Rock Star's Pike Isn't Right

Rock Star: Supernova's Patrice Pike may not have been a household name when she was touring with the band Sister Seven, but she's enjoyed some mild success. Unfortunately, her past experience didn't help keep her out of the bottom three multiple times, and Supernova sent her packing last  week. TV Guide.com caught up with Patrice to find out what she thought of her rockin' roller-coaster of a ride.

TVGuide.com: So, you didn't really seem surprised that you were the one sent home.
Patrice Pike: I was pretty surprised, but I was ecstatic about the time that I had on Rock Star. No regrets.

TVGuide.com: You were in the bottom three a few times. Weren't you worried? Or did you think your original was strong?
Patrice: I wasn't really, I wasn't worried. I think that a lot of people who were watching the show are really looking for the perfect fit for Supernova. I'm totally confident about my work and my performances. I got to see [my performances] last night and I'm ecstatic about what I was able to do on the show. I just think that the good news for Supernova is that people are out there watching and are really supporting them finding exactly what they want in their lead singer.

TVGuide.com: Now, the Supernova guys seemed to be giving you kind of a hard time. Was that hard to take?
Patrice: Well, I haven't seen the episodes, so I can't really tell you what my take was in terms of what you haven't seen. But, everything that I took in terms of their criticism was really about pushing me toward seeing if I make sense for their band. I don't know if you saw the last episode, but there were nothing but compliments and accolades about my work; I got a standing ovation and it was awesome.

TVGuide.com: Right. How wild was that to be up in front of that very enthusiastic crowd every week?
Patrice: It was awesome. And, you know, this is all I've ever done my whole life. I've never had another job. And to be able to say that and that I've been only doing my own original music the whole time has been a dream come true. It was awesome.

TVGuide.com: Why did you fight so hard to do your original song this week?
Patrice: Oh, it was because part of the audition for Supernova was to play your music. I want to be in a band where I get to write music and I know that [Supernova's] looking for someone they can write with. I wasn't afraid of the challenge of going up and playing stuff for them. I auditioned with that song; they loved it so I played it on the show. It was great.

TVGuide.com: Will you be releasing that somewhere else?
Patrice: Yeah, my new record's coming out in the middle of October and that's a track on the record.

TVGuide.com: You had some great songs when you were in the bottom three. What was your decision-making process when you were choosing those?
Patrice: There are a couple of things. I wanted to communicate to the band, because most of how we communicate to the band is through performance. You know, there are only a few minutes to talk on the show with them, and it's really about what you're doing musically. So I wanted to communicate to them about who some of my favorite artists are and about what I feel are really passionate, powerful songs. And I wanted to respond to their criticism about my performances. Of course it's much easier to be effective if you're playing a song that you're really, really passionate about. So the elimination rounds are an opportunity to bring in something that you're really passionate about.

TVGuide.com: Why did you want to go on the show? Did you go on because of the guys in the band or did you go on just because you knew of Rock Star in general?
Pike: Actually, I didn't know. I didn't see Rock Star last year. I was on tour all summer in Europe, so I was touring in Italy and Holland and when I found out about this season. I got a phone call from somebody who was scouting for talent in Austin and I knew that I hadn't planned to put my new record out until February of 2007, so I canceled my European tour for the summer and took a chance. I thought it was crazy and a lot of fun, and it happened [for me].

TVGuide.com: That's pretty brave to cancel a tour and make this big leap.
Pike: Well, I didn't cancel my European tour until I got the call that I was on [the show].

TVGuide.com: But still, your odds of getting this gig are only one in 15.
Pike: It is brave and I was in the top seven of the 25,000 people who auditioned. It's awesome.

TVGuide.com: That is awesome. Now, you've been pretty successful in the past. Do you feel like that helped you, having all this experience?
Pike: I definitely think it helped me and it was definitely communicated to me that that was one of my strengths and that was why I was invited.

TVGuide.com: So, how hard is it to live with all those strangers?
Pike: You know, for me, it wasn't as hard as it probably would have been for someone who lives a regular, sort of traditional life. I live on the road, in a tour bus, in my life already with a crew and band mates. And sometimes your band mates change and sometimes your crew changes. Sometimes you're not in the company of people you would necessarily automatically choose to live with in this business. So I think that played in my favor, too.

TVGuide.com: Who are you rooting for?
Patrice: I'm going to be pulling for Lukas. He's my pick.

TVGuide.com: Why?
Pike: He's my favorite. Because the whole time I was auditioning for Supernova, my hope was that I could challenge their vision, the obvious vision they might have about what Supernova could be. I wanted to just push the envelope about the ideas that they have about who their band was going to be. I'm gone now, so in my opinion, my personal opinion, Lukas has this magic about him and he writes some really interesting, original songs. I think the Supernova combination with Tommy and Jason and Gilby and Lukas would be the most interesting.