SPEAKER_06 0:00

Hey guys, Casey Abrams here. I'm happy to say this is the 20th podcast episode for Idols. My guest is Fairy Towns. You might remember her from the COVID season, season 18 of American Idol. And back then she was Julia Gargano. She's a very talented singer-songwriter. She was very brave in singing her own song on American Idol Audition. You might notice that I wear a Sabrina Carpenter shirt. That kind of sparks an interest, and we start to sing a Sabrina Carpenter song at the end. She has a really good take on what she went through. This was my first time meeting her in person. I actually first saw her on the Rick Glassman podcast, Take Your Shoes Off, on which I do the theme song. Really excited for you guys to see this one. Bassie Out.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

We are idle. Come talk with me. Come sing with me. We are idle.

SPEAKER_07 0:46

Okay, I think it's how everything's going. Nice. What's that? I like these. Those are nice, right?

SPEAKER_02 0:52

I feel like they're connected to like a Walkman or something.

SPEAKER_06 0:55

Yeah, I like it. He keeps all the old stuff, and that's like a really good set of headphones, and I really like it.

SPEAKER_02 0:59

So you're gonna be the coolest kid on the block. Yes, exactly. I don't have it.

SPEAKER_06 1:04

Yes, yes. I I have I don't have a um a record player. Do you have a record player?

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Somewhere.

SPEAKER_06 1:11

Somewhere, okay, but you don't use it.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

No.

SPEAKER_06 1:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:14

No, I work at a record store though.

SPEAKER_06 1:16

What?

SPEAKER_02 1:16

Yeah, I work at Licorice Pizza Records on Studio in Ventura. Oh my god. Studio City?

SPEAKER_06 1:21

I didn't know that. Yeah. Okay, wait, I saw that you were a part of the label. So you were a part of singing it. You sing on their label and you also work there.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Yes, which is a sick model for a record label to have. Like an empty one. You know what I mean? Like because advanced money is nice, but then all of a sudden you're just like You also so you get to work there, and like, hey, hey, have you heard this new record?

SPEAKER_06 1:42

And then it's your record.

SPEAKER_02 1:43

Well now I'm working at the record press. We have a record press. So the thing that the physical thing. Yes, the physical record press.

SPEAKER_06 1:52

I didn't know. So there's a couple different buildings for Liquid Rish Pizza.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:55

I've been talking to Lindsay, Lindsay Parker.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Oh yeah, she knows everything about American Idol.

unknown 2:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 2:01

That's how I met her. She was she was in charge of Yahoo News when I was on it. And then so that's how I got to meet her. Yeah, so I brought in I brought a bass, but I ended up playing piano in at her studio, and we dressed up like as it was like 80s week, so we all we both dressed up in uh 80s. She already kind of has an 80s vibe. Yeah. So wait, did you how how did you get the job?

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Was it through Lindsay? No, it was through out at the time my publisher um is really good friends with the guy who owns Licorice Pizza. Oh, okay. So then when I was, he just, you know, likes the chunk of music and then wanted to put the record out. So it was more like they were my record label first, and then you know, moving to LA is a costly event. Yes. But so they're like, we'll give you a job too, which is so awesome, but it's the best job ever. Everyone there is pretty much an artist of some sort, like have their own band projects. Do you get to jam there? Do you have you had like any record releases there? Yeah. Oh, okay. Oh my god, and they put on like free shows and they're packed out. It's like it's really cool in the building.

SPEAKER_06 3:00

I got to see um, yeah, the first time I ever like really went in was uh Kyle Gass from Tenacious D, you know, Jack Black's band. So were you there? You weren't there.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

Probably not. I probably the the clock struck 5 p.m. No, I normally do it. I normally stay.

SPEAKER_06 3:15

No, but he yes, Kyle killed it, and it was like that's and and I just ran into uh Lindsay at an ice cream store, actually. We we uh we go to Menchie's right down the street. And so she's like, Kyle is gonna play in a couple weeks, so you should come. And I came down, and it was like such it was good sound.

SPEAKER_07 3:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 3:30

It was yeah, it was it was jam-packed, and he did it like a record signing afterwards.

SPEAKER_02 3:34

It's sick. Fred Armiston also played there like not too long after, I think, that gig. Oh my gosh, did you see it? That one I did.

SPEAKER_06 3:41

Yeah, so that's cool. You get to know who gets to come in. Who's who's the craziest celebrity who came in? Was it Fred?

SPEAKER_02 3:47

I mean to me. But I'm trying to think of who Ziggy Marley just played. Whoa, on Record Store Day. No, I actually was on a flight back to New York. Oh. I would have been there. I know. I know, but he like yeah, packed out the place, obviously.

SPEAKER_06 4:02

And you're doing you're so are you doing gigs as well? Yes. Okay, was that where you're going to New York for?

SPEAKER_02 4:06

That was, yeah. I was actually did yeah, I did a gig a gig in Connecticut. A git-ig legal gig. Giddig again and gig in Connecticut. Hey, you're a good scat singer. Ooh, Dunka. Did you study jazz? I didn't study jazz, but went to jazz camp in Maine. Farmington, Maine. But no, I sang with the trio a lot in um high school and college. Okay. So I I mean, jazz was a huge part of that. What's your favorite jazz standard? Oh my gosh. I mean, I sing Skylark a lot. Do you know Skylark?

SPEAKER_06 4:37

That's uh yes. In fact, uh the there's a guy that I sing with, his name is Taylor Ixdy, and he's a really great jazz pianist. And I'm blessed to know him because he he got a Grammy and I was on the Grammy. Oh that's it, yes. Oh, I noticed that. So sick. Thanks. Yeah, that's it's I I I had to get it printed because uh I technically don't have one, but I am on his record.

SPEAKER_03 4:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 5:00

And I'm singing Skylark. You are on that, yeah. But it's oh god, it's not a good thing. But it's the weirdest, it's the weirdest version you ever. I'll send it to you. Oh, yeah. I think it's mostly in 7-4. And then a couple three, four, four, four things like here. But it's so, it's it's such a weird it's I think a lot of people think that it's like the best song in the world. It's so many weird, even the regular version, it's so many weird changes, right?

SPEAKER_02 5:25

Yes, and also lyrically, not very straight ahead. Yeah, extremely like up for interpretation. It's almost like uh what is a skylark Shakespeare? I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 5:34

Who it who or what is a skylark? Over the hills of green and myrrh. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 5:43

There's some there's some weird stuff.

SPEAKER_06 5:45

There's some weird stuff in there. Okay, but piano though, did you study anything with piano? Because you're you you have you're a really good piano player. Thanks. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:52

Um I got kind of lucky, like a single-digit age kids' dream when they take piano lessons. It's like I kind of skipped the like hot cross buns element, like book thing. And my teacher was a songwriter. And he know them? Do we know them? No. Oh I do.

SPEAKER_07 6:12

You know who that your teacher was? I know him. I'd get out of here. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

That'd be crazy if you did. Um, but he was a songwriter too, and I had, you know, just been doing it from a young age, and uh, we kind of did that in the our piano lesson. So he just taught me a lot of like pop theory and like Carol King, and just we would um just kind of write songs together. The piano. So good, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:35

Because I I feel like I I noticed there's something where you go down a like during your song. We're we I'm I'm gonna make you play it, I think.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

If you're if you're yes, 100% in growing pants when it goes from the B flat to the A or something like that. Yeah, yeah, B flat. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 6:47

The very no, even no, it's like the pre-chorus as well.

SPEAKER_07 6:50

It's like oh, oh, oh, yeah, the little the the red.

SPEAKER_06 6:57

It like almost happens. That's why I was like, that sounds a little bit like Billy Joel. Uh so so I I have a question, and again, we can cut any of this out. Totally. Fairy towns. Yes. That's your band name, is that your stage name? What's going on there? I would love to ask.

SPEAKER_02 7:13

100%. Um it was actually kind of supposed to be a band name. Okay, but then I just got so excited about putting new music out that I realized that none of the press like photos or anything had another person in it. So it's kind of up for inter and you know, now I think people just have started calling me Fairytown. So it's it's been interesting. It's like a choose your own adventure from other people. I like that. But there was a shift in in in genre in the way that um it just seemed like a new musical chapter, so it was cool to Yeah, and and is it describable?

SPEAKER_06 7:46

Like I know that you were kind of going for the singer-songwriter, correct me if I'm wrong, and now is it is it's a different kind of genre, or is it just a little bit more rock and roll?

SPEAKER_02 7:54

I mean, I think after American Idol was like my first dipping my toe into like what I think the business or like, or like even just writing sessions on uh uh like an I don't know, I hadn't done writing sessions before that show. So I was making like six songs a week and everything sounded different, and I completely lost track of what I was even trying to like sound like after okay, like the after part, you know.

SPEAKER_06 8:22

Um they were putting you with songwriters.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

And there was just so many sessions, which was incredible. It was just COVID too, so it was all over Zoom. Just I don't know. Oh geez, um, but it just was a lot of kind of speed dating producers and then a little bit, and you're just um so I I put I I love the songs I put out, very cool, very cool. Um but I feel like I lost the plot musically a little bit. So in that hiatus of putting out songs through 19 and then just those like three or four years, um I did a lot of you know writing for other artists, um just a lot of writing. So I think once I had a bunch of new stuff compiled, it was cool to just have like a new era.

SPEAKER_06 9:08

Right, for sure. Yeah, era, era, era Okay, you're getting into the DJ era. I like it.

SPEAKER_02 9:13

Yes, just wait. Just wait.

SPEAKER_06 9:16

I can't wait to hear it. Would you ever do that? Put put your voice over a DJ?

SPEAKER_02 9:19

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_06 9:20

Good, good, yeah. I would do that too. I don't I I did it once. Did you? Someone someone remixed me. Oh it was really cool. There was like a remix. That was kind of one cool thing that 19 did. They're like, hey, here's here's Casey's single, put a D let someone remix it, and so whoever wins gets gets to they they put it out under under Concord Records, which was a jazz thing. Yeah. But I do know what you mean because I I wrote I feel like I wrote a lot of good songs, and I really like the songs that I wrote. Um, in fact, there's a couple pop ones where I was like, I don't like this, and then later on, people were singing it to me. I was like, well, they can I you know, even though I think it's wrong, those people aren't wrong, so maybe I'm actually right. It's just like a mind-boggle situation. But it's good to have a focus too, and I I never know what the right answer is. And I think I'm kind of focusing on the jazz music a little bit more and trying to find a lane, even though I feel like I can do all the things. But let's, you know, it's it's fun to find one lane and go down it.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

Yeah, I think it's also I I have just noticed over the years, like I think if you work with the bajillion different producers, like things are gonna go, you know, sound different. So that's why when I was writing all those songs after, like when I was with 19, yeah, the songs were great. There was a through line, but everything sounded so different because you're working with like 90 different producers, you know.

SPEAKER_06 10:34

That's yeah, it's tough to do that. And then so fairy towns, it has we were talking about this earlier, but fairy towns, it's is it a town of fairies, and that's what Staten Island is? Amen, brother.

SPEAKER_02 10:46

Okay, exactly. Well, it Staten Island is a fairy town, kind of. You know, I went to school in Manhattan, so I would took I took the Staten Island Ferry to school and fro every day.

SPEAKER_06 10:56

How so like even for grade school or for like what just high school? Okay, wow. High school was that amazing? Was it cold?

SPEAKER_02 11:02

It really was. I mean, it was like I was next to Joe from Wall Street talking with his kids. Like I was 14 with like just it was it was a crazy commute, you know, it was a lot of dedication for education. Yeah, how long did it take? Um probably like an hour and a half to get there two hours back. But it was worth it. I mean, everyone like it was a school filled with incredibly talented people.

SPEAKER_06 11:27

And there's school over on Staten Island. There is school over on St. Island.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

There's a bridge. Um I don't like sometimes I think it's so funny when people are like, how do you get off the island? I yeah, because I remember there is a bridge, but it doesn't go the opposite way, right? And it makes it a little bit. There's three there's oh, there's a bunch of bridges, actually. Oh, jeez, okay. We got the Verrazzano, we got the Bayon, we got the friggin' little Gopels. But uh Verazzano goes to Brooklyn. So it's like we're really I like that you've turned into a gangster a little bit later. Come on, like the Verrazzano. You can't say that without yeah, that sounded weird. Yeah, yeah, you gotta say that.

SPEAKER_06 12:03

Yeah, very Italian. Are you Italian? You yeah, yeah, okay. We hub we hub there in Staten Island. It's our hideaway. Uh okay.

SPEAKER_00 12:09

That is my hideaway.

SPEAKER_06 12:13

You know, that's not true. So wait, then uh we were talking about, I want you to kind of read redescribe it, but uh stat there's a lot of people that there's not Staten Island is kind of a small place.

SPEAKER_07 12:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 12:25

Um in fact, I my the secur the head of security, his name's Ray Heffernon. He I don't think I don't know if there was an idol tour because it was COVID, but when we did the idol tour in 2011, we uh we had the head of security and he lives in Staten Island and he puts on shows and we visited his house, and it was like a four-story building that he got in the 70s. Crazy. Yeah, so it just it's just so crazy to me that that that's a thing, and it's just so small, and I know that uh Saturday Night Live guy lives there. Um yeah, but the king of Staten Island? Yeah, he no longer he's graduated, he's graduated probably but uh our friend Vaughn Brielle Von Hugel. Yes, yes, she she went there. Now you were saying how how did you meet her exactly?

SPEAKER_02 13:14

We um there's this production studio called E.T. Studio Productions, and she was doing a lot of work with um Laura and Joey, who run the studio, and um I I guess I just had been in contact with her collaborators. Okay, and we wound up writing together and doing some stuff, and that's actually how I was uh got on American Idol was um I was doing my summer internship there, and part of it was like, you know, like we'll send in all of the our roster to the auditions, and so I got kind of just like looped in there.

SPEAKER_06 13:51

Did you want to do it a little bit before that?

SPEAKER_02 13:54

No, no, and not because I was too cool for school. Like it was genuine because like talk about a chicken. I was that's terrif like going on having Ryan Ryan Seacrest be like sorry, like if I didn't get in, I'm like sorry, and like your family's in shirts with your face on it, and they just have to turn you away. Um like the idea that made me want to swan dive off of the nearest building.

SPEAKER_06 14:19

But um I know how you feel. I was really scared. I didn't even bring my family because it was like if I get out, I want us to go solo, but that wasn't an option.

SPEAKER_02 14:26

And like there was a lot of people there. Yeah, I see. I was like, you've gotta be kidding me. No, I'm I'm ultimately, I guess, happy to do it.

SPEAKER_06 14:33

Well, that's good. So you made it through and you faced your fears with Ryan. You got to see him in person.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

I did. It's almost like you know, like the preliminary preliminary rounds.

SPEAKER_06 14:43

We're just scatting and rapping today. It's great. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Renaissance woman. Um preliminary rounds, yep. It's just like the vocal Olympics are going on around you. And I'm not a belter, I'm not a a runner, a vocal there, you know, I can sprinkle, but I'm not saying cheering around me, like, what am I? This is like a vocal competition. I'm like have writing songs with like eight minute guitar. So those like I was just so I felt so out of place. I just didn't, I couldn't imagine like we actually succeeding on the competition.

SPEAKER_06 15:14

But but yeah, you made it to number seven, right? Yes. I made it to six. I was I'd beat you by one, you know, and you know, technically.

SPEAKER_02 15:23

No, it's fine, I'll be seven. Well, we it was like top seven. Oh, tell me, tell me. Okay, technically you beat me. All right. No, that's not credit where it's two. That's not what I'm getting at. I was saying it was went from seven to five. So, my friend Louie Knight, who was six, who was seven, you know? Because we both got. Wow, so you're top seven or I'm sixth. Well, we got top seven, but who was sixth? Who was seventh? Oh, so we're technically the same. Maybe. I could be seventh. You know? I could be seventh, and he could be sixth.

SPEAKER_06 15:57

That'd be an interesting thing. I wonder if he could be. We should ask, we could we should ask Ryan. I'm gonna text. I'm gonna text my friend Patrick Lynn. I don't know if he was Patrick Lynn. Yeah, okay. Oh my gosh. Okay, I'm gonna ask him whether or not my phone's on the chart, but I'll I'll I'll put him in the channel.

SPEAKER_02 16:12

If he knows that, that'd be so exciting.

SPEAKER_06 16:15

Okay, I'm excited. Yeah, no, he's he's awesome, and I'm sure he'll actually I don't know if he knows. He we'll see, but I'm gonna ask him. It's been a question. It's been a question. No, no, I mean, because I I got voted off and then uh got that save. So I got saved. Yes. And then the there was two votes. Uh is that the same thing that happened to you, or were they just going by twos? We just went by twos. Gotcha. Okay, so I got saved, and then all of a sudden, so I sound religious. And then and then all of a sudden there was like I went from eleven to nine people. And so there were two people that got out, Thea and Naima. And so I wonder what they are. They might be eleven and ten. It's the same thing. Yes. That that must be tough. Is that is that a little bit more tough? Like, what how were the did you do press afterwards and did you have to do it with Louie?

SPEAKER_02 17:01

We didn't do I didn't do it with Louie. It was so press was so interesting. Well, even just being voted off remotely.

SPEAKER_06 17:08

It's weird, man. Now, was it easier for your anxiety for being in front of Ryan Seacrest?

unknown 17:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 17:14

But talk about like Truman show. Like, literally, it's just like, oh, okay. Because this was the day of the finale, so it went from seven to one, like in the same day. Well, oh, well, you made it to the finale.

SPEAKER_03 17:24

Hey yo!

SPEAKER_02 17:25

Hey yo! No, but um no, but they were like, oh, sorry. You have to go home. Joke's on you. I am home. You win in the end. I am home already. Kidding, guys, yeah, I'm there. But then the TVs just shut off. And then you're just in your house in silence. Yes, because it's it's like there's a monitor, like we're all singing from like doing the finale from our house. Oh, okay. And then everything just shuts off. If I remember that correctly, maybe I drama. No, I'm pretty sure that's what happened. And then you're just like in full glam with like like homemade clouds behind you that you hot glued like five hours, and then you're just like, What? Silence. And then you just sit on a couch. Okay. But it no, I would prefer, like, it was it wasn't um like really happy or sad. It was just weird. Like, imagine just being like on a TV and then every like the TV shut on, and you're just like, What? Wow. It's almost like a metaphor. It was so strange. A remote part of the IC.

SPEAKER_06 18:30

I remember being kind of uh kind of kind of sc like like you're right, Truman show. Like there was cameras all around us, yeah, all the time, and it almost felt like therapy because people are like, How do you feel about today's song? And you know, it's like and it's like midnight, and it's like, hey, how did the recording session go? 24 hours a day, I felt like, and then all of a sudden you're voted off, you go to somewhere else. And I remember being at the Jay Leno show, um and just it was cool, but I was I was crying because I was like, I don't have where are my cameras? Who can I talk to? And you're probably exhausted as well. Very much so, but you can at least you can go like lay in your bed.

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Yeah, it was why it was just so weird. Because also then when you're recording from your house and then watching the episode, you know, from your house, and it's of you in your house. Oh and nobody because it's it's it was just so true, it was so funny just filming something at my and and so you you you said you hot glued the clouds yourself.

SPEAKER_06 19:31

Oh, well and you did everything yourself.

SPEAKER_02 19:33

Oh, and my mother. It was crazy because you're you know, you can't even bring it, it was COVID, so they do they send you material? They do. Okay, and then they like Hunger Games in a parachute to sequence. Whoa.

SPEAKER_06 19:46

Okay, so do they have like a du different cameras as well? Or like we did it on iPhones. Okay. Yeah. Nice. I know. Okay, so does it feel a little bit like this, but one less person? Or one of the things?

SPEAKER_02 19:57

Yeah, it was very there was like th was there three ring lights? No, maybe one ring light, two, or three cameras, one ring light. We had the whole PA monitor situation go. Like Chris Pooley was like.

SPEAKER_06 20:08

Did you was Chris Pooley your no, but I've heard all about him. That's so incredible. Yes. And was it was he uh was he playing live? No, they had tracks. I was gonna say it'd be hard to do it from very far away. Unless they were like right outside your window or something like that. That'd be a dream. Yeah. Um so then uh like were the like when Katy Perry hugged you, like was that was that was that is that still the best moment of your life?

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Oh gosh, I watched that and I'm just like with the things I said. Oh, it's just there for a while. Um You don't know what to do. Yeah, no, I again I had no like I had no just clue where I stood in any America. Like I just had no idea if it was they liked it, if they didn't like it. When she approached you, did you kind of know that she liked you or Well when I saw her get up, I did, but honestly, before like when the song ended and No one was clapping, right? No one well no and no one said anything. All she did was like like almost told me to get on the mark, and I was like, oh whoa. So I was just so confused and it was late. It was like the last You were tired? It was it, you know, you get there at five, and then I went at like 8 p.m. I think like 5 a.m. So it was more just like I you I think what made me tired, obviously. It was just more the uh you think you're going next and then you're not. It's like the adrenal, like constant adrenaline stuff. So you gotta be ready at that time. I was like, you know, it's okay. Like I'm just gonna do it. Okay. I mean, I I had no choice. Um but no, when she it was incredibly validating. Okay, that's great. That's it. You know, I mean absolutely it's it's like an abnormally validating experience, I think, having like three legends. Were you fans of them before? Um, I mean, just like they're I think they were just a part of like growing up, you know? Right, yeah, exactly. Which is so cool. Like, I'm so cool. Listen to these people always, they just have made such an impact.

SPEAKER_06 21:58

Yeah, we were I think we were you and I were lucky to have like I would love to be in front of Katie and Lionel. Yes. And uh and and I would I would be in I'd be down to be in front of Paula and Simon as well. But yeah, we were the first season that like had uh Steven Tyler and J-Lo, and that was crazy. That was that's yeah, that's like you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

It's just like you guys have been everywhere my whole life. Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_06 22:19

Now attention, it's like yeah, how I I feel like you'd have to pay millions to get that kind of attention. Hey, listen to me sing. Yes, you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

Like them to be validated, like what that does for your confidence, which is just so hard to have. I always honestly still to this day, I mean it wasn't too long ago, but you just have to remember that happen. It's like people don't get that kind of validation to like get that gift of being.

SPEAKER_06 22:45

I I it's funny, I I think I'm pretty confident, but there's times where I'm like, I I I saw Steven Tyler in Las Vegas. I feel like I could have been like, hey, remember me, but I was so nervous. I know, and I didn't go up to him.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 22:59

And and everyone's like, why didn't you just go say hi to him? I was I was just like scared. There was he had 100% of bodyguards. He I feel like, you know, he like he talked to me. Like, why wouldn't he remember? He only did two seasons. Why wouldn't he remember me? But I was just so scared to talk to him. Maybe it was the right thing. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 23:15

Who knows?

SPEAKER_06 23:15

But it it felt it felt really it felt really weird. Did you make friends even though you were in COVID? I know that you um and how how was Hawaii, first of all? Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 23:25

I think at that point, okay. I have to preface by saying Hollywood week was so I that was not your question, but I just have to say why Hawaii was so euphoric for this reason. Hollywood week, you start off with like 400 people, and then you know that last day when there's like 40 of you there and everything's silent, and like the breakfast, it's like you can hear a pin drop, and just that moment of being like, I don't care what else happens. Like, this is so cool that I got to experience like the 400 people in Hollywood week, and then I'm here on this last day, yeah, going through to top 40, and it was I was like, wow. So when I got to Hawaii, I was already floating on air a little bit. I it was just so lit. I had never been to Hawaii. I was like, I felt like a Disney princess, it was crazy, and then um what was so cool about Hawaii too was that I think everybody had a different opinion on what song I should sing a little bit. And I kind of just was like, you know what? Like I'm just I just sang Glitter in the Air by Pink. And I like I'm just shocked by myself because I like am a very scared person. I'm a very scared individual. So to just be like, thank you, like executive producer, I'm not gonna take your advice and just sing this song was just a huge personal milestone for me and my artistry. Um but and then I did. I just got to like put down my instrument, which I don't even think I had ever done that in my life, except when I was doing jazz, but you're not really like uh you know, I just kind of was posted up in the corner of a restaurant. For sure.

SPEAKER_06 25:04

Like I'm not on a stage having to walk around and the first time where it's like I'm out in the open, look at me, kind of like Yeah, and I just felt so much like so peaceful and wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

And it was cool.

SPEAKER_06 25:15

Yeah, I think I got a good like reaction from Yeah, you were definitely like slapping hands in the audience.

SPEAKER_02 25:22

Oh, not the the audience, yes, that was cool. I did slap some hands, shook some babies, slap some babies, no slap some babies.

SPEAKER_06 25:31

I don't any babies, and you're giving all those people COVID, so it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

I was the re the super spreader original.

SPEAKER_06 25:38

You're the reason that it happened.

SPEAKER_02 25:39

I had a dark intention.

SPEAKER_06 25:41

Sorry about your no, okay. Um but that's that is crazy to to have to to like right after that you think you're gonna be on stage and then have to go straight into to co uh to hiding or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

Well, COVID didn't exist yet. Right. So that was cool. Yeah, that was nice.

SPEAKER_06 25:57

So you had so your last moment was with was with people in Hawaii. And did you so did you make friends with your with your top ten, I guess?

SPEAKER_02 26:06

Yeah, no, I made Hawaii is what Hawaii Hawaii Well, that word sounds um Hawaii was where I really started to talk to people. I think there's probably clips of me in Hollywood week with like like sunglasses on eating a granola bar, just like in a corner. I was so and I'm uh I opened up in Hawaii that's good. Um but yeah, no, I made some really great lifelong friends that I'm still like best pals with. Do you guys have uh a text chain? Like not together as one idol unit. Gotcha, okay, but individually, I still hang out with a lot of people from that show. That's cool. And any duets that you've done? Yeah, uh Francisco Martin, who's still one of my best friends uh to this day, uh we did right after uh Idol ended, we were both with 19 and we did a song together. That's cool on your album and or his pro solo project. Oh, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_06 27:04

Yeah, and were you playing piano on that?

SPEAKER_02 27:06

No, I was just sangin'. Sanging, okay. Which was awesome. It was so cool. Um, but I still I mean, I've written with so many of my friends from that show, and it's whenever they play, I love going out and seeing them, yada yada yada.

SPEAKER_06 27:21

Yeah, and then Rick Glassman reaches out to you.

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Dude, that was sick. Yeah, actually.

SPEAKER_06 27:26

Did he ver so did he just hit you up on Instagram?

SPEAKER_02 27:28

What happened? He did, he hit me up on Instagram. He was so nice and sweet and funny, and I loved talking to him so much.

SPEAKER_06 27:34

He's the best. I mean, he's obvious he's he's a big reason of why why I'm here. He he hit me up a couple times and was like, you if you're gonna do a podcast, like do do something like a uh a thing, and I was like, all right, well, I'll do any idols theme kind of thing. But he's he's been he's been helping me, and I did, I did the theme song to his podcast.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

Yes, and so I do know that.

SPEAKER_06 27:53

Yes, yeah. So he's he's so he's super nice to have had had me do that, and and he's keep he's kept it ever since day one. It's been the same exact thing. So he's a re he's a really good dude. But was that was that was that must have been validating as well to be on his podcast. Had you watched his podcast before.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Yeah, I mean he he popped up, and it was it what I love about Rick too, or just his just consistency and work ethic, like seeing how massive this podcast has gotten, and it was already, I mean, again, it was always on my for you page or um just like on my social media, yeah. Um but I mean he's hilarious, it's kind of impossible. It's a perfect recipe for success.

SPEAKER_06 28:33

Dude, he is so I mean, take your shoes off is like so perfect for his his personality, and yeah, I agree, like the fact that it's gotten huge. I mean, I think he started a couple different podcasts before that, and then he just stopped doing it, and then and then he was like, I'm gonna try this one. Yeah, and then this one is just kept going. And then as soon as Bill Burr was on it, and then Paul Rudd. Oh, everyone, and Paul Rudd in the most genius way, like he he like made it into a show, like he made it into a movie. It was like it was perfect. Yeah, so so I'm I'm glad I'm but we were we were both a part of it. That's cool. Would you you should go back and do it in uh I real life?

SPEAKER_02 29:13

Yes. I mean, I would love to so hard.

SPEAKER_06 29:16

You did talk to um you talked to to Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Rippa.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

Oh my gosh, the fan favorite.

SPEAKER_06 29:24

Oh my god, and you loved her because she's a she's a New Yorker, right? Or I think so. But she's definitely in New York.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

She's in New York, she's in there. I mean, yeah, no, that was really that was really validating too. That was a really cool experience. I mean, just um wow, what a need for validation. That was validating. Um, that was cool. Yeah, that was because like of this, like I guess it was you can vote one person to go on at the like after the show ended. Like from top seven, you can pick someone that would like go.

SPEAKER_06 29:55

You can as in the idol producers were no the the the masses, like the people, like our uh voters. The voters, as in the voters were like, I vote this person to go to see Kelly.

SPEAKER_02 30:09

Yes, good for you.

SPEAKER_06 30:11

So sick!

SPEAKER_02 30:12

I mean that was I'm 100% sure that was like mostly Staten Island. I feel like my family was set up for like overnight work, like you know, sni enough snacks and drinks to get them overnight, just voting as many times as I can. Like I just think so, you know.

SPEAKER_06 30:28

That's that's great. Um now I just I would love to get your opinion on this. I have uh a a short time after Idol, because this was 2020, right? That you did this, um, I was 2011. I think for about three or four years, I was kind of like people would come up to me on the streets and they would point at me and say, American Idol, right? Um I didn't like it for a little bit, but then I started to I feel like I I started to ease into it, and especially because I started doing other projects like postmodern jukebox and like scary pockets, and then all of a sudden, hey, you're you're a scary pockets guy, you're postmodern jukebox guy. And so all of a sudden I'm a guy. Yeah. Did it ever bother you? Like, I'm sure people have come up and like have done the same, hey, American Idol person. Like, is that is it annoying or are you into it? What's your what's your vibe?

SPEAKER_02 31:14

I mean, again, I think I mean I loved it at first. I thought it was so cool at first. Totally.

SPEAKER_03 31:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:23

Um, no, I did. I think I always I I think most artists like on that show are like, you know, how else can I kind of like what's next? Yeah, how to how to get rid of that, yes. Yeah, or or you know, what can top that, like what is a new identifiable thing that can people can pin point me out for a little bit. Um but yeah, oh my gosh, especially like going back to Staten Island and being on Staten Island during the time. There's a joke, Staten Island famous is a thing. Just Staten Island famous. It's exciting. You know, they were so oh my gosh, they they were so sweet.

SPEAKER_06 31:56

I'm sure everywhere you went, you know.

SPEAKER_02 31:57

Oh my god, I had like cannolies dropped off of my doorstep. I was like, that's great. Oh yeah. Well, people knew your name there, I'm sure. Yes. That's yeah, that's nice. Oh my gosh, it it was incredible. It really did make me love Staten Island even more than I I did. Um, but yeah, and that's was that was scary about fairy towns too. I mean it was scary and exciting because it was like a new opportunity to kind of, you know, not have American Idol to like fall back. I it was a challenge starting from scratch with certain things. But it's a good challenge, isn't it? Yes. It was, and you know, I I kind of was able to refresh my head space a little bit and my mindset about music and being a musician and pursuing that career because it does kind of change a little bit after a television show like that, especially when you're singing covers and um I I decided a little bit it kind of changed my relationship with music um in an interesting way. I was extremely personal before. Um but uh yeah, so Fairy Towns was an interesting um and also, you know, you build up this fan base from the show and you're kind of saying, you know, the people's attention spans are so little. I mean mine, not speaking for the masses. No, this is a little, yeah, it happened. Um but uh you know, people see the name Fairy Towns and they'll probably be like, uh, who is that?

SPEAKER_06 33:14

And unfollow, you know, so it was it was Oh, so you changed so it was your Instagram and then you switched it.

SPEAKER_02 33:19

I just did it and I went incognito.

SPEAKER_06 33:22

That's that's all good. I mean, well, but you're having a good time doing it. I am, I really am and it's it's a different kind of project. It is, and you're doing you're doing shows as fairy towns, yes.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

Okay, that just is what it is. And what's cool about this all is like if I just wanted to do something, uh put another album out as Julia Gargano. Like it's you know, you can I can do it, you can just do it all. You can do it all, yeah. That's nice.

SPEAKER_06 33:44

I can what's like Lady Gaga, Stephanie Germanato, you know, like it's it's all the is she Staten Island too?

SPEAKER_02 33:50

She is not, she's probably Brooklyn or something. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_06 33:55

Yeah, not Staten Island. There's a lot of but you you you start realizing who's all from New York, and that's that's really cool. Um okay, so you can you can be you can be you can be Julia, you can be fairy towns, you can be anything that you would want. That's really nice. Totally it's and that it's it's all about the music, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 34:10

Yes, it's just about sharing it. I think we can get so caught up in um branding. Yes, branding and overthinking, and which is oh you know, of course you should think about branding and you should put a lot of thought into it, but I found myself kind of using it as an excuse to stay like stuck and paralyzed a little bit. You know what I'm saying? Ah, sorry. Could you calm down? Sorry, I just want to break it. Okay. She's uh she's angry I'm so much paralyzing, gosh. But uh okay, sorry, we no, um to sum all that up because I lost I don't know what I was saying, but uh yeah, I really hope this year is just a year of sharing, just because sharing music is fun and I have a ton of it, and it's like bada bing, bada boom.

SPEAKER_06 34:52

Yeah, and that's really good that you got to to do your own personal music on the show. Yes, that was a bit and and you know, speaking of like I know that you said you were scared of things. Yes, but man, that was that's pretty brave. But you just knew you knew that it was it was time to share original music.

SPEAKER_02 35:06

Yes, I also just think and I had been you know writing and recording and putting stuff out before the show, but I I almost like always sang from the lens of a songwriter. Like I wasn't really trying to deliver the best vocal performance, I was trying to show what the song was. Storytelling, yeah. Yeah, or like I that's what I was showcasing more, and that's why American Idol was so scary because it's no longer I mean it is about the song, of course, but it's about your vocal ability. It's a voc like a vocality. Who won that year? Just Sam. Just Sam. Yes, was their name. Okay. Just Sam. Just Sam. Okay.

SPEAKER_06 35:39

Yes. Uh they were a vocal powerhouse, right? Yes. Yes. Tattoos? Yes. Okay, okay. Yeah, I remember. Yes. Incredible. But it's exactly what Rick was saying uh on his, which is like, you know, comedians and musicians are storytellers. And that's really what it comes down to. You know, he was saying it's like you gotta laugh and you gotta I don't know what musicians have to do, but the comedians have to make people laugh. Yeah. But it's at the at the core of it, we're we're telling stories and we have to get our story across. And that's that's the most, you know, like even if you're a saxophone player, you have to get the the the name of a song, you know, like Song for My Father. You know, like that's you know what it's about.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 36:18

And you're playing saxophone for your father. You know what I mean? It's like a deep, deep thing. So it's yeah, uh it's all about the story, and I think that that's I mean, that's what Scotty McCreary did on my year. Scotty McCreary was the low voice.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

Yeah, legend.

SPEAKER_06 36:31

Yeah, but he didn't have vocal runs. He was he was just singing really low. He was just going and that's kind of the cool part about him is that he can uh the older he gets, the lower his voice is gonna get. And it's like it doesn't he doesn't have to be high notes. Yeah, yeah. Um what's the what who is the nicest celebrity you've ever met? And did you meet any on idle?

SPEAKER_02 36:51

The nicest celebrity I've ever met. On idle, no.

SPEAKER_06 36:54

Again, I mean, they uh Did anyone zoom in? No.

SPEAKER_02 36:59

Oh, I think well, we like heard it was so funny. We would like hear the mentors talking. Whoa. Who were the mentors? I feel like it was crazy. It was like Stevie Wonder, a mentor. I feel like he was. Gosh, it was a black. I always joke about like about this time of my life, it was just such a black hole. Like oh, really? Okay, in a in a like, it was just so unbelievable. Like, just jet like I've watched the show, I watched your season line, like in my living room. Oh my gosh, we were huge fans. And it's of course, and um you're so you're so humble though. The fact that you're like, I don't know, maybe Stevie Wonder was. No, it's not humble. I just like wish I could be like freaking out about that, but what if he wasn't? And I'm just lying to everybody. I'm pretty sure he was though. Okay. But we like it wasn't really we didn't talk to him. Obviously, I would remember if we talked to these um folks, but um, yeah, that was a really that was like a strange setup. I remember like we kind of just it was like imposed in the episode after, like once it was live.

SPEAKER_06 37:57

Oh, okay. Did you meet anyone uh after that?

SPEAKER_02 38:00

Yeah, I mean, I think the nicest celebrity that I've met is probably Pink. Oh my god, you got to meet her? Yeah, I mean this was recently this is just you mean during Idol? No, no, no, uh Pink, yeah. That's amazing. She's an incredible, incredible.

SPEAKER_06 38:14

So did she know that you sang her song?

SPEAKER_02 38:16

Yes. Well, that's a crazy story of how we met. Which is I mean, just well, just the pipeline of that situation. Um, my publisher has been writing with her for decades. Oh, like best they're they're very close. And um I sang Glitter in the Air, which he wrote, so he reached out. Yeah, like perfect. It was so cool. That's why I mean I love American I it's just I do. Good. I love American Idol. Well, some you know, I feel like it's interesting to hear you know people's takes, but it was just such a door, like you know, it was such a crazy platform to have millions of people's attention. It's such like a once in a lifetime.

SPEAKER_06 39:00

And I think sometimes it's it's people are afraid to to admit that they had a good time. I think that's really what I mean. And for me, I always feel weird because I'm always like uh I love LA. I love seeing celebrities. I love I I love that. And a lot of people is like, oh, I see them all the time. It's like I still get excited. I get excited about that stuff. Yeah, but if you know, I let's let's admit the the good stuff.

SPEAKER_07 39:23

Let's not be afraid to intrude in people's you know, let's see.

SPEAKER_06 39:28

That's great. I'm glad you had a a really good time with it. And the fact that you got to meet Pink because of it.

SPEAKER_02 39:32

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_06 39:33

So you met her what so you the publisher set you up?

SPEAKER_02 39:36

Yeah, well, no, I mean they're just friends. He hit a show, we were both at the show, and we got to like hang out. And she's just so um just incredible. She's just everything you would hope Pink would be. Meet your heroes. Literally, and I'm just happy, you know. I know sometimes that can go south or whatever, but she's just it was just a really cool full circle moment. And um And that was recently. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 39:57

Congrats, that's awesome. What's the nicest compliment anyone's ever given you?

SPEAKER_02 40:02

The nicest compliment anyone has ever given me. Oh my god. I love them all. They're all pretty good. Nice. Um I think uh I oh man. I like getting com compliments about authenticity. I think that's always a nice one to get. And period. Period.

SPEAKER_06 40:33

What about the judges? What did anything that they ever said? Oh, um anything that's stuck with you.

SPEAKER_02 40:39

Oh, I mean, I get that first. There was a couple. I get I everything was just so shocking to me. Everything they said at any I think they could have called me like little Miss Piggy or something, and I still would have been like, thank you. I love you. Yes, ma'am. May I have another spam? Um, I think the first, I mean the initial audition with Growing Pains, especially because that was my song. And um Yeah. And I think just ever if I I would have to like just re-watching it. I mean, just them t predicting me going far in the competition.

SPEAKER_06 41:18

Oh, they kind of predicted almost the the number. Someone said top five. Yeah. Almost. You made that, yeah, you were you were the you were in the finale, so that's kind of top something, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

I mean, that's crazy to hear. It was all just like it's also cool to look back on because now you do I I'm constantly in co-writes, which I love. But that was a song I wrote by myself, and just you know, it was they said a lot of nice things, which was great. Also, in um uh New York State of Mind was a cru that was crazy. That was a nutty thing. I talked about it and I sound like I'm I'm boasting. But they that was like my I'm giving you permission. In fact, I'm in fact I'm forcing you to boast. Yeah. Here I go. So that was crazy. That was my first like all three like standing ovation. Somebody like got on the floor and like to the which is just I actually was so overwhelmed when I saw that I broke out in hives, like all yeah, I broke out in hives and like I had to like record a video for like the medical team being like, this is just severe anxiety. Don't worry, I'm just a nervous girl. Wow, yeah. Um, but that was nuts, that was crazy in my bedroom, and oh my gosh, you just never know. I think people were kind of nervous about that song too, or just that the arrangement wasn't like something, and then just for that to be the response. So that show always kept me on my toes. But um, I mean, that in the form of an action, the compliment was something that I'll like never forget. Yeah, that's that's a good compliment. Oh my gosh, like Katie Perry's three months pregnant on like get off the floor. Yeah, she can do whatever she wants. The whole show is just like one big compliment. It was crazy. Great.

SPEAKER_06 43:04

Do you have any dream venues or any dream venues that you've played?

SPEAKER_02 43:08

Oh, I mean, dream venue one that I played that's just super special to me, is actually in Staten Island. Have you ever played St. George Theater? In Staten Island?

SPEAKER_06 43:19

I've played a theater in Staten Island. Is there like a couple? I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

Is it really close to the oh gosh?

SPEAKER_06 43:25

It's really close to the ferry. I think so. I'll check.

SPEAKER_02 43:28

I'm pretty sure. Postmodern jukebox postmodern juice box juice box. Do you say that? Is anyone for postmodern juice box?

SPEAKER_06 43:37

That's actually a show. And it's postmodern, it's the kids' version of postmodern jukebox. That's so good.

SPEAKER_07 43:43

I've been happy somebody got off. Have you played with them PMJ or no? Okay.

SPEAKER_02 43:49

But I just have seen so many of the videos. Would you would you do it?

SPEAKER_07 43:52

A hundred percent. Okay. All right. Would you go to Nashville? That's where Scott is.

SPEAKER_02 43:56

I love Nashville.

SPEAKER_06 43:57

Okay. Scott?

SPEAKER_02 43:58

Okay, Scott.

SPEAKER_06 43:59

I'll I'll I'll I'll put in a word. But okay, so you played the Staten Island Theater.

SPEAKER_02 44:03

It's the St. George Theater. It was just so special. I used to see shows there a lot growing up and it was just kind of always such a big part of Staten Island and the community. So and it's beautiful. Oh my gosh, just the architecture. It's like I think I played there. Yeah, it's really stunning theater. Yeah. It's so ornate.

SPEAKER_06 44:23

Um good word.

SPEAKER_02 44:24

Thank you. Um I was gonna say the language is getting better here. No, it's the most beautiful theater. It was a dream come true. And um yeah, I mean dream venue. I think any like outdoor, like what's the one in Jersey? P and Z. It's not like a dream. It's just I always think of I decide this by what shows I have gone to as a child and just being in the crowd, being whoa. Yeah you know, so that's like my PC that's in Jersey. Okay. Um I just saw like everyone that I loved there, and it was it would be wild to go there.

SPEAKER_06 45:04

Yeah, and it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. And uh once I see that on your Instagram, I'm gonna hit you up and I'm gonna be like, hey, I heard it first. Cool, that would be fun. All right, well, are you down to jam? Yeah, that's a jam. Alright, cool.

SPEAKER_07 45:19

Oh, cut me.

SPEAKER_06 45:32

And again, we can We don't have to do the whole song with the fact.

SPEAKER_02 45:43

Should I I can pick it up right? We gotta do this.

SPEAKER_06 45:48

Whatever's comfortable. I'm I'm I'm here for you, but let's see.

SPEAKER_04 45:57

Oh, I need quite an impression.

SPEAKER_07 46:00

Um what are you doing there? Uh is it different? So I'm going uh G minor A. Is it different the second? The fourth time? C. Is it switch at each time? I mean I like that.

SPEAKER_02 46:18

It's every time. It switches every other time.

SPEAKER_05 46:25

Love it. And is it push sometimes?

SPEAKER_06 46:34

Cool. Alright, let's let's let's start from the okay, that's great. Nice.

SPEAKER_04 46:41

Okay. Next to me to re separate.

SPEAKER_05 46:46

Great. Okay, okay, wait, wait. And then is there something No, I'm just looking at Please do it. Okay. No, wait, wait, so it's like a shot. Uh pre chorus.

SPEAKER_07 47:13

And then it's the same as the first side. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 47:22

Okay, cool. Nice. Uh do all right.

SPEAKER_07 47:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 47:28

Yeah. Alright. You started kind of off.

SPEAKER_07 47:30

One.

SPEAKER_04 47:43

Oh, I leave quite an impression five feet to be exact. You're wondering why happy scrolls when mission my body is where they're at Now I'm gon' big or still Next to me, one to bring a ship around I heard you back together. And if that's true, you just have to chase me when he's kissing you. If you want forever, I bet you do just know you'll chase me to La La La La La La La La La La La La La La La La.

SPEAKER_05 48:48

What the that was great!

SPEAKER_07 48:49

Okay, go right! I feel really good about it too. No fresh. No fresh, no fresh. I feel really good about it. Me too. Alright. Thank you. Thanks for coming over. Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 48:59

We are idle.

SPEAKER_01 49:02

We are idle. With the boys dead. We are idol.

SPEAKER_00 49:15

We are idols.