice becomes even raspier after a night of partying in L.A., which, of course, is typical for an aspiring rock star.
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"Moscow is crazier. It's 24/7 nonstop. It's open until 6 a.m.," he said. "I can party really hard, but now I'm trying to concentrate on what I'm doing."

  

One of his favorite stops on the Van Warped Tour was Orlando, Florida, where Harley and his friends ended up on an epic pub crawl that stretched into the early morning hours. He also enjoyed his time in Chicago, where he filmed his music video, "End of the Summer."

 

The song, an ode to the fading days of summer's glory, serves as a type of theme song for Harley's time on the Warped Tour. The music video chronicles that journey, showing behind-the-scenes shots from backstage and the tour bus.

After the summer, he returned to Russia to play an opening gig for the U.S. rock band, Nickelback. He was nervous to hear the fans' reactions to his new music, but hopeful that his home country would support his change to rock music.

"I used to be a pop guy in a pop band. The fans in Russia don't really like switching between genres," he said. "I was really nervous because it was really important for me. The crowd was really positive, and I read a lot of good stuff on the internet. I was really surprised because I was ready for bad comments, but people were very kind."

 

Back in the U.S., Harley is eager to continue his collaboration with producer Randy Jackson, who's widely popular in the States because of his genuine personality and no-nonsense advice on "American Idol."

"I'm really proud that he works with me," Harley said. "He has a great sense of humor. He's real, and he's honest. If he doesn't like something, he will say let's work on it a little bit more. He's really interested in this project. He likes it. That's why he's honest with me in every question I ask him."

Harley's latest music video, for the catchy song "Someone Like Me," has nearly 90,000 views on YouTube. He's hoping for it to gain popularity on U.S. radio, and he's prepared for the crazy lifestyle that may come in the future if he reaches greater fame.

"It's a part of this type of living. There are people who try to do something strange with you. They might say, "Umm can you sign this?" I'll say, "Sure no problem."

"But when they say, "Can you kiss me?" I say, "Umm no," he said, laughing during a recent phone interview.

Now, he's waiting for his guitar player to come to the United States, and he's eager to get back into the recording studio and see where this career will lead.

" I know that I want to die on the stage. Not when I'm young though," he said. "I want to have some normal life someday, with children, but I still want to be on tour all of my life."