A quick word: Stan Walker

Stan Walker says Australian Idol has already opened doors for him. Photo / Dean Purcell

What do you think about the fact that Kiwis are claiming you but you've lived in Aussie for some time? Do you think we should just drop that Tasman rivalry?

I think we should get over it. People were saying I shouldn't win Australian Idol because I was a Kiwi. But the thing is we are all immigrants, except the Aborigines.

Hungry Jacks or Burger King?

Burger King. Hungry Jacks is plastic. I haven't seen a Burger King yet but I'm hanging out to find one. But I had a Big Ben pie before and oh, it was just amazing.

People either love or hate Idol shows - it's quite divided. Why do you think we need them?

If it weren't for Idol, there wouldn't be a Kelly Clarkson, a Guy Sebastian, a Ben Lummis or anything. I think people don't like it either because they can't sing, or they are jealous because they wish they were there. Why hate people? It doesn't get you anywhere. It doesn't make you any better.

Other than the album, the cash and the car, what has Australian Idol done for you?

I have been in rooms with people I wouldn't even dream of being next to.

I got to touch Beyonce at her concert in Sydney! Oh I could go on and on about that. She's my wife. She's the most beautiful woman I've seen in my life.

I hear that all of your family is quite musical. I imagine you all performing for one another at get-togethers?

Yeah. Every time people come over we have a feed and we always end up singing a song. We are Maori so we sing all the time, at birthdays, funerals weddings, everything.

So have you been singing with your family on this trip to New Zealand?

No, I get in so much trouble from my mum, from Edina, my vocal coach, because I have got to preserve my voice so that I can be fresh for the stuff to come. I don't drink or anything but I'm not even allowed to laugh much more - I'm not allowed to hang with my family before a show because we laugh too much.

What are your greatest memories of Kiwi summers?

When we lived in Tauranga, every day after school we used to go up the mountain with our cardboard and umbrellas and sheets and built huts. Then, when we moved to Hamilton, I would hang with the boys and swim in the river.

You say fame hasn't changed you, but did you know you have 12,000 friends on Facebook and tens of thousands of hits on Google?

I just couldn't keep up with that. I think I've got about 4000 more friend requests on Facebook. It's hard man, I can't keep up. I get 600 messages, but I just can't read them - the fans are too fast for me.

It seems it's been a bit of a whirlwind few weeks finishing Idol and getting your album out?

This is what happened: Idol grand finale finished, then it was the after-party - I was dancing with my family - I went to bed, had an hour and a half's sleep, got up at 6 o'clock and had interviews until 11am. I didn't have a break, I was eating while I was on the phone. Then I had to fly to Melbourne that day to do an interview and then fly back to Sydney the same day. I went to bed at 1.30am, then had to get up at 7am to film my clip. All day.

Your Black Box video is quite Usher or Chris Brown; do you think you are like them? You have always said you were more soul.

I love my R'n'B too. I love Usher - he's the man, but I am more about the old school.

Like John Legend?

I love John Legend. I think if I had to be someone I would be John Legend and Alicia Keys.

You didn't write Black Box, so what's the music you write like?

I have only ever written worship songs about God but I can't really write about that now because the pop world is different. I'm now writing more about life. I just really want to talk about the real stuff not, oh "I want to have sex on the beach", "pop that booty" - although those songs are cool to dance to.

You've said in interviews that you wear your heart on your sleeve. Do you think that's dangerous?

I show people my heart but it's guarded.