'Idol' Finalists Anwar And Nikko Record On The Road

TAMPA, Florida — The producers behind the American Idols Live Tour might want to invest in a traveling recording studio.

While past outings have seen the winner and runner-up working on albums while traveling across the country



"I've been working on a project for a while, but this 'American Idol' experience gave me a reason to [get it done]." — Anwar Robinson


Anwar Robinson on his upcoming career
Anwar Robinson on his upcoming career

(by flying to studios in bigger cities), no less than five finalists are writing and recording during their spare time on this summer's trek (see "American Idols Live Tour Dates Announced").

Along with Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice, Constantine Maroulis (see " 'Idol' Finalist Constantine Maroulis Got A Lot Done At All Those Parties"), Anwar Robinson and Nikko Smith hope to be nearly finished with their albums by the time the tour ends in September.

"I've been working on a project for a while, but this 'American Idol' experience gave me a reason to [get it done]," Robinson said backstage at recent tour stop.

Robinson's genre of choice is gospel music, but he's been exploring other styles with songs he's been writing since "American Idol" ended.

"It's based on a lot of elements of soul, R&B, jazz and gospel," he said. "I was calling it pop soul, but I'm wondering when the pop element is going to come in. I don't know yet, but I know it's definitely soulful."

A music teacher by day, Robinson can play several instruments and is experienced in recording studios, so he's also hoping to collaborate with other artists, including his fellow "Idols."

Read more and see the video interview at MTV news