Louis Solywoda says being “in therapy for years” was what freed him to pursue careers as a photographer, model and singer/songwriter — and most recently to national fame auditioning for “American Idol” on March 8.
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Louis Solywoda’s classmates at the Honolulu Waldorf School, knew him as “the quiet kid.” Introverted to the point where some health care professionals diagnosed him as autistic, Solywoda says frankly that being “in therapy for years” was what freed him to pursue careers as a photographer, model and singer/songwriter — and most recently to national fame auditioning for “American Idol” on March 8.
Once Solywoda stopped being “the quiet kid,” everything seemed to fall into place. For instance, in high school he wanted to buy a camera for underwater photography. The gear he needed cost $30,000. Solywoda thought he might be able to earn it modeling in New York, and a friend of a friend, who happened to be a professional photographer, took him out for a shoot and sent the results to one of her friends in New York. In return came a call to model in a Versace ad campaign. The fee? $30,000 plus residuals.
A video that he recorded for his then-girlfriend’s birthday got millions of views. One of the viewers was from “American Idol.” Solywoda’s high-profile audition, where he performed as Lou Dawg, and sang an original song, “Feel My Loving,” rather than standard “Idol” fare, was the result.
Solywoda, 23, didn’t pass the audition, but he isn’t going to be idle.
You introduced an original song on “Idol.” What are your plans for it?
My bandmate and I were supposed to go head-on and really dig deep into recording, but he ended up having to go back to Florida so that he could deal the whole quarantine thing. So I’m starting an alter ego of myself — and a different channel for my music online. With everybody looking at me being “the guy that did ‘American Idol,’ ” I feel like it doesn’t hit home for me, that isn’t me and my music and what I believe in. Music is a way to touch into a deeper side of yourself to reveal something that others can relate to, and then they can have it as a guiding light if they’re going through dark times.
What was most memorable about the “American Idol” process?
In “American Idol,” staying true yourself is the biggest and greatest gift you can ever possibly have. I was really happy that I had no idea of what I was going into, because if I knew then I would have been really tripped out — or I would have had expectations for myself. I just purely was in the state of “I’m in my heart, I’m here to just share whatever, with whoever, what I have in my story.” “American Idol” really put me out there, but then at the same time it’s just a facade. And then when people see me, they don’t really understand me.
You were in New York with a career people would kill for. What brought you back?
I felt like I left a huge chunk of my path off to the side, which is the cinematography, photography, storytelling. Now I’m on this road of, like, I came back, I followed my heart and I’m just trying to pursue all these different things.
You got into modeling to earn the money to buy a camera. Is there a photo you took that you are particularly proud of?
It’s a photo in a cave with a guy jumping toward the ocean. It’s the cover photo of my website (visit louissolywodaphotography.com).
Talking with “the guy that did ‘American Idol,’ ” it sounds like you have your life together.
I don’t think that I have it together, I just have a better relationship with my internal dialogue. My goal isn’t to make people understand me, it’s just to connect with people with whom I resonate with.
