June 6, 2024 • 70 mins
Prepare for a fascinating and gleeful insider look at an integral part of the show you didn't see … the session singers!
Luke Edgemon and Nikki Leonti join Jenna and Kevin to share stories about their hectic and chaotic world recording guide vocals for the cast. They've got stories for days, and they're not holding back!
Their personal stories are just as wild as the behind-the-scenes ones! Luke reveals how he went from an American Idol hopeful to recording all of Artie's vocals (Kevin is still shook by his voice), and Nikki's story could be a show itself! She tells the duo how her journey led her to Glee, recording guide vocals for Naya Rivera, Kate Hudson, and even Jane Lynch!
Plus, the tea on the Jazz Night parties that major celebrities like Stevie Wonder and Prince attended!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And That's what You Really Missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to and That's What You Really miss Podcast. Today,
we have a very special episode Stacked. It's so interesting
because these two guests that we have were so integral
and so prominent in our experience, yet so far, so
(00:30):
distant and far away from our experience as well. Today
we have two amazing session singers who were guide singers
for the lead vocals and also are all of the
vocals that you hear in all of our songs, all
the backgrounds, any background any ooh, any ah, any da,
any anything that's them.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
There are some of the most incredibly talented, gifted people
on the planet. There's a whole team of them that
worked on the show throughout the years. These are just
to I mean, the amount of people who worked on
the show and shared their like talents in this way
is like unfathomable almost, And I'm just so excited to
(01:12):
get into some of the specifics and show you guys
what it takes to, you know, do this part of
making Glee and just how they're so so good and
I can't believe we got this many talented people, you know,
singers to work on the show in this way. So
first up, we have the incredible Nikki leanti By.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Hello, everybody, thank you so much for doing this. We're
so excited to talk with you.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
I was already just kind of looking through some files
and peeking through that time in my life and.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I'm like, oh, that was so great. It was such
a great time.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
No, truly, I can't wait to hear about it, because, like,
I feel like you guys were living a totally different
Glee life than we were. So can you first just
tell us like who you are and like how you
kind of got into the industry and what your career
has looked like.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
So I signed a record deal when I was thirteen
years old, and I was in the like gospel world,
touring all over the world, doing that till I was eighteen,
and so I was a Christian singer on the radio
who got pregnant as a teenager. And so you can't
(02:36):
you can't really do that. They took my songs off
the radio and off my records off the shelfs I'm like,
the whole thing. So that's how I got into session
singing is because I lost all my work and I
(02:57):
didn't know what I was going to do. And so
I started singing in Nashville for different country singers, and
I toured with Carrie Underwood for a couple of years
as her background.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Singer, and then that led me to LA.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
I signed a record deal with Warner Brothers at that
point with a group I had called Nikki and Rich
and I thought that was gonna be like the redeeming
choice that you know, makes everything okay. And we were
on all the late night shows and Ellen and they're like,
this is the next big group. And then this a
(03:31):
new management came into Warner Brothers and took over, and
then about fifty percent of the roster got dropped.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
And so that leads me to Tim Davis, who while
I was in I was living in West Hollywood. He
calls me up, is like, hey, I know you know
you're going through a lot. You lost your record deal.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Will you sing? Can you sing in Spanish?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
And I was like, I have sing in Spanish because well,
you know, I'd already done something.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I already did say a little prayer for you for.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
One of the episodes like this, in particular, this is
a Lady Gaga song Americano and will you come in
and sing this song? And can you sing a Spanish?
And I said yes, yes, see see I.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Will be there.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
And I knew that I knew from the singers that
I'd heard from on the show that it was going
really well for them and it was a great experience.
And so I'm like, well, I need to go nail
this so I can get on all these songs.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Right, Well, there's no way you wouldn't nail it. Also, like,
by the way, someone who gets a record deal at
thirteen and then again like it's hard to even get one.
And I feel like you guys, the people who could
do what you do, Like the number is small because
you go into the studio and you guys are singing
(04:57):
every different genre right Like we're only seeinginging to what
you guys are laying down and like your voice is
so stupid, Like your voice is so insane. And I
remember like we would get our demo sometimes, so like
you you go in and definitely want you to like
explain the whole process of it. But like when we
(05:19):
would receive them, we'd be like, how do we do this?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
These are terrifying guys, you're like, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Because anyone who knows, like if you, like you were
on tour with Carrie Underwood, like the background singers are
always like the most gifted singers in the world because
so much is asked of you and you either can
do it or you can't. And so like, if you're
able to hang and have a career in that and
keep getting hired, it's because you're just so so good.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
And I will say not on behalf of me, but
on all the singers that did these.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Songs on Glee. I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
It's really hard and even like you know, singing with
singers who have these great soprano voices and then you
have to go in and.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Chest above what they're doing.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
It like you have to have like major versatility and chops.
But it also makes it very hard for a session
singer to transfer into artistry. I've rarely seen that happen
because you're being paid to Hey, I want you to
sound like Brittany Expears. I want you to sound like
(06:30):
this singer. And you can go, well, I'll do whatever
you want me to do. I'll sing whatever you want
me to sing. But you can start to really lose
yourself and your sound by.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Doing that too.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So can you tell us, like what the process is
like Americana? You know, you go in, do you learn
the song beforehand? Like what do you get and how
much time do you get within the process of laying
down that track?
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Okay, Well, most of the songs that I did for Glee,
a lot of them'd walk in and they're like, this
is what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Oh my god, right on this spot. And so we
didn't know, Okay, is this gonna be like a ooh
ou day real quick?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Or am I going to be here for sixteen hours
screaming my ass off?
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
You never knew, you know, And so it was all
up in the air, and we'd get excited on someday
on some days, you know, like oh, we're sleeping here tonight.
And other days we'd walk in I remember, I think
it was it wasn't the Trolley song. It might have said,
but we went in and we just you know, did
this background part, and like they're like, you get to
(07:39):
leave after an hour, but this is because you did
you know, a twenty.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Hour workday this week. That's that's life. Paying you back,
basically you're earned for the week.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, and then would they tell you like who you were,
whose guide you were, like which character did you learn?
After a I like, okay, today I'm doing Santana, you know,
for like Naya or you know, like Cassandra for Americana,
Like did they tell you that?
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, they would let us know, like this is kind
of what her vocal range is, this is what her
ability is. She doesn't really do a lot of runs,
so make sure you know, they would tell us with
each person. So I knew, like, oh, Naya can really sing.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Yeah, you know, so I'm going to be.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Working today, singing really hard today and you know, yeah,
And I covered a lot of her stuff and the
Marlee Marley's character and even some of the guest actresses
and even towards the end Sue Sylvester's you know, her character,
(08:46):
which I loved doing that.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And I have a voice that can go older as well.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
And you know Adam anders had he did a show,
was it the prom and I know Meryl streeps, oh
my god, yes, And so that was a lot of
fun because I can get into character.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
You have to get into character as like Okay, I'm
like a seventy year old woman today.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So with glee, I have to do that. I have
to go from like Nya to Jaylen.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You know she has the range, she has the range. Wow. Wow,
when you were doing when you were going into record
a vocal because like when we go in, we'd follow
your guides, you know, to the tee because it's efficient.
It saves time. And like because between you and Alex
or Adam or Tim, like you guys know our voices.
(09:39):
So you're doing it in a way that makes it
easier for us when you're going into do your original
take on it being pretending to be Nya or Jane
whoever it is. Are you creating that on your own?
Are they to sort of go for it, do what
you think is right for this or is is it
more of a you Adam is saying it needs to
(10:01):
be actually this particular way, and then he has the
idea in his head and you're just you know, doing
that or is it both? And make sure both?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, it's both.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Sometimes there's like, hey, take this section and do runs
on it, and they're like love that.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Keeping that you know.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
We have some of our own creativity involved. And then
something's you know, he'd be extra precise with and just saying, no,
we need to lock this in exactly like how she
would do it. Depending on the character and the scene,
or especially if we did more of the Broadway songs
(10:37):
over the pop songs, you know that we would have
to go in and really.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Fine tune every little piece. But he you know, when
you have.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Your character too, you kind of get into that role
yourself as a singer, and you start after you've done
ten songs in that character's voice, you can kind of
go in and know, oh, they're not going to take this,
and he wants it to sound like this.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
So you kind of start learning what each person needs
and what they want. And you know, Adam's a master.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Vocal producer, although he didn't vocal produce everything. Uh you know,
Tim did so much and his brother alex Anders did
so much too, and so depending on who we got
that day, and you know, it was awesome. I loved
getting Adam as a vocal producer, which wasn't all the
time because he really he really had a great year for.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
You know what.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
He exactly what he wanted and so did Tim.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
So it was all just like a really great experience.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
How much time did you get to do these things?
Because I remember, I think once I became friends with
Luke or somebody, I started getting like videos like how
quickly you guys would do things, and it was like
we thought, we were like, oh, we have to record
this whole song in forty five minutes. You guys are
not only recording it, but you're also coming up with it.
(12:12):
So there's this that also takes time. Creativity takes time
to like how am I going to work this out?
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Right?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
So how much time would you necessarily get, let's say,
for lead vocal versus you know, a a group vocal. Yeah,
oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Group songs were hours depending on how many parts were
in it and how you know when you hear like the.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Okay, we're in there for a minute, you know, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
But the guide vocals were anywhere from one to three
hours sometimes and sometimes less.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
It really depends. I feel like Tightrope took a mite,
not the same, like they were just like trying to
get it perfect. That took a bit. You know, it
just depends.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
And you know, Glee music was so uh ever changing,
and you had you know, you had a basic sound,
a thread that went through all of the songs. That
was the Glee sound, but stylistically it changed a lot.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Yeah, you know from episode to episodes. That's what made
it so fun, and that's why they hired singers who
could have diversity of sound, because you needed to. Some
days we're.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Screaming our lungs out, and some days we're doing the
most The easy the hardest stuff was the stuff that
sounds the easiest, and you're doing like the breath.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Work and this silent little noises and.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
The oo's and the more sound EFFECTI kind of singing
that would come from a cappella groups and stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
That stuff took a while.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Crane imagine, Yeah, yeah, I mean had you done that
sort of? I guess with the a cappella sort of
things that were so particular to this show. Was that
new for you to do?
Speaker 3 (14:12):
It was?
Speaker 4 (14:13):
You know, it was kind of I was a more
of like a featured background singer type person.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I go in, I sing on records.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
I done like Kelly Clarkson before, and you know, Selena Gomez,
Demi Levado, I had like a lot of background singing,
but pop those are pop records, right, you know, and singing.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Harmony on heart Attack, was just way different, you know, for.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Demi's time coming in and standing alone in this and
in your sound with you know, six singers and being
given a your own part to sing perfectly like this
is like barbershop quartet stuff sometimes.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I mean you really got to know your.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
It's a totally different space in the brain. Singing background
is a totally different space than.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
A lead singer too.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
I mean you have to be able to be artistic
and sell the song as the main singer and then
step back into parts and do all that, which is
why not all the people who sing in groups did leads,
you know, but a lot of them did, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
It's like you have to have different strengths to do that.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yeah, that is a crazy skill set. Really same. Also,
I just like to point out like how you're singing backgrounds,
like with vocalists, like people like Kelly Clinton de Levado
are singers. Yeah, they're not hiring people who can't keep
(15:44):
up with them.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
I've had been really lucky to sing with singers, real
great vocal even Carrie Underwood live. I mean she was
always so there was never a point when I was
singing with her that she was going off or anything.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Like she's you have to be on.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
She's really precise in the pit.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yes, yeah she was. She was uh my.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
First like training ground for really accessing that side of
my my voice and ability. Like being on with her
was like a master class of background for sure. But yeah,
like Demi's an insane singer and you know, it's it's
been quite vast. And I've also done just really random
(16:31):
stuff with rappers and I.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Got to sing.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Back on you know, Mac Miller and Roddy Rich and
Tyler the creator, and my resume is really crazy, really
really crazy versatile.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, she can't do.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Do you have any in your memory of Glee songs,
like any favorites that come to mind, or any that
were like particularly hard or challenging for you guys.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Let's see, I always loved.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
When like I remember doing uh at the ballet with
Nicky Anders. Yeah, when you're popping into just a totally
different thing.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
We have to do some kind of speak singing.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
And the different uh sound that you have to do
when you're doing theaters. Now that's a totally different skill set,
right to me. I feel like, you know, like Nikki
no and then your words differently here I enjoyed that
though I felt like it, it made the experience a
little different and challenged us when we had those songs,
(17:37):
and Alfie was also a really fun one for me
to do. Those ended up being my favorite. Ones were
the ones I had never really uh tried to do.
I had never had really any history in musical theater,
so that that was the stuff that made us really excited.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
I love that, like the more challenging outside of the
box for you, the more you sank your teeth into
it right right.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
It was like teaching us something. And you know, I
loved the pop songs for a thousand years and doing
all the different beautiful music, but those songs were a blast.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
I'm forgetting there's this.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Song or two that I sang and they kept my
vocals for like when it was like the cheer competitions and.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Oh yeah, I forget.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
I couldn't remember it for the life of me, but
I remember the paycheck was different.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Well, we've talked about how for so long our schedules
were always so opposite of you guys, and so like
when you guys weren't recording like then we would record.
So there were these like other half of ourselves and
like you guys, and so we never had any overlap.
(18:55):
And I remember you guys, you hosted Jazz and I.
It's at the W Hotel, Yes, in Hollywood, and it
was sort of like our only way to get to
like all see each other, meet each other. And it
was years into it, and I we knew you, like
from hearing your voice, like demos and things, and this
(19:19):
night was so incredible And you did it for years,
didn't you, Like wasn't And it was just like we'd
show up at the W Hotel and you would sing
your face off and you'd have all your friends come
up and sing their faces up, and a lot of
them also worked on Glee, Yes, And it was like
the best night of the week, and we all got
(19:41):
just got to like sit and watch you and be
a fan and it was so special. How was that
for you? Like getting to do that thing?
Speaker 3 (19:50):
That was a.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Blast, And it was fun when you guys came out
to watch for us, And like you were saying, I mean,
we didn't really have a lot of interaction excess.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Maybe Luke would get a text from Amber Riley saying like.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Oh my gosh, Anita killed this vocal or whatever. You know,
we would get word, you know, from the actors through
the singers sometimes of like this is amazing, we love it.
So to be able to you know, the w is
where I started to meet every not everyone, but a
lot of people from the cast ended up coming through
(20:25):
at some point.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, and she one night, Stevie wonders, what the hell
is going on?
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Chris Cave Now.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Yes, he got on stage where we were singing help
from my friends and did this guitar solo, and before
we knew it, it was all over every media outlet.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Within a couple of days. Then people were.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
Contacting us to like buy the guitar that he used
from our guitars. Like it was a crazy night. A
lot of really crazy stuff happened.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
That's why I can't like express enough how good Nikki is.
Like those people aren't getting up on stage for people
who aren't that level.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah yeah, yeah you.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
No, you're just the best.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
And even like Amber sang a couple of times and
killed it.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, yeah, she does it.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I was so happy you guys like you did that
because I I loved coming to that and it was
so nice to get to hang out with you guys
and see you all perform like in your element and
do your thing, and those like people showed up. There
were so many people at those things. It was a
wild time and it was like to hear the best
of the best. It was like there was I don't
(21:39):
know of any other experience or place or thing to
show up to, and you're only getting like the best vocalists,
like some of the best vocalists in all the country
on one night every single week. It was crazy.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
It became a magnet for that.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I mean, we'd have the New York singers coming through,
different Nashville singers, So it became like a hub of Oh,
if I'm going into LA and I'm a singer and
I want to get on the jazz night show, you know,
and we have people knew if they come, you're gonna
people are gonna sing your faces off. Yeah, there's the
(22:14):
people who sing for the TV shows and the people who.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Don't get heard there they get.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Heard but not seen. Sorry, the people who don't get seen.
And so my goal was to bring out the people,
you know, to the forefront for the show that are
the heartbeat of like the industry.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yes, yeah, it felt it was like we It also
felt like exactly that an opportunity because we knew how
talented all of you were, and like how people are
necessarily going to hear these demos that we get, like
we're so privileged to hear every single episode, and it
was just like, yes, please, these are the faces that
you need to see because they're so good.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
You know, people don't understand, Like I remember how hard
it was to tell people what we did.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You know, we well.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
They're like I was listening to Naya and it didn't
sound like You're like, well, no, it's nia you know,
she's singing that, you know, and it's not me. But
when they all get in a group together and they're
all you know in the either lockers, that's what pays
(23:23):
our bills. That's where we get our residuals, is the
group numbers. You know, we had so many contracts and
you know, hopefully you know streamings doesn't I want get
into that. We had so many contracts per episode. You know,
we we thought, what is this going to be like,
(23:44):
because there is not a show that can contract us
for four or five numbers.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
You know, in a single episode. What is our retirement
gonna look like?
Speaker 4 (23:59):
Especially being on network TV and screaming at the time,
you know, we had our I was like, I didn't
want to miss a single job. If I got asked
to do a job, I didn't go on my honey
like a honeymoon.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Yeah, because every job, every song, miss three are syndication
or whatever this could be.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
We didn't want to miss a single job. I mean,
singers wouldn't miss picked out one day with like walking pneumonia.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Stop.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
You know, I'm serious, I said, Nikki, go home.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
I'm good, I'm here, I'm here.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Needs this exactly, exactly want to miss it?
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I got it. Before we let you go, I have
a question for you. We have a question for you.
What is the feeling that Glee leaves you with your experience?
Speaker 4 (25:00):
It's in my career is so crazy, like we said,
and diverse and wild.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
It was such a special time for me.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I think it was we had our own group of
people and friendships that were happening behind the scenes. That
was just such a big deal. Seeing the show take
off and be this It changed TV at the time,
you know, it changed everything. Like it we were a
part of this growing, expanding, exploding situation that made us
(25:39):
all excited of like these opportunities and the possibilities and
what that was like. We were experiencing that in the
background too, as you guys were the faces and voices
of this. We got to experience some of that excitement
and it's something I'll never forget. It was like, you know,
your your high school or college experience. You know, you
(26:01):
go back and you have these friends, and we had
our final day where we're singing the big anthem.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You know, no one's going to see us doing.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
That in this room, but we're swaying like we're graduating
and having this our own, you know, goodbye moment of
something that changed.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
All of our lives. It really did. As singers. It
changed us. It was special.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
And you know, even though we were a little distanced
from you guys, all of what you guys went through
affected us, and all of the things during the show
affected us behind the scenes and our hearts. Our hearts
were always interconnected with the process, even though we were
all doing it in separate spaces. It was a real
(26:48):
like family experience.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Yeah, well, you are just like the most talented person
on the planet. Thank you for spending time with us
sharing your experience.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
It was so nice to.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Hear I love this. I was like, I wonder where
this is going to go? So many I was thinking.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
I was like, do you have any crazy stories? And
I was like, the only one I could think of
is when I accidentally got a Frank Ocean song taken
off of the Glee. But it would have happened anyway.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Wait what I was in the.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
My old managers managed Frank Ocean, and I was sitting
in the booths getting ready to sing one of his
big songs.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
What was a beautiful song unrequired Loves.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Easy Religion, bad Religion.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I was singing that and it was like a really
intricate song and like a couple of lines in and
I'm texting his manager, who's like was one of my
good friends, Like, I'm so excited of doing a Frank
Ocean song today, And she said, what the hell you know?
Speaker 3 (27:52):
And so and like within five minutes, Nikki, you're done
for the day. That the man that had just reached
out that they didn't clear this.
Speaker 7 (28:02):
Song or whatever.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
They never knew that happened. Adam doesn't know that happened.
But we're far enough out that.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I ye, it would have happened anyway anyway. That was
ever gonna.
Speaker 6 (28:19):
Clear just saved you some time. You know what, I
do remember that being in the script. I completely forgot
about that, and I remember being so upset that I
wasn't singing it. It's such a good he's my favorite.
Oh yeah, I love that song.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
I was so excited.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
That was funny.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
That's really funny.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Wow, like Nikki get out.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
I'm like, well, I still get paid because I sang
two lines on the literally it's sag it's union.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Oh that's wild.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Oh my goodness. Well, thank you so much for taking
the time to chat with us. Really we appreciate it.
And it was so good to see your face and
like she's just so chalented. Good luck with everything.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Thank you all so much.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Well, well, well some tea right there.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
The things I would have done to get Frank Ocean's
music on the show so upset.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
I know, I remember. I vaguely remember this because you
were very excited.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
I'm also being surprised that it was happening, but it didn't.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Right, Maybe you were surprised because you were surprised that
was happening and then it didn't happen, because.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah, it was short lived. But I love Nikki like
also like saying for so many different people on the show,
it's crazy. I love that she loved doing the musical
theater songs. I know, the most challenging for her was
the most fun. Yeah, you can just tell she's a sponge.
Speaker 7 (29:54):
Like.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
The things she can do with her voice.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Is just I mean, these people were special creatures and
their skill set is special creature. Yeah, thank you, Nikki, Yeah,
thank you Nikki. We have the one and only Luke
(30:17):
Edgemond who did my guide vocals for like half the show,
and he's one of the best singers I've ever heard
in my entire life.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
And here he is, Luke.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
Wa hell, this is wild.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
How are you.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
I'm good. It's so good to see you.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Guys, It's so good to see you. I hate you
because you are so stupidly gifted. To be on the
receiving end of one of your demos is cruel. It's
so mean because it really lets you know that you
(31:09):
are never going to be good enough.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
I appreciate that, but you too, right.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
No, No, I am not full of shit. You are
so good that Okay, so Luke would do at some
point I don't remember what season it happened. Do you
remember what season happened?
Speaker 5 (31:28):
I think it was for oddly.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Because I got comfy.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
It's like I had like two or three rotating like
demo singers, all very very good. Sure, and then Luke
comes in right it starts running like it's a marathon,
and like doing all these you'll hear like if anyone
you know has really paid attention to like I guess
(31:57):
what Artie is singing. It's changes like quite dramatically, and
I just I'm so thankful for you. I will back
it up because I could go on like this senior
prises all day. But Luke, how did this all like
happen for you? How did this start?
Speaker 5 (32:14):
It's wild because I met a few people from like Adamanders,
Tim Davis just through moving to La trying to hit it,
and they were like, you have to sing on the show.
But unfortunately it's like already in the game. The continuity
is really intense, and so they have guide vocalists who
(32:36):
are assigned to the actors and we've already got basically
everybody assigned, but like, we really want you to be
a part of it, and I'm just thinking, oh, whatever
you want. And that was in season two and they
were putting the Warblers together and so they were like,
we're just gonna get you in front of Brian any
way we can, so just can you step touch? And
(32:58):
I was like fuckh like I can't. I can'tnot like no, no,
no no, Like you have me, you have me gunning
for the person who sits down to sing for the
right reason, Like I'm like super scared, like not not
part yes, And Tim was like you have to do
(33:19):
this because this is going to be your end, and
I just I have a feeling. So I did a
few episodes and then they did the Britney two point
zero episode and I do the backgrounds on the boyfriend
song Think, and then after that I was just in.
(33:41):
I had to. Like the Warblers were getting weirdly.
Speaker 8 (33:44):
Like like they were getting hired to appear places like
off the show and ship like it was so odd
and I was like this makes me.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't know, it really made me uncomfortable, but it
just super weird and like we were going places in
the jackets and like walking carpets and I was like
this is not like I want to sing, Like I
have no idea what And so thankfully they were like
one day they needed to book a guide vocal and
(34:17):
a warbler taping and I was like, no, please take
me to the thing inside, and so they replaced me
and that was the take for that song and somebody
else did your guide vocal? Shout out to Jerid Scott,
so yeah, like so good. But then after that I
was just in and basically never left and like was
hitched to the wagon.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
You change my life.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Kevin would get these guys. We would get these guides,
and Kevin's jaw would be on the ground and he said,
I'm texting Luke.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Because the first few times I didn't have his number,
I didn't know who he was. And I'm like, first
of all, this is a new person, and why do
they think I'm capable of doing this? Like what was
Alex thinking letting this like get through because there's no
way we have such limited time in the studio, right
And I was like, I don't have time for this,
(35:09):
Like I'm already on the verge of a meltdown every
time I go into the recording studio. And I just
I was like, oh, they really gave him freedom. They said,
you do you okay?
Speaker 5 (35:20):
You would think so because the way we started out
every song was we have to do this also as
fast I'm sure as you guys had too, but we
have to do this exactly like the record, and then
you're going to have like two little spots to just
go off. But they told me they wanted it to
be like you, and you're gonna kill me for this.
(35:43):
But I already knew your boys, so we don't have
to discuss how. But you know, you know, but I
was a fan. I knew your ones, I knew the
type of music you listened to, just from like knowing
your voice from years before. It makes sense, so I
(36:05):
was I thought I was being you a little bit
like I don't know when it kind of started morphing
into artie. I don't know that it ever did that.
I was trying to be you when they were saying
that give it a little second, because I often did
guides for like Darren and Pord and I never was
(36:26):
given those moments because they didn't sing like that. So
I feel like, you know, I appreciate your accolades, but
I was emulating you the whole time. I mean, or
at least what I thought your voice was, or what
it was to me.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
You know, I love that my voice sounded like that
in your head.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
I wish I.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Wish my voice sounded like But I have to say
you made me I think a much better singer where
I think I started to sound like you in a
good way, like because I just wanted. The first couple
of sessions, it was meltdown city of I can't do this.
He is too good for me, like I don't. I
(37:10):
can't keep up with him. And also your tone is insane,
and it's it's like you know when Sea writes a song,
and you know when Sia has written the song for
somebody else because everyone's trying to do see it because
her tone is so cool, totally or beyond like your
technical ability, which is wild. Your tone is unreal. And
(37:31):
so I go in there, I'm like, well, I'm a
fan of this person now right, and I just want
to hear their version of like I just want to
And so there was so often I was like, how
do I get that rasp on this word? Or like
you were certainly throwing these like oh, like he is
Michael Jackson. He's like, oh, yes, that's what I've been
(37:52):
wanting to do for years but never allowed me to
do them.
Speaker 5 (37:54):
Yo, Okay. Somewhere in the last few seasons, Adam made
a like just cut of two minutes, two minute and
a half, two minutes of just in the end of
phrases so bad and also I was so bad at talking.
I hated when you had to talk?
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Why did I always have to talk? And songs oh, like, oh,
it's my least favorite thing in the world.
Speaker 5 (38:23):
Made my skin crawl. And Adam every day was like,
if you didn't sing like this, I would fire you
for the talking part, like this sucks, this sucks. And
there were several times I guarantee you several times that
Tim or Adam were doing the talking parts in my
yeah often I know. Uh the Robin Thick song definitely
(38:45):
didn't speak in that at all.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Just said that was Yeah, I'm so glad you felt
that way too. I had to really, it was one
of those songs like I had to pull up. I'm like,
this is my job. I'm getting paid to do this. Yeah,
I have to ignore how uncomfortable and how much my
skin is crawling in this moment, likeyt like, hey girl,
(39:09):
let me run away, please, let me run into traffic
uptown fun Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Yeah, skin crawl.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
The whole thing is just jin.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
The song is the worst. It's actually the worst happened
so often. Had you done much session singing before Glee?
Speaker 5 (39:29):
No, not a lot. I learned so much about session
singing during that, and every session post Lee has been
a breeze because I mean, y'all know, we're on two
hundred in those sessions, and the amount of stuff that
those producers and musicians and singers and engineers and vocalists,
(39:52):
the amount of stuff that happens in twenty four hours
takes weeks or months sometimes and we were all going
one hundred miles an hour. I don't know how you
guys did it being on camera as well, because just
the off camera side of guides and backgrounds. I mean,
(40:12):
I was in the studio in near Adam's house in
like sixty eighty hours a week often, and I mean
there were times we did that. It was a meat
loaf song, Paradise by the dashboard, that's twenty four hours,
and slept in East West on sunset. People had sleeping bags,
(40:33):
people brocks. Like Tim was like, bring your jammis it's
going to be a long night. Left at six am,
I mean, and it was I mean that was normal
for many years, and so I don't know. I don't
know how y'all did it.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I was saying. The difference is is like you're also
having to sing. It's like you get tired. You're different.
Like I feel like the voice it's impacted by all
those things so easily. Maybe not you guys because you're
all like experts, but like a good gust of wind
break messes up my voice.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, hours forget.
Speaker 5 (41:11):
It right every now and then I go through that.
But for the most part, I think there was just
a certain part of my range that was just used
and abused for so many hours of every day of
every week, and so it was kind of a muscle
memory thing. At some point, like we felt the fatigue.
But when we were coming in the studio, Tim was like,
(41:34):
y'all need a steroid, We're gonna get the nurse up here,
or like there was no there was no time.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
To Yeah, we around.
Speaker 5 (41:40):
The type of money we were making, the type of
hours we were putting in to make that money was
unheard of in the session world at the time, and
I'm pretty sure that it has not been the same since.
I mean, those the rates were insane. The amount of
time I've never been in the studio that long.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Good though, That's very good to hear though, Like because
you guys yeah, oh yeah, they.
Speaker 5 (42:02):
Yeah, they they It was a huge blessing and I
you know, we worked, we worked for what we made,
but it was like it was it was lovely to
be a part, but like you said, it was exhausting.
I mean, but I mean, I don't know at the
same time it was I don't know how it was
(42:23):
on the the on camera side, but in our world
it was so murky, like there were.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Yeah, let it out, let it out.
Speaker 5 (42:38):
I just feel like there was glee or nothing. And
if you didn't, like if you didn't follow the religion
of it all, like if you didn't hitch yourself to
that wagon and no other wagon. I mean, the amount
of time that we got fired and rehired as singers,
(43:00):
outlandish amounts and for nothing, like because we would take
another session, or because we were, you know, at home
for our brother's wedding and didn't want to come back
and Okay, we're replacing you. Somebody else is doing somebody
else is doing guides for already now it's fine, or
you know, I'm I mean many times and for silly things,
(43:22):
and it was just I didn't realize it at the time.
I think it took looking back after everything was over,
how yes, hectic, how inappropriate that was. There was a
lot of I was twenty two, twenty one, I think
when I started creeping into the warbler world, and then
(43:43):
a few years.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Were seeing that at twenty one, Oh.
Speaker 5 (43:47):
My god, you're the same age as me. You realize that, right, Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
You're sorry?
Speaker 5 (43:56):
Nope, please, no, So I was. I was a kid
in many ways and took a lot of shit that
I wouldn't take now. And not to not to diss
anybody who was a part of it, like we all, yeah,
we all take responsibility for how subservient we were to
(44:18):
the beast that was the Glee music machine. And you know,
we've all got the plaques and the accolades and the
exciting things to show for it. And honestly, it is
the most intense training into being a background vocalist being
involved in television production that I like, no one will
(44:39):
ever be able to have that experience for me, that's invaluable.
But I definitely, yeah, I had I had some time
with a therapist specifically for my time involved in being
involved in that afterwards, it.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Was you know, grueling. Yeah, yeah, we had similar No,
we definitely had similar experiences where I think there were
times where it was like, you're expendable, we can you know,
the whole is bigger than you, which it is, but
it made you feel very small in the machine of
it all.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Yeah, it's like a small cog in the machine.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Yeah, might be exactly totally.
Speaker 5 (45:21):
And for me personally, I was hearing you know, oh
my god, nobody sings like this, or you know, this
is crazy. You know, you're you're so blessed or you're
whatever whatever, And by design, you know, my parents are
Southern Ministers, so like I'm I'm taught to like, oh,
you know for that, and like, you know, I'm blessed,
(45:42):
and I do feel that way, but to hear those
things constantly. But then also if I took too long
doing a take or they didn't like the talking shit
and they had to have somebody come in and talking,
We'll fucking get rid of you because we can get
somebody else in here. And I'm like, okay, but literally
twenty seconds ago, you were so I from that that
(46:04):
back and forth. For me, I didn't realize the toll
that was sticking on me until after we were done,
because once I started, I didn't stop until.
Speaker 7 (46:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
There's no moment to reflect. You just have to like
go yeah.
Speaker 5 (46:17):
And that was heavy for me, but it also it
also helped. There's not been a single studio I've walked
in since then that has thrown me anything in any way,
whether right, whether it be musical or personality wise or
clashing of anything. There's just that because I went through
the Ringer.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Also think it's just a testament to like how big
of a beast the production of the show was, because
you know, I think what people see is such a
small fraction of what it takes to actually make the thing.
As I get you see the musical numbers, you get
to see the production design, the choreography, the sets, the
camera work, the actors, all of that, but behind it
(47:00):
is twenty four hours of work a day by dozens
of session singers and music producers in Sweden and rousers here,
and like there's people who are having health issues, like
Adam Manners was talking about, like where like there's no
time for anybody to do anything else, And yeah, there's
(47:20):
a bunch of bitches in line who would cut you
down to try to get it to be a part
of that totally. So it's like this really weird dichotomy
of I'm grateful to be part of this thing. I'm
grateful to be part of this family of friends, like
the best friends I've ever made in the world and
have some of the best like working memories I've ever
made in the world. Totally, but at the same time,
(47:41):
like this can't be good for me physically or emotionally.
Speaker 8 (47:46):
Totally.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
Yeah, And it's crazy that you said that about the
Sweden thing, because I'm reminded of the timing and the
process of how it all works, because Sweden would do
the music like twelve to fifteen hours before we would
go in, and we would go in like you know,
fifteen or twenty four before. You guys would go in
to cut your leads, and then you guys would record
(48:09):
what you just or sorry, filmed what you just recorded
the next day, and so it was like a five
day process for one song. And you guys never stopped exactly,
and no one really did. But I mean you guys
who were there all the time. I'm just like contient
applause because I you know, I can tiny violin and
(48:30):
what was me all day? But you guys had it
twice as hard. I just it's it's wild.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
I mean in some ways, yeah, but we were we
were rotating, right, Like when you guys were working on
the songs that we were about to work on, we're
working on the ones that you guys worked on. It
was really crazy. It was really crazy, you know, and
then Sweden's working on it overnight while we're sleeping, and
then they're producing in and sometimes we would actually have
to record or shoot the musical numbers to your guides.
(48:58):
Oh so so the demo. Every once in a while,
the song wasn't ready, the song wasn't camped yet, and
so we would be doing the version that you we
would get to guide the demo oh okay, which was
pretty crazy because to some level, like we were pretty
(49:19):
they were pretty strict about us staying to the guide,
right because that's that was the original, that's what you
guys had put down. But to some extent, it's like
we also like had to put our own and the
character on it and our own spin on it. And
so you're like, I don't know, if I held that
a little longer, or if I did this a little differently.
So it's so it was such a wild machine. It's
(49:45):
such a wild experience totally. Did you feel the pressure
of like having to perform and a produce in such
a short amount of time.
Speaker 5 (50:05):
Every now and then, I feel like when the scenes
would be more emotional and the entirety of the song
would be less important, Yeah, there would be more pressure
on us as a vocalist because sometimes they would give
us sides and have us read, you know, what's going
on in this scene?
Speaker 1 (50:24):
Oh yeah, coud. You guys can get a lot of
context of what was happening in.
Speaker 5 (50:27):
The hardly ever, and so that when we did get
those moments, there was a lot of oh okay, they
really because you know, I knew I sang for Artie, yeah,
a few other people, but Artie was like my person,
and so I knew the sound to emulate the you know,
I would watch him sing a lot, because the way
(50:47):
I blend with other singers is to watch their mouth,
because you know, my tone is a distinct tone. But
I can blend if I watch how you pronounce things.
And so I would watch videos of him, whether they
be you know, early lead stuff or some NLT stuff,
and I would just watch how he said words, and
so that would be how I honed in on him.
(51:10):
But if ever, they said, you know, it didn't really
happen with Kevin much. But if ever there was a
time where a character really needed to like sing to
convey a message in the scene versus like having to
do with this song they bring, bring us you know,
script and kind of explain what's going on. You know
that that would add some The first thing that comes
(51:32):
to mind is not while I'm around. They were super
serious about that, and they had already had some like
preliminary video of like Kurt laying there, and so they
like showed it to us and like this is what
the scene's going to look like. And so I remember
that day was really heavy. Also, I was the only
gay every now and then there was another gay storm
(51:56):
and he was incredible lovely, yes, But other than that,
it was very tight knit, very Christian, very that group
in the singing world. And so when that subject matter
came up that day or remember a lot of the
other singers like are you okay? Are you okay? And
I'm like yes, like okay, like it's heavy. It is
(52:19):
a heavy topic, but like it's fictional, guys, and like
you know, it didn't it hasn't happened to me, Thank god.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
It's just so fascinating, like the context of which you
guys are trying to be your own person, emulate be
an artist, to create something, and then also trying to
impersonate if you will, to a level like do you
feel like you lost like Luke sound ever in that time?
Speaker 5 (52:52):
Absolutely, And it was so great that at the beginning
of this conversation that Kevin said that about my tone,
because I know that I have a pretty distinct sound
and in productions that it doesn't call for that I
have to work harder to mask it versus where other
people might have to try harder to make this sound correct.
(53:16):
And as I worked for, you know, singing for Artie,
they I was kind of trying to be more straight
toned and like clearer, and they kind of let me
work it in as time went on. But it was
a mind fuck for sure, because you know, I moved
(53:36):
here and met Tim because he was like some kind
of religious guidance for the American Idol team. When I
auditioned and didn't make it past Hollywood Week and he
was like, well, you have to move here, like I
could hire you. And so that to me was like
my oh my god, this is my Jesus, you know
what I mean. So there was never anything that was
(54:01):
you know, setting Stone. I just met him and he
was like, I could I could make me rich out
of right. And so when I came here, you know,
he hired me on like a video game session and
then like like a jingle session for KTLA and then
they then he was like, Okay, this war war thing
(54:22):
is going to happen, like I'm going to try to
get you in here. But during that time, I still
thought like I still had the American idle mindset, you know,
like I'm going to be an artist. I'm going to
be a singer. I'm gonna, yeah, my own singer. And
I definitely lost a lot of that individuality and who
(54:46):
I thought I was, And in some ways it was
a good thing. There was a lot of pompous, confident
like big fish in a small pond vibes coming out here,
and I definitely needed to be knocked off my high
horse being in in you know, being a small cog
in the machine that this was right. That knocked me
(55:07):
off real fucking facts. Ye sure, but I don't know,
honestly if the good parts of that person and that
individual have fully been found yet. And I don't know
how you guys deal with it, because I mean, you
guys took on a full on living character. I was
(55:30):
emulating that person doing that character, So I can't imagine
what it did to your brain into your heart because
you're never not Tina, you know what I mean exactly.
Speaker 1 (55:44):
Yeah, for a really long time in audition rooms, like
it was very hard to shake Tina, and it's very
hard to shake people to not see me as Tina forever.
I mean, any kind of juggernaut phenomenon that you see
characters like John Stainless, even though he was on our show,
he will always be Uncle Jesse. Like they're just characters
(56:06):
and it will never leave you. But you know, you
hope with time you can shake that at least. So
I don't care. I can't control what other people see.
I understand that, but you know, for me, it's like
I feel like I've gotten to shake her, and I
feel like this podcast has given us a chance to reimagine,
or like therapy is like what we're what we've been
(56:27):
through and to really heal, you know, in a different way,
because it was it was really hard to shake for
a really long time, and your worth is all wrapped.
Speaker 5 (56:37):
Up in it, totally totally. I mean for X amount
of years, everything you did was about this person. It's
how you made money, it's how you appeared, it's how anytime,
even in your off time, you're thinking about Like like
I was watching videos with Kevin, Like I whenever I
saw Kevin, I felt like I knew him way better
than I did. So anytime we've hung out and I'm like,
(57:02):
I know I'm acting like your best friend, and I
know that that's weird, but he gets it, I'm sure,
because it's just it's a fully experience.
Speaker 1 (57:12):
And totally totally so fascinating. Are there any songs that
stick out to you that you loved doing, maybe particularly
arty songs or work especially hard for you?
Speaker 5 (57:33):
Okay, I really got to go off on applause.
Speaker 2 (57:39):
I yes, I'm so thankful to you for that. Like
that felt like an orgasm of a vocal. Everything so
much fun doing it, Your musicality, your understanding of like you,
I don't know how you find these and you picked
(58:01):
them out, and it feels so right to sing them
and I hadn't never experienced anything like that, and like applause,
just felt like they were yelling, like doing things that
you never think you would do on the song and
it's I go and listen to that all the time
because of what you did.
Speaker 5 (58:19):
I too, listened to it all the time. I loved
that session. I also loved Let's Wait a While. That's
maybe one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (58:29):
That was really hard. I never really got it.
Speaker 5 (58:31):
I was. I loved it. You guys sounded I listened
to both the I have okay, a lot of the
songs that I did that I like, I have the
cast version and then the guide version and so like
they'll play back to back on things I show that
it's so it's exact. You can't tell me you.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
Didn't get it, No, I well they they you know,
gave me a little extra love. And on the melodime
that because there was it was that and at last
where your voice is higher than we like, you can
just hang up there more than I can't, like I
can visit you can like park And so those both
(59:13):
of those songs, like sat in a really uncomfortable place
in my voice, and I was like, I can't do it.
I don't know how to do it. So he like
they really those two songs in particular really just did
some magic on me, and I was very thankful.
Speaker 5 (59:29):
I loved at last. That ending was so cool.
Speaker 2 (59:34):
You know what stupid you did a thing on You
always do it in songs too, where you wouldn't expect it.
On the one hundredth episode version of Loser Like Me,
you do this run at the end that is so insane.
Have to listen to it, and it's tucked so low,
but if anybody goes and listens to it, it's like
(59:55):
right at the very the last hook of Loser Like Me,
and and it's like if you're singing those lyrics so seriously,
it's hilarious. Right, But then you have Luke doing this
like beautiful like run in there that is just like
complimenting the harmonies that are going on, and they're just
like tucked underneath there also Breakaway, like oh god, oh
(01:00:19):
what a great song, A.
Speaker 5 (01:00:21):
Hard one was addicted to love, remember that one.
Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
I listened to that recently because I forgot about it,
and what Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:00:30):
That was crazy. But I mean, that was one of
the ones where there weren't any ad libs and it
was just like a musical outro for like a minute
and a half and so yes, Adam during only during
those times was he like, just do whatever you want.
And during that Alex often was like, Okay, you're you're
doing a little much and you know, rein it back
(01:00:51):
in And that was one of those days. But he
was like, honestly, let's.
Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
Just put all these in and just yeah, needs it.
Speaker 5 (01:00:57):
Yeah, and he it's just looked at me when we
were done company and he was like, Kevin is going
to be so mad at you.
Speaker 2 (01:01:05):
I was, but I got your number eventually.
Speaker 5 (01:01:07):
Then I remember the very first time it happened American Boy,
I was doing a guide for and I remember you
texting me. I can't remember what song you were doing,
but all it said was I hate you and I
know this person.
Speaker 2 (01:01:21):
I think it was probably I would least suspect it
on this song. But why, like, why in the world
would you go so hard on footloose?
Speaker 3 (01:01:34):
Yo?
Speaker 5 (01:01:35):
That was so.
Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
Was the meat. That was cruel, Luke. It was cool.
I love it. I go and listen to it all
the time because I'm like how did how did I
get some of those? Because it is just one run?
You were just running, You're doing that, you're doing like
on footloose. That what just because you can also do.
Speaker 5 (01:01:58):
You remember your bridge moment in wishing and hoping you
got to listen.
Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
I love because you because you did it. Like there
were times before you came on that I would try
to sneak in a little thing like that or like
a whale, and they're like, no, no, no, that's not
uncalled for, and it probably was uncalled for because like
your musicality is so good, like you put it in
the right places of where it actually works, and because
(01:02:31):
you were doing it, it was such a gift to
be like, ah, I can finally get to try to
like use this part of my voice that I've wanted
to that I don't really know what to do with.
And then because you did it, then I could try
to do it in like a less good way, but
I'd still going to try to do it. And it
was so and so it really was like I can't
(01:02:52):
like overstate how much, especially when you've been doing this
thing for four years and you've gone through all of it.
I lost my voice because I had gotten sick I
doing songs. It was like, I don't know if I
like this version of this song. I hope the artist
likes it, and you're tired and blah blah blah blah blah.
And then you show up and it's like this really
(01:03:15):
like juicy thing that all of a sudden I get
to like learn something new about myself that broke sort
of the rhythm of what I had been used to
that I hadn't felt since the very beginning of the show.
And once I stopped resisting it, and it was just like, Okay,
here's another Luke vocal. Yeah, let me see. Then it
became a competition where I was so put of it
(01:03:35):
in that booth and Alex knew. I was like, let
me figure out how I can at least get close.
Like my goal was to always just get close to
what you're doing, Like if I can get eighty five
percent of what you've given me, I'll feel good about myself.
And so that was always.
Speaker 5 (01:03:50):
After a while, Alex would start to text me and say, oh,
he's coming for you. No, yeah, because he knew he
knew we were competing, so he was like, oh, this
is getting fun and he's during season six, he was like, man,
like the closer we got to the end, the wilder
we got, and so he was just like, man, this sucks.
(01:04:11):
We should have been we should have been competing for
this long at all.
Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Before we let you go, we have one more question
for you. Can you tell us what the feeling that
Glee leaves you with?
Speaker 5 (01:04:23):
Glee leaves me feeling happy because of things like this,
I got so attached to being a moving part of
a machine that often I took for granted what was
happening in the moment, whether it be you know, twenty
four hour sessions or just seeing people walk in like
(01:04:48):
Sarah Jessica Parker to sing a lead vocal. It's like, okay,
thank John, and you forget that those things are happening.
And so I just have the happiest, warmest feelings about
those times, even the times that we're filled with struggle
or no sleep, because it family is often dysfunctional, and
(01:05:13):
so I just always think of it as family. And
I still talk to those singers even though we don't
sing together much anymore on a daily basis, And you know,
I feel like like I felt like I knew you
so much better than I actually do. And every time
I've seen each other, I'm like, this is my best
friend over yeah, Like but truth is, it's this process
(01:05:39):
that brought us together. And I feel the same way
about Amber, And you know, I'm just so blessed to
know her and to have her in my corner. And
she's always, you know, at the most opportune, god driven times,
she's always dropping into a text or a DM checking
on me or you know, parting something that I did
(01:06:02):
or you know, those those things don't have to happen.
And so I'm filled with much happiness because of relationships
like these and times like these, because you know, it
was it was hard and groogling while it was going on,
but being able to look back. You know a lot
of people just assume that you remember the money, and
that's honestly, like the last thing that I think about,
(01:06:24):
whether these relationships are lifelong or not. I know that
those memories will always be there, and so I, you know,
probably wouldn't call you guys at three am there's something
we're really going wrong. But I knew I could, you
know what.
Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
I so grateful, Yes, exactly, Wow, Well, thank you so
much for taking the time to come chat with us.
We are so grateful and for your you know, honesty
with you know, everybody's experience is so different with the
show and yet so similar, and yet it bonded us
(01:07:03):
because of there's so many things highs and lows within
the show. So it was really just nice to connect
with you safe.
Speaker 5 (01:07:13):
It was really great. Thank you guys.
Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
Thanks Liz seriously, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (01:07:18):
Bye well, thank you Luke for spending all that time
with us to chat about your experience. It just sounds
like they had like a very similar experience two hours
where they were bonded in a way in their own
little family and their own little like bubble, you know,
(01:07:38):
like us.
Speaker 2 (01:07:39):
There's just something about people coming together to make something
that should be impossible to make, and because everybody pulls
up and just does what they have to do, they
make it work. And without any department not having that
sort of mentality, the show never would have worked because
it's a huge task. It's a huge ask of all
(01:08:00):
these different departments to get it together at the same
time to make it happen. I mean sometimes we did
like seven songs or eight songs in an episode, like
what how.
Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
I know it's it's actually book like we were talking
about that, like the cycle by which they were working
on the future songs while we were working on the
songs they just finished, and it's just like a never
ending cycle. But it was also sounds like a really
lucrative and one of a kind experience for them, Like
you know, some of the dancers that have come and
chatted about it, it's like everybody wanted in because they knew
(01:08:31):
it was consistent.
Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
I really love that everyone like felt that that it
was And you never know, like you don't ask when
you're doing this, like if people are getting paid well,
like I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:08:43):
You just hope, you hope, right, and like everybody is
in a different union or different it's all a little
bit different, so and you don't really talk about that.
Speaker 2 (01:08:53):
No, unluckily, like because you have unions like SAG because
it was a SAG show, right that those type of
people are compensated much better than they might be. Like
even the people who like if you're watching the show
and you hear people talking in the hallways, like in
the background, those are people who come in to specifically
record that and they were under SAD contracts, so they're
(01:09:14):
also making a good amount of money. So it's it's
amazing how these shows create like entire little economies for
you know, everybody working on it and all these different departments.
And yeah, it's good to hear that they should be.
They're so talented and there's not a lot of shows
that need singers in that way, and it's like, I'm
just glad that that was a positive element of it.
Speaker 1 (01:09:37):
Well, thank you to Nikki and Luke, and I hope
you guys enjoyed hearing about this like other whole other
side of Glee and the music and all I know
for sure, I love it all right, Well, thanks for joining.
Speaker 2 (01:09:50):
Us, and that's what you really missed. Thanks for listening
and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you
really miss pod. Make sure to write us a review
and leave us five stars. See you next time.
And That's what You Really Missed with Jenna.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Welcome to and That's What You Really miss Podcast. Today,
we have a very special episode Stacked. It's so interesting
because these two guests that we have were so integral
and so prominent in our experience, yet so far, so
(00:30):
distant and far away from our experience as well. Today
we have two amazing session singers who were guide singers
for the lead vocals and also are all of the
vocals that you hear in all of our songs, all
the backgrounds, any background any ooh, any ah, any da,
any anything that's them.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
There are some of the most incredibly talented, gifted people
on the planet. There's a whole team of them that
worked on the show throughout the years. These are just
to I mean, the amount of people who worked on
the show and shared their like talents in this way
is like unfathomable almost, And I'm just so excited to
(01:12):
get into some of the specifics and show you guys
what it takes to, you know, do this part of
making Glee and just how they're so so good and
I can't believe we got this many talented people, you know,
singers to work on the show in this way. So
first up, we have the incredible Nikki leanti By.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
Hello, everybody, thank you so much for doing this. We're
so excited to talk with you.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (01:48):
I was already just kind of looking through some files
and peeking through that time in my life and.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I'm like, oh, that was so great. It was such
a great time.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
No, truly, I can't wait to hear about it, because, like,
I feel like you guys were living a totally different
Glee life than we were. So can you first just
tell us like who you are and like how you
kind of got into the industry and what your career
has looked like.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (02:16):
So I signed a record deal when I was thirteen
years old, and I was in the like gospel world,
touring all over the world, doing that till I was eighteen,
and so I was a Christian singer on the radio
who got pregnant as a teenager. And so you can't
(02:36):
you can't really do that. They took my songs off
the radio and off my records off the shelfs I'm like,
the whole thing. So that's how I got into session
singing is because I lost all my work and I
(02:57):
didn't know what I was going to do. And so
I started singing in Nashville for different country singers, and
I toured with Carrie Underwood for a couple of years
as her background.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Singer, and then that led me to LA.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
I signed a record deal with Warner Brothers at that
point with a group I had called Nikki and Rich
and I thought that was gonna be like the redeeming
choice that you know, makes everything okay. And we were
on all the late night shows and Ellen and they're like,
this is the next big group. And then this a
(03:31):
new management came into Warner Brothers and took over, and
then about fifty percent of the roster got dropped.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Oh my god.
Speaker 4 (03:42):
And so that leads me to Tim Davis, who while
I was in I was living in West Hollywood. He
calls me up, is like, hey, I know you know
you're going through a lot. You lost your record deal.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Will you sing? Can you sing in Spanish?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
And I was like, I have sing in Spanish because well,
you know, I'd already done something.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I already did say a little prayer for you for.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
One of the episodes like this, in particular, this is
a Lady Gaga song Americano and will you come in
and sing this song? And can you sing a Spanish?
And I said yes, yes, see see I.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
Will be there.
Speaker 4 (04:22):
And I knew that I knew from the singers that
I'd heard from on the show that it was going
really well for them and it was a great experience.
And so I'm like, well, I need to go nail
this so I can get on all these songs.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Right, Well, there's no way you wouldn't nail it. Also, like,
by the way, someone who gets a record deal at
thirteen and then again like it's hard to even get one.
And I feel like you guys, the people who could
do what you do, Like the number is small because
you go into the studio and you guys are singing
(04:57):
every different genre right Like we're only seeinginging to what
you guys are laying down and like your voice is
so stupid, Like your voice is so insane. And I
remember like we would get our demo sometimes, so like
you you go in and definitely want you to like
explain the whole process of it. But like when we
(05:19):
would receive them, we'd be like, how do we do this?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
These are terrifying guys, you're like, okay.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Because anyone who knows, like if you, like you were
on tour with Carrie Underwood, like the background singers are
always like the most gifted singers in the world because
so much is asked of you and you either can
do it or you can't. And so like, if you're
able to hang and have a career in that and
keep getting hired, it's because you're just so so good.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
And I will say not on behalf of me, but
on all the singers that did these.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Songs on Glee. I agree with you.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
It's really hard and even like you know, singing with
singers who have these great soprano voices and then you
have to go in and.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Chest above what they're doing.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
It like you have to have like major versatility and chops.
But it also makes it very hard for a session
singer to transfer into artistry. I've rarely seen that happen
because you're being paid to Hey, I want you to
sound like Brittany Expears. I want you to sound like
(06:30):
this singer. And you can go, well, I'll do whatever
you want me to do. I'll sing whatever you want
me to sing. But you can start to really lose
yourself and your sound by.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Doing that too.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
So can you tell us, like what the process is
like Americana? You know, you go in, do you learn
the song beforehand? Like what do you get and how
much time do you get within the process of laying
down that track?
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Okay, Well, most of the songs that I did for Glee,
a lot of them'd walk in and they're like, this
is what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Oh my god, right on this spot. And so we
didn't know, Okay, is this gonna be like a ooh
ou day real quick?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Or am I going to be here for sixteen hours
screaming my ass off?
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (07:18):
You never knew, you know, And so it was all
up in the air, and we'd get excited on someday
on some days, you know, like oh, we're sleeping here tonight.
And other days we'd walk in I remember, I think
it was it wasn't the Trolley song. It might have said,
but we went in and we just you know, did
this background part, and like they're like, you get to
(07:39):
leave after an hour, but this is because you did
you know, a twenty.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
Hour workday this week. That's that's life. Paying you back,
basically you're earned for the week.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Yeah, and then would they tell you like who you were,
whose guide you were, like which character did you learn?
After a I like, okay, today I'm doing Santana, you know,
for like Naya or you know, like Cassandra for Americana,
Like did they tell you that?
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Yeah, they would let us know, like this is kind
of what her vocal range is, this is what her
ability is. She doesn't really do a lot of runs,
so make sure you know, they would tell us with
each person. So I knew, like, oh, Naya can really sing.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Yeah, you know, so I'm going to be.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Working today, singing really hard today and you know, yeah,
And I covered a lot of her stuff and the
Marlee Marley's character and even some of the guest actresses
and even towards the end Sue Sylvester's you know, her character,
(08:46):
which I loved doing that.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And I have a voice that can go older as well.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
And you know Adam anders had he did a show,
was it the prom and I know Meryl streeps, oh
my god, yes, And so that was a lot of
fun because I can get into character.
Speaker 4 (09:06):
You have to get into character as like Okay, I'm
like a seventy year old woman today.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
So with glee, I have to do that. I have
to go from like Nya to Jaylen.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You know she has the range, she has the range. Wow. Wow,
when you were doing when you were going into record
a vocal because like when we go in, we'd follow
your guides, you know, to the tee because it's efficient.
It saves time. And like because between you and Alex
or Adam or Tim, like you guys know our voices.
(09:39):
So you're doing it in a way that makes it
easier for us when you're going into do your original
take on it being pretending to be Nya or Jane
whoever it is. Are you creating that on your own?
Are they to sort of go for it, do what
you think is right for this or is is it
more of a you Adam is saying it needs to
(10:01):
be actually this particular way, and then he has the
idea in his head and you're just you know, doing
that or is it both? And make sure both?
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Yeah, it's both.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
Sometimes there's like, hey, take this section and do runs
on it, and they're like love that.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Keeping that you know.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
We have some of our own creativity involved. And then
something's you know, he'd be extra precise with and just saying, no,
we need to lock this in exactly like how she
would do it. Depending on the character and the scene,
or especially if we did more of the Broadway songs
(10:37):
over the pop songs, you know that we would have
to go in and really.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Fine tune every little piece. But he you know, when
you have.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Your character too, you kind of get into that role
yourself as a singer, and you start after you've done
ten songs in that character's voice, you can kind of
go in and know, oh, they're not going to take this,
and he wants it to sound like this.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
So you kind of start learning what each person needs
and what they want. And you know, Adam's a master.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Vocal producer, although he didn't vocal produce everything. Uh you know,
Tim did so much and his brother alex Anders did
so much too, and so depending on who we got
that day, and you know, it was awesome. I loved
getting Adam as a vocal producer, which wasn't all the
time because he really he really had a great year for.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
You know what.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
He exactly what he wanted and so did Tim.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
So it was all just like a really great experience.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
How much time did you get to do these things?
Because I remember, I think once I became friends with
Luke or somebody, I started getting like videos like how
quickly you guys would do things, and it was like
we thought, we were like, oh, we have to record
this whole song in forty five minutes. You guys are
not only recording it, but you're also coming up with it.
(12:12):
So there's this that also takes time. Creativity takes time
to like how am I going to work this out?
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Right?
Speaker 2 (12:19):
So how much time would you necessarily get, let's say,
for lead vocal versus you know, a a group vocal. Yeah,
oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:28):
Group songs were hours depending on how many parts were
in it and how you know when you hear like the.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
Okay, we're in there for a minute, you know, yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:40):
But the guide vocals were anywhere from one to three
hours sometimes and sometimes less.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
It really depends. I feel like Tightrope took a mite,
not the same, like they were just like trying to
get it perfect. That took a bit. You know, it
just depends.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
And you know, Glee music was so uh ever changing,
and you had you know, you had a basic sound,
a thread that went through all of the songs. That
was the Glee sound, but stylistically it changed a lot.
Speaker 3 (13:23):
Yeah, you know from episode to episodes. That's what made
it so fun, and that's why they hired singers who
could have diversity of sound, because you needed to. Some
days we're.
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Screaming our lungs out, and some days we're doing the
most The easy the hardest stuff was the stuff that
sounds the easiest, and you're doing like the breath.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Work and this silent little noises and.
Speaker 4 (13:48):
The oo's and the more sound EFFECTI kind of singing
that would come from a cappella groups and stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
That stuff took a while.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Crane imagine, Yeah, yeah, I mean had you done that
sort of? I guess with the a cappella sort of
things that were so particular to this show. Was that
new for you to do?
Speaker 3 (14:12):
It was?
Speaker 4 (14:13):
You know, it was kind of I was a more
of like a featured background singer type person.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
I go in, I sing on records.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
I done like Kelly Clarkson before, and you know, Selena Gomez,
Demi Levado, I had like a lot of background singing,
but pop those are pop records, right, you know, and singing.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
Harmony on heart Attack, was just way different, you know, for.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Demi's time coming in and standing alone in this and
in your sound with you know, six singers and being
given a your own part to sing perfectly like this
is like barbershop quartet stuff sometimes.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
I mean you really got to know your.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
It's a totally different space in the brain. Singing background
is a totally different space than.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
A lead singer too.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
I mean you have to be able to be artistic
and sell the song as the main singer and then
step back into parts and do all that, which is
why not all the people who sing in groups did leads,
you know, but a lot of them did, you know.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
It's like you have to have different strengths to do that.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
Yeah, that is a crazy skill set. Really same. Also,
I just like to point out like how you're singing backgrounds,
like with vocalists, like people like Kelly Clinton de Levado
are singers. Yeah, they're not hiring people who can't keep
(15:44):
up with them.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
I've had been really lucky to sing with singers, real
great vocal even Carrie Underwood live. I mean she was
always so there was never a point when I was
singing with her that she was going off or anything.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Like she's you have to be on.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
She's really precise in the pit.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yes, yeah she was. She was uh my.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
First like training ground for really accessing that side of
my my voice and ability. Like being on with her
was like a master class of background for sure. But yeah,
like Demi's an insane singer and you know, it's it's
been quite vast. And I've also done just really random
(16:31):
stuff with rappers and I.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Got to sing.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Back on you know, Mac Miller and Roddy Rich and
Tyler the creator, and my resume is really crazy, really
really crazy versatile.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Yeah, she can't do.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Do you have any in your memory of Glee songs,
like any favorites that come to mind, or any that
were like particularly hard or challenging for you guys.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Let's see, I always loved.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
When like I remember doing uh at the ballet with
Nicky Anders. Yeah, when you're popping into just a totally
different thing.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
We have to do some kind of speak singing.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
And the different uh sound that you have to do
when you're doing theaters. Now that's a totally different skill set,
right to me. I feel like, you know, like Nikki
no and then your words differently here I enjoyed that
though I felt like it, it made the experience a
little different and challenged us when we had those songs,
(17:37):
and Alfie was also a really fun one for me
to do. Those ended up being my favorite. Ones were
the ones I had never really uh tried to do.
I had never had really any history in musical theater,
so that that was the stuff that made us really excited.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
I love that, like the more challenging outside of the
box for you, the more you sank your teeth into
it right right.
Speaker 4 (18:03):
It was like teaching us something. And you know, I
loved the pop songs for a thousand years and doing
all the different beautiful music, but those songs were a blast.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
I'm forgetting there's this.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
Song or two that I sang and they kept my
vocals for like when it was like the cheer competitions and.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Oh yeah, I forget.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
I couldn't remember it for the life of me, but
I remember the paycheck was different.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Well, we've talked about how for so long our schedules
were always so opposite of you guys, and so like
when you guys weren't recording like then we would record.
So there were these like other half of ourselves and
like you guys, and so we never had any overlap.
(18:55):
And I remember you guys, you hosted Jazz and I.
It's at the W Hotel, Yes, in Hollywood, and it
was sort of like our only way to get to
like all see each other, meet each other. And it
was years into it, and I we knew you, like
from hearing your voice, like demos and things, and this
(19:19):
night was so incredible And you did it for years,
didn't you, Like wasn't And it was just like we'd
show up at the W Hotel and you would sing
your face off and you'd have all your friends come
up and sing their faces up, and a lot of
them also worked on Glee, Yes, And it was like
the best night of the week, and we all got
(19:41):
just got to like sit and watch you and be
a fan and it was so special. How was that
for you? Like getting to do that thing?
Speaker 3 (19:50):
That was a.
Speaker 4 (19:50):
Blast, And it was fun when you guys came out
to watch for us, And like you were saying, I mean,
we didn't really have a lot of interaction excess.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Maybe Luke would get a text from Amber Riley saying like.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Oh my gosh, Anita killed this vocal or whatever. You know,
we would get word, you know, from the actors through
the singers sometimes of like this is amazing, we love it.
So to be able to you know, the w is
where I started to meet every not everyone, but a
lot of people from the cast ended up coming through
(20:25):
at some point.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Yeah, and she one night, Stevie wonders, what the hell
is going on?
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Chris Cave Now.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
Yes, he got on stage where we were singing help
from my friends and did this guitar solo, and before
we knew it, it was all over every media outlet.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Within a couple of days. Then people were.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
Contacting us to like buy the guitar that he used
from our guitars. Like it was a crazy night. A
lot of really crazy stuff happened.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
That's why I can't like express enough how good Nikki is.
Like those people aren't getting up on stage for people
who aren't that level.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah yeah, yeah you.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
No, you're just the best.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
And even like Amber sang a couple of times and
killed it.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, yeah, she does it.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
I was so happy you guys like you did that
because I I loved coming to that and it was
so nice to get to hang out with you guys
and see you all perform like in your element and
do your thing, and those like people showed up. There
were so many people at those things. It was a
wild time and it was like to hear the best
of the best. It was like there was I don't
(21:39):
know of any other experience or place or thing to
show up to, and you're only getting like the best vocalists,
like some of the best vocalists in all the country
on one night every single week. It was crazy.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
It became a magnet for that.
Speaker 4 (21:53):
I mean, we'd have the New York singers coming through,
different Nashville singers, So it became like a hub of Oh,
if I'm going into LA and I'm a singer and
I want to get on the jazz night show, you know,
and we have people knew if they come, you're gonna
people are gonna sing your faces off. Yeah, there's the
(22:14):
people who sing for the TV shows and the people who.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Don't get heard there they get.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Heard but not seen. Sorry, the people who don't get seen.
And so my goal was to bring out the people,
you know, to the forefront for the show that are
the heartbeat of like the industry.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yes, yeah, it felt it was like we It also
felt like exactly that an opportunity because we knew how
talented all of you were, and like how people are
necessarily going to hear these demos that we get, like
we're so privileged to hear every single episode, and it
was just like, yes, please, these are the faces that
you need to see because they're so good.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
You know, people don't understand, Like I remember how hard
it was to tell people what we did.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
You know, we well.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
They're like I was listening to Naya and it didn't
sound like You're like, well, no, it's nia you know,
she's singing that, you know, and it's not me. But
when they all get in a group together and they're
all you know in the either lockers, that's what pays
(23:23):
our bills. That's where we get our residuals, is the
group numbers. You know, we had so many contracts and
you know, hopefully you know streamings doesn't I want get
into that. We had so many contracts per episode. You know,
we we thought, what is this going to be like,
(23:44):
because there is not a show that can contract us
for four or five numbers.
Speaker 3 (23:51):
You know, in a single episode. What is our retirement
gonna look like?
Speaker 4 (23:59):
Especially being on network TV and screaming at the time,
you know, we had our I was like, I didn't
want to miss a single job. If I got asked
to do a job, I didn't go on my honey
like a honeymoon.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 4 (24:12):
Yeah, because every job, every song, miss three are syndication
or whatever this could be.
Speaker 3 (24:21):
We didn't want to miss a single job. I mean,
singers wouldn't miss picked out one day with like walking pneumonia.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Stop.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
You know, I'm serious, I said, Nikki, go home.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
I'm good.
Speaker 1 (24:36):
I'm good, I'm here, I'm here.
Speaker 6 (24:40):
Needs this exactly, exactly want to miss it?
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I got it. Before we let you go, I have
a question for you. We have a question for you.
What is the feeling that Glee leaves you with your experience?
Speaker 4 (25:00):
It's in my career is so crazy, like we said,
and diverse and wild.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
It was such a special time for me.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I think it was we had our own group of
people and friendships that were happening behind the scenes. That
was just such a big deal. Seeing the show take
off and be this It changed TV at the time,
you know, it changed everything. Like it we were a
part of this growing, expanding, exploding situation that made us
(25:39):
all excited of like these opportunities and the possibilities and
what that was like. We were experiencing that in the
background too, as you guys were the faces and voices
of this. We got to experience some of that excitement
and it's something I'll never forget. It was like, you know,
your your high school or college experience. You know, you
(26:01):
go back and you have these friends, and we had
our final day where we're singing the big anthem.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You know, no one's going to see us doing.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
That in this room, but we're swaying like we're graduating
and having this our own, you know, goodbye moment of
something that changed.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
All of our lives. It really did. As singers. It
changed us. It was special.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
And you know, even though we were a little distanced
from you guys, all of what you guys went through
affected us, and all of the things during the show
affected us behind the scenes and our hearts. Our hearts
were always interconnected with the process, even though we were
all doing it in separate spaces. It was a real
(26:48):
like family experience.
Speaker 2 (26:49):
Yeah, well, you are just like the most talented person
on the planet. Thank you for spending time with us
sharing your experience.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
It was so nice to.
Speaker 3 (27:01):
Hear I love this. I was like, I wonder where
this is going to go? So many I was thinking.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
I was like, do you have any crazy stories? And
I was like, the only one I could think of
is when I accidentally got a Frank Ocean song taken
off of the Glee. But it would have happened anyway.
Speaker 2 (27:17):
Wait what I was in the.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
My old managers managed Frank Ocean, and I was sitting
in the booths getting ready to sing one of his
big songs.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
What was a beautiful song unrequired Loves.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Easy Religion, bad Religion.
Speaker 4 (27:37):
I was singing that and it was like a really
intricate song and like a couple of lines in and
I'm texting his manager, who's like was one of my
good friends, Like, I'm so excited of doing a Frank
Ocean song today, And she said, what the hell you know?
Speaker 3 (27:52):
And so and like within five minutes, Nikki, you're done
for the day. That the man that had just reached
out that they didn't clear this.
Speaker 7 (28:02):
Song or whatever.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
They never knew that happened. Adam doesn't know that happened.
But we're far enough out that.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I ye, it would have happened anyway anyway. That was
ever gonna.
Speaker 6 (28:19):
Clear just saved you some time. You know what, I
do remember that being in the script. I completely forgot
about that, and I remember being so upset that I
wasn't singing it. It's such a good he's my favorite.
Oh yeah, I love that song.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
I was so excited.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
That was funny.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
That's really funny.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
That's hilarious.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Wow, like Nikki get out.
Speaker 4 (28:47):
I'm like, well, I still get paid because I sang
two lines on the literally it's sag it's union.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Oh that's wild.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Oh my goodness. Well, thank you so much for taking
the time to chat with us. Really we appreciate it.
And it was so good to see your face and
like she's just so chalented. Good luck with everything.
Speaker 3 (29:12):
Thank you all so much.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Well, well, well some tea right there.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
The things I would have done to get Frank Ocean's
music on the show so upset.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
I know, I remember. I vaguely remember this because you
were very excited.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
I'm also being surprised that it was happening, but it didn't.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Right, Maybe you were surprised because you were surprised that
was happening and then it didn't happen, because.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
Yeah, it was short lived. But I love Nikki like
also like saying for so many different people on the show,
it's crazy. I love that she loved doing the musical
theater songs. I know, the most challenging for her was
the most fun. Yeah, you can just tell she's a sponge.
Speaker 7 (29:54):
Like.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
The things she can do with her voice.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
Is just I mean, these people were special creatures and
their skill set is special creature. Yeah, thank you, Nikki, Yeah,
thank you Nikki. We have the one and only Luke
(30:17):
Edgemond who did my guide vocals for like half the show,
and he's one of the best singers I've ever heard
in my entire life.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
And here he is, Luke.
Speaker 7 (30:34):
Wa hell, this is wild.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
How are you.
Speaker 5 (30:47):
I'm good. It's so good to see you.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Guys, It's so good to see you. I hate you
because you are so stupidly gifted. To be on the
receiving end of one of your demos is cruel. It's
so mean because it really lets you know that you
(31:09):
are never going to be good enough.
Speaker 5 (31:13):
I appreciate that, but you too, right.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
No, No, I am not full of shit. You are
so good that Okay, so Luke would do at some
point I don't remember what season it happened. Do you
remember what season happened?
Speaker 5 (31:28):
I think it was for oddly.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Because I got comfy.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
You know.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
It's like I had like two or three rotating like
demo singers, all very very good. Sure, and then Luke
comes in right it starts running like it's a marathon,
and like doing all these you'll hear like if anyone
you know has really paid attention to like I guess
(31:57):
what Artie is singing. It's changes like quite dramatically, and
I just I'm so thankful for you. I will back
it up because I could go on like this senior
prises all day. But Luke, how did this all like
happen for you? How did this start?
Speaker 5 (32:14):
It's wild because I met a few people from like Adamanders,
Tim Davis just through moving to La trying to hit it,
and they were like, you have to sing on the show.
But unfortunately it's like already in the game. The continuity
is really intense, and so they have guide vocalists who
(32:36):
are assigned to the actors and we've already got basically
everybody assigned, but like, we really want you to be
a part of it, and I'm just thinking, oh, whatever
you want. And that was in season two and they
were putting the Warblers together and so they were like,
we're just gonna get you in front of Brian any
way we can, so just can you step touch? And
(32:58):
I was like fuckh like I can't. I can'tnot like no, no,
no no, Like you have me, you have me gunning
for the person who sits down to sing for the
right reason, Like I'm like super scared, like not not
part yes, And Tim was like you have to do
(33:19):
this because this is going to be your end, and
I just I have a feeling. So I did a
few episodes and then they did the Britney two point
zero episode and I do the backgrounds on the boyfriend
song Think, and then after that I was just in.
(33:41):
I had to. Like the Warblers were getting weirdly.
Speaker 8 (33:44):
Like like they were getting hired to appear places like
off the show and ship like it was so odd
and I was like this makes me.
Speaker 5 (33:55):
I don't know, it really made me uncomfortable, but it
just super weird and like we were going places in
the jackets and like walking carpets and I was like
this is not like I want to sing, Like I
have no idea what And so thankfully they were like
one day they needed to book a guide vocal and
(34:17):
a warbler taping and I was like, no, please take
me to the thing inside, and so they replaced me
and that was the take for that song and somebody
else did your guide vocal? Shout out to Jerid Scott,
so yeah, like so good. But then after that I
was just in and basically never left and like was
hitched to the wagon.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
You change my life.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
Kevin would get these guys. We would get these guides,
and Kevin's jaw would be on the ground and he said,
I'm texting Luke.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Because the first few times I didn't have his number,
I didn't know who he was. And I'm like, first
of all, this is a new person, and why do
they think I'm capable of doing this? Like what was
Alex thinking letting this like get through because there's no
way we have such limited time in the studio, right
And I was like, I don't have time for this,
(35:09):
Like I'm already on the verge of a meltdown every
time I go into the recording studio. And I just
I was like, oh, they really gave him freedom. They said,
you do you okay?
Speaker 5 (35:20):
You would think so because the way we started out
every song was we have to do this also as
fast I'm sure as you guys had too, but we
have to do this exactly like the record, and then
you're going to have like two little spots to just
go off. But they told me they wanted it to
be like you, and you're gonna kill me for this.
(35:43):
But I already knew your boys, so we don't have
to discuss how. But you know, you know, but I
was a fan. I knew your ones, I knew the
type of music you listened to, just from like knowing
your voice from years before. It makes sense, so I
(36:05):
was I thought I was being you a little bit
like I don't know when it kind of started morphing
into artie. I don't know that it ever did that.
I was trying to be you when they were saying
that give it a little second, because I often did
guides for like Darren and Pord and I never was
(36:26):
given those moments because they didn't sing like that. So
I feel like, you know, I appreciate your accolades, but
I was emulating you the whole time. I mean, or
at least what I thought your voice was, or what
it was to me.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
You know, I love that my voice sounded like that
in your head.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
I wish I.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
Wish my voice sounded like But I have to say
you made me I think a much better singer where
I think I started to sound like you in a
good way, like because I just wanted. The first couple
of sessions, it was meltdown city of I can't do this.
He is too good for me, like I don't. I
(37:10):
can't keep up with him. And also your tone is insane,
and it's it's like you know when Sea writes a song,
and you know when Sia has written the song for
somebody else because everyone's trying to do see it because
her tone is so cool, totally or beyond like your
technical ability, which is wild. Your tone is unreal. And
(37:31):
so I go in there, I'm like, well, I'm a
fan of this person now right, and I just want
to hear their version of like I just want to
And so there was so often I was like, how
do I get that rasp on this word? Or like
you were certainly throwing these like oh, like he is
Michael Jackson. He's like, oh, yes, that's what I've been
(37:52):
wanting to do for years but never allowed me to
do them.
Speaker 5 (37:54):
Yo, Okay. Somewhere in the last few seasons, Adam made
a like just cut of two minutes, two minute and
a half, two minutes of just in the end of
phrases so bad and also I was so bad at talking.
I hated when you had to talk?
Speaker 2 (38:17):
Why did I always have to talk? And songs oh, like, oh,
it's my least favorite thing in the world.
Speaker 5 (38:23):
Made my skin crawl. And Adam every day was like,
if you didn't sing like this, I would fire you
for the talking part, like this sucks, this sucks. And
there were several times I guarantee you several times that
Tim or Adam were doing the talking parts in my
yeah often I know. Uh the Robin Thick song definitely
(38:45):
didn't speak in that at all.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Just said that was Yeah, I'm so glad you felt
that way too. I had to really, it was one
of those songs like I had to pull up. I'm like,
this is my job. I'm getting paid to do this. Yeah,
I have to ignore how uncomfortable and how much my
skin is crawling in this moment, likeyt like, hey girl,
(39:09):
let me run away, please, let me run into traffic
uptown fun Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Yeah, skin crawl.
Speaker 5 (39:19):
The whole thing is just jin.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
The song is the worst. It's actually the worst happened
so often. Had you done much session singing before Glee?
Speaker 5 (39:29):
No, not a lot. I learned so much about session
singing during that, and every session post Lee has been
a breeze because I mean, y'all know, we're on two
hundred in those sessions, and the amount of stuff that
those producers and musicians and singers and engineers and vocalists,
(39:52):
the amount of stuff that happens in twenty four hours
takes weeks or months sometimes and we were all going
one hundred miles an hour. I don't know how you
guys did it being on camera as well, because just
the off camera side of guides and backgrounds. I mean,
(40:12):
I was in the studio in near Adam's house in
like sixty eighty hours a week often, and I mean
there were times we did that. It was a meat
loaf song, Paradise by the dashboard, that's twenty four hours,
and slept in East West on sunset. People had sleeping bags,
(40:33):
people brocks. Like Tim was like, bring your jammis it's
going to be a long night. Left at six am,
I mean, and it was I mean that was normal
for many years, and so I don't know. I don't
know how y'all did it.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
I was saying. The difference is is like you're also
having to sing. It's like you get tired. You're different.
Like I feel like the voice it's impacted by all
those things so easily. Maybe not you guys because you're
all like experts, but like a good gust of wind
break messes up my voice.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, hours forget.
Speaker 5 (41:11):
It right every now and then I go through that.
But for the most part, I think there was just
a certain part of my range that was just used
and abused for so many hours of every day of
every week, and so it was kind of a muscle
memory thing. At some point, like we felt the fatigue.
But when we were coming in the studio, Tim was like,
(41:34):
y'all need a steroid, We're gonna get the nurse up here,
or like there was no there was no time.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
To Yeah, we around.
Speaker 5 (41:40):
The type of money we were making, the type of
hours we were putting in to make that money was
unheard of in the session world at the time, and
I'm pretty sure that it has not been the same since.
I mean, those the rates were insane. The amount of
time I've never been in the studio that long.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Good though, That's very good to hear though, Like because
you guys yeah, oh yeah, they.
Speaker 5 (42:02):
Yeah, they they It was a huge blessing and I
you know, we worked, we worked for what we made,
but it was like it was it was lovely to
be a part, but like you said, it was exhausting.
I mean, but I mean, I don't know at the
same time it was I don't know how it was
(42:23):
on the the on camera side, but in our world
it was so murky, like there were.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Yeah, let it out, let it out.
Speaker 5 (42:38):
I just feel like there was glee or nothing. And
if you didn't, like if you didn't follow the religion
of it all, like if you didn't hitch yourself to
that wagon and no other wagon. I mean, the amount
of time that we got fired and rehired as singers,
(43:00):
outlandish amounts and for nothing, like because we would take
another session, or because we were, you know, at home
for our brother's wedding and didn't want to come back
and Okay, we're replacing you. Somebody else is doing somebody
else is doing guides for already now it's fine, or
you know, I'm I mean many times and for silly things,
(43:22):
and it was just I didn't realize it at the time.
I think it took looking back after everything was over,
how yes, hectic, how inappropriate that was. There was a
lot of I was twenty two, twenty one, I think
when I started creeping into the warbler world, and then
(43:43):
a few years.
Speaker 2 (43:44):
Were seeing that at twenty one, Oh.
Speaker 5 (43:47):
My god, you're the same age as me. You realize that, right, Yeah, so.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
You're sorry?
Speaker 5 (43:56):
Nope, please, no, So I was. I was a kid
in many ways and took a lot of shit that
I wouldn't take now. And not to not to diss
anybody who was a part of it, like we all, yeah,
we all take responsibility for how subservient we were to
(44:18):
the beast that was the Glee music machine. And you know,
we've all got the plaques and the accolades and the
exciting things to show for it. And honestly, it is
the most intense training into being a background vocalist being
involved in television production that I like, no one will
(44:39):
ever be able to have that experience for me, that's invaluable.
But I definitely, yeah, I had I had some time
with a therapist specifically for my time involved in being
involved in that afterwards, it.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Was you know, grueling. Yeah, yeah, we had similar No,
we definitely had similar experiences where I think there were
times where it was like, you're expendable, we can you know,
the whole is bigger than you, which it is, but
it made you feel very small in the machine of
it all.
Speaker 2 (45:14):
Yeah, it's like a small cog in the machine.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
Yeah, might be exactly totally.
Speaker 5 (45:21):
And for me personally, I was hearing you know, oh
my god, nobody sings like this, or you know, this
is crazy. You know, you're you're so blessed or you're
whatever whatever, And by design, you know, my parents are
Southern Ministers, so like I'm I'm taught to like, oh,
you know for that, and like, you know, I'm blessed,
(45:42):
and I do feel that way, but to hear those
things constantly. But then also if I took too long
doing a take or they didn't like the talking shit
and they had to have somebody come in and talking,
We'll fucking get rid of you because we can get
somebody else in here. And I'm like, okay, but literally
twenty seconds ago, you were so I from that that
(46:04):
back and forth. For me, I didn't realize the toll
that was sticking on me until after we were done,
because once I started, I didn't stop until.
Speaker 7 (46:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:13):
There's no moment to reflect. You just have to like
go yeah.
Speaker 5 (46:17):
And that was heavy for me, but it also it
also helped. There's not been a single studio I've walked
in since then that has thrown me anything in any way,
whether right, whether it be musical or personality wise or
clashing of anything. There's just that because I went through
the Ringer.
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Also think it's just a testament to like how big
of a beast the production of the show was, because
you know, I think what people see is such a
small fraction of what it takes to actually make the thing.
As I get you see the musical numbers, you get
to see the production design, the choreography, the sets, the
camera work, the actors, all of that, but behind it
(47:00):
is twenty four hours of work a day by dozens
of session singers and music producers in Sweden and rousers here,
and like there's people who are having health issues, like
Adam Manners was talking about, like where like there's no
time for anybody to do anything else, And yeah, there's
(47:20):
a bunch of bitches in line who would cut you
down to try to get it to be a part
of that totally. So it's like this really weird dichotomy
of I'm grateful to be part of this thing. I'm
grateful to be part of this family of friends, like
the best friends I've ever made in the world and
have some of the best like working memories I've ever
made in the world. Totally, but at the same time,
(47:41):
like this can't be good for me physically or emotionally.
Speaker 8 (47:46):
Totally.
Speaker 5 (47:47):
Yeah, And it's crazy that you said that about the
Sweden thing, because I'm reminded of the timing and the
process of how it all works, because Sweden would do
the music like twelve to fifteen hours before we would
go in, and we would go in like you know,
fifteen or twenty four before. You guys would go in
to cut your leads, and then you guys would record
(48:09):
what you just or sorry, filmed what you just recorded
the next day, and so it was like a five
day process for one song. And you guys never stopped exactly,
and no one really did. But I mean you guys
who were there all the time. I'm just like contient
applause because I you know, I can tiny violin and
(48:30):
what was me all day? But you guys had it
twice as hard. I just it's it's wild.
Speaker 1 (48:34):
I mean in some ways, yeah, but we were we
were rotating, right, Like when you guys were working on
the songs that we were about to work on, we're
working on the ones that you guys worked on. It
was really crazy. It was really crazy, you know, and
then Sweden's working on it overnight while we're sleeping, and
then they're producing in and sometimes we would actually have
to record or shoot the musical numbers to your guides.
(48:58):
Oh so so the demo. Every once in a while,
the song wasn't ready, the song wasn't camped yet, and
so we would be doing the version that you we
would get to guide the demo oh okay, which was
pretty crazy because to some level, like we were pretty
(49:19):
they were pretty strict about us staying to the guide,
right because that's that was the original, that's what you
guys had put down. But to some extent, it's like
we also like had to put our own and the
character on it and our own spin on it. And
so you're like, I don't know, if I held that
a little longer, or if I did this a little differently.
So it's so it was such a wild machine. It's
(49:45):
such a wild experience totally. Did you feel the pressure
of like having to perform and a produce in such
a short amount of time.
Speaker 5 (50:05):
Every now and then, I feel like when the scenes
would be more emotional and the entirety of the song
would be less important, Yeah, there would be more pressure
on us as a vocalist because sometimes they would give
us sides and have us read, you know, what's going
on in this scene?
Speaker 1 (50:24):
Oh yeah, coud. You guys can get a lot of
context of what was happening in.
Speaker 5 (50:27):
The hardly ever, and so that when we did get
those moments, there was a lot of oh okay, they
really because you know, I knew I sang for Artie, yeah,
a few other people, but Artie was like my person,
and so I knew the sound to emulate the you know,
I would watch him sing a lot, because the way
(50:47):
I blend with other singers is to watch their mouth,
because you know, my tone is a distinct tone. But
I can blend if I watch how you pronounce things.
And so I would watch videos of him, whether they
be you know, early lead stuff or some NLT stuff,
and I would just watch how he said words, and
so that would be how I honed in on him.
(51:10):
But if ever, they said, you know, it didn't really
happen with Kevin much. But if ever there was a
time where a character really needed to like sing to
convey a message in the scene versus like having to
do with this song they bring, bring us you know,
script and kind of explain what's going on. You know
that that would add some The first thing that comes
(51:32):
to mind is not while I'm around. They were super
serious about that, and they had already had some like
preliminary video of like Kurt laying there, and so they
like showed it to us and like this is what
the scene's going to look like. And so I remember
that day was really heavy. Also, I was the only
gay every now and then there was another gay storm
(51:56):
and he was incredible lovely, yes, But other than that,
it was very tight knit, very Christian, very that group
in the singing world. And so when that subject matter
came up that day or remember a lot of the
other singers like are you okay? Are you okay? And
I'm like yes, like okay, like it's heavy. It is
(52:19):
a heavy topic, but like it's fictional, guys, and like
you know, it didn't it hasn't happened to me, Thank god.
Speaker 1 (52:28):
It's just so fascinating, like the context of which you
guys are trying to be your own person, emulate be
an artist, to create something, and then also trying to
impersonate if you will, to a level like do you
feel like you lost like Luke sound ever in that time?
Speaker 5 (52:52):
Absolutely, And it was so great that at the beginning
of this conversation that Kevin said that about my tone,
because I know that I have a pretty distinct sound
and in productions that it doesn't call for that I
have to work harder to mask it versus where other
people might have to try harder to make this sound correct.
(53:16):
And as I worked for, you know, singing for Artie,
they I was kind of trying to be more straight
toned and like clearer, and they kind of let me
work it in as time went on. But it was
a mind fuck for sure, because you know, I moved
(53:36):
here and met Tim because he was like some kind
of religious guidance for the American Idol team. When I
auditioned and didn't make it past Hollywood Week and he
was like, well, you have to move here, like I
could hire you. And so that to me was like
my oh my god, this is my Jesus, you know
what I mean. So there was never anything that was
(54:01):
you know, setting Stone. I just met him and he
was like, I could I could make me rich out
of right. And so when I came here, you know,
he hired me on like a video game session and
then like like a jingle session for KTLA and then
they then he was like, Okay, this war war thing
(54:22):
is going to happen, like I'm going to try to
get you in here. But during that time, I still
thought like I still had the American idle mindset, you know,
like I'm going to be an artist. I'm going to
be a singer. I'm gonna, yeah, my own singer. And
I definitely lost a lot of that individuality and who
(54:46):
I thought I was, And in some ways it was
a good thing. There was a lot of pompous, confident
like big fish in a small pond vibes coming out here,
and I definitely needed to be knocked off my high
horse being in in you know, being a small cog
in the machine that this was right. That knocked me
(55:07):
off real fucking facts. Ye sure, but I don't know,
honestly if the good parts of that person and that
individual have fully been found yet. And I don't know
how you guys deal with it, because I mean, you
guys took on a full on living character. I was
(55:30):
emulating that person doing that character, So I can't imagine
what it did to your brain into your heart because
you're never not Tina, you know what I mean exactly.
Speaker 1 (55:44):
Yeah, for a really long time in audition rooms, like
it was very hard to shake Tina, and it's very
hard to shake people to not see me as Tina forever.
I mean, any kind of juggernaut phenomenon that you see
characters like John Stainless, even though he was on our show,
he will always be Uncle Jesse. Like they're just characters
(56:06):
and it will never leave you. But you know, you
hope with time you can shake that at least. So
I don't care. I can't control what other people see.
I understand that, but you know, for me, it's like
I feel like I've gotten to shake her, and I
feel like this podcast has given us a chance to reimagine,
or like therapy is like what we're what we've been
(56:27):
through and to really heal, you know, in a different way,
because it was it was really hard to shake for
a really long time, and your worth is all wrapped.
Speaker 5 (56:37):
Up in it, totally totally. I mean for X amount
of years, everything you did was about this person. It's
how you made money, it's how you appeared, it's how anytime,
even in your off time, you're thinking about Like like
I was watching videos with Kevin, Like I whenever I
saw Kevin, I felt like I knew him way better
than I did. So anytime we've hung out and I'm like,
(57:02):
I know I'm acting like your best friend, and I
know that that's weird, but he gets it, I'm sure,
because it's just it's a fully experience.
Speaker 1 (57:12):
And totally totally so fascinating. Are there any songs that
stick out to you that you loved doing, maybe particularly
arty songs or work especially hard for you?
Speaker 5 (57:33):
Okay, I really got to go off on applause.
Speaker 2 (57:39):
I yes, I'm so thankful to you for that. Like
that felt like an orgasm of a vocal. Everything so
much fun doing it, Your musicality, your understanding of like you,
I don't know how you find these and you picked
(58:01):
them out, and it feels so right to sing them
and I hadn't never experienced anything like that, and like applause,
just felt like they were yelling, like doing things that
you never think you would do on the song and
it's I go and listen to that all the time
because of what you did.
Speaker 5 (58:19):
I too, listened to it all the time. I loved
that session. I also loved Let's Wait a While. That's
maybe one of my favorites.
Speaker 2 (58:29):
That was really hard. I never really got it.
Speaker 5 (58:31):
I was. I loved it. You guys sounded I listened
to both the I have okay, a lot of the
songs that I did that I like, I have the
cast version and then the guide version and so like
they'll play back to back on things I show that
it's so it's exact. You can't tell me you.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
Didn't get it, No, I well they they you know,
gave me a little extra love. And on the melodime
that because there was it was that and at last
where your voice is higher than we like, you can
just hang up there more than I can't, like I
can visit you can like park And so those both
(59:13):
of those songs, like sat in a really uncomfortable place
in my voice, and I was like, I can't do it.
I don't know how to do it. So he like
they really those two songs in particular really just did
some magic on me, and I was very thankful.
Speaker 5 (59:29):
I loved at last. That ending was so cool.
Speaker 2 (59:34):
You know what stupid you did a thing on You
always do it in songs too, where you wouldn't expect it.
On the one hundredth episode version of Loser Like Me,
you do this run at the end that is so insane.
Have to listen to it, and it's tucked so low,
but if anybody goes and listens to it, it's like
(59:55):
right at the very the last hook of Loser Like Me,
and and it's like if you're singing those lyrics so seriously,
it's hilarious. Right, But then you have Luke doing this
like beautiful like run in there that is just like
complimenting the harmonies that are going on, and they're just
like tucked underneath there also Breakaway, like oh god, oh
(01:00:19):
what a great song, A.
Speaker 5 (01:00:21):
Hard one was addicted to love, remember that one.
Speaker 2 (01:00:24):
I listened to that recently because I forgot about it,
and what Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (01:00:30):
That was crazy. But I mean, that was one of
the ones where there weren't any ad libs and it
was just like a musical outro for like a minute
and a half and so yes, Adam during only during
those times was he like, just do whatever you want.
And during that Alex often was like, Okay, you're you're
doing a little much and you know, rein it back
(01:00:51):
in And that was one of those days. But he
was like, honestly, let's.
Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
Just put all these in and just yeah, needs it.
Speaker 5 (01:00:57):
Yeah, and he it's just looked at me when we
were done company and he was like, Kevin is going
to be so mad at you.
Speaker 2 (01:01:05):
I was, but I got your number eventually.
Speaker 5 (01:01:07):
Then I remember the very first time it happened American Boy,
I was doing a guide for and I remember you
texting me. I can't remember what song you were doing,
but all it said was I hate you and I
know this person.
Speaker 2 (01:01:21):
I think it was probably I would least suspect it
on this song. But why, like, why in the world
would you go so hard on footloose?
Speaker 3 (01:01:34):
Yo?
Speaker 5 (01:01:35):
That was so.
Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
Was the meat. That was cruel, Luke. It was cool.
I love it. I go and listen to it all
the time because I'm like how did how did I
get some of those? Because it is just one run?
You were just running, You're doing that, you're doing like
on footloose. That what just because you can also do.
Speaker 5 (01:01:58):
You remember your bridge moment in wishing and hoping you
got to listen.
Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
I love because you because you did it. Like there
were times before you came on that I would try
to sneak in a little thing like that or like
a whale, and they're like, no, no, no, that's not
uncalled for, and it probably was uncalled for because like
your musicality is so good, like you put it in
the right places of where it actually works, and because
(01:02:31):
you were doing it, it was such a gift to
be like, ah, I can finally get to try to
like use this part of my voice that I've wanted
to that I don't really know what to do with.
And then because you did it, then I could try
to do it in like a less good way, but
I'd still going to try to do it. And it
was so and so it really was like I can't
(01:02:52):
like overstate how much, especially when you've been doing this
thing for four years and you've gone through all of it.
I lost my voice because I had gotten sick I
doing songs. It was like, I don't know if I
like this version of this song. I hope the artist
likes it, and you're tired and blah blah blah blah blah.
And then you show up and it's like this really
(01:03:15):
like juicy thing that all of a sudden I get
to like learn something new about myself that broke sort
of the rhythm of what I had been used to
that I hadn't felt since the very beginning of the show.
And once I stopped resisting it, and it was just like, Okay,
here's another Luke vocal. Yeah, let me see. Then it
became a competition where I was so put of it
(01:03:35):
in that booth and Alex knew. I was like, let
me figure out how I can at least get close.
Like my goal was to always just get close to
what you're doing, Like if I can get eighty five
percent of what you've given me, I'll feel good about myself.
And so that was always.
Speaker 5 (01:03:50):
After a while, Alex would start to text me and say, oh,
he's coming for you. No, yeah, because he knew he
knew we were competing, so he was like, oh, this
is getting fun and he's during season six, he was like, man,
like the closer we got to the end, the wilder
we got, and so he was just like, man, this sucks.
(01:04:11):
We should have been we should have been competing for
this long at all.
Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Before we let you go, we have one more question
for you. Can you tell us what the feeling that
Glee leaves you with?
Speaker 5 (01:04:23):
Glee leaves me feeling happy because of things like this,
I got so attached to being a moving part of
a machine that often I took for granted what was
happening in the moment, whether it be you know, twenty
four hour sessions or just seeing people walk in like
(01:04:48):
Sarah Jessica Parker to sing a lead vocal. It's like, okay,
thank John, and you forget that those things are happening.
And so I just have the happiest, warmest feelings about
those times, even the times that we're filled with struggle
or no sleep, because it family is often dysfunctional, and
(01:05:13):
so I just always think of it as family. And
I still talk to those singers even though we don't
sing together much anymore on a daily basis, And you know,
I feel like like I felt like I knew you
so much better than I actually do. And every time
I've seen each other, I'm like, this is my best
friend over yeah, Like but truth is, it's this process
(01:05:39):
that brought us together. And I feel the same way
about Amber, And you know, I'm just so blessed to
know her and to have her in my corner. And
she's always, you know, at the most opportune, god driven times,
she's always dropping into a text or a DM checking
on me or you know, parting something that I did
(01:06:02):
or you know, those those things don't have to happen.
And so I'm filled with much happiness because of relationships
like these and times like these, because you know, it
was it was hard and groogling while it was going on,
but being able to look back. You know a lot
of people just assume that you remember the money, and
that's honestly, like the last thing that I think about,
(01:06:24):
whether these relationships are lifelong or not. I know that
those memories will always be there, and so I, you know,
probably wouldn't call you guys at three am there's something
we're really going wrong. But I knew I could, you
know what.
Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
I so grateful, Yes, exactly, Wow, Well, thank you so
much for taking the time to come chat with us.
We are so grateful and for your you know, honesty
with you know, everybody's experience is so different with the
show and yet so similar, and yet it bonded us
(01:07:03):
because of there's so many things highs and lows within
the show. So it was really just nice to connect
with you safe.
Speaker 5 (01:07:13):
It was really great. Thank you guys.
Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
Thanks Liz seriously, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (01:07:18):
Bye well, thank you Luke for spending all that time
with us to chat about your experience. It just sounds
like they had like a very similar experience two hours
where they were bonded in a way in their own
little family and their own little like bubble, you know,
(01:07:38):
like us.
Speaker 2 (01:07:39):
There's just something about people coming together to make something
that should be impossible to make, and because everybody pulls
up and just does what they have to do, they
make it work. And without any department not having that
sort of mentality, the show never would have worked because
it's a huge task. It's a huge ask of all
(01:08:00):
these different departments to get it together at the same
time to make it happen. I mean sometimes we did
like seven songs or eight songs in an episode, like
what how.
Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
I know it's it's actually book like we were talking
about that, like the cycle by which they were working
on the future songs while we were working on the
songs they just finished, and it's just like a never
ending cycle. But it was also sounds like a really
lucrative and one of a kind experience for them, Like
you know, some of the dancers that have come and
chatted about it, it's like everybody wanted in because they knew
(01:08:31):
it was consistent.
Speaker 2 (01:08:33):
I really love that everyone like felt that that it
was And you never know, like you don't ask when
you're doing this, like if people are getting paid well,
like I don't know.
Speaker 1 (01:08:43):
You just hope, you hope, right, and like everybody is
in a different union or different it's all a little
bit different, so and you don't really talk about that.
Speaker 2 (01:08:53):
No, unluckily, like because you have unions like SAG because
it was a SAG show, right that those type of
people are compensated much better than they might be. Like
even the people who like if you're watching the show
and you hear people talking in the hallways, like in
the background, those are people who come in to specifically
record that and they were under SAD contracts, so they're
(01:09:14):
also making a good amount of money. So it's it's
amazing how these shows create like entire little economies for
you know, everybody working on it and all these different departments.
And yeah, it's good to hear that they should be.
They're so talented and there's not a lot of shows
that need singers in that way, and it's like, I'm
just glad that that was a positive element of it.
Speaker 1 (01:09:37):
Well, thank you to Nikki and Luke, and I hope
you guys enjoyed hearing about this like other whole other
side of Glee and the music and all I know
for sure, I love it all right, Well, thanks for joining.
Speaker 2 (01:09:50):
Us, and that's what you really missed. Thanks for listening
and follow us on Instagram at and that's what you
really miss pod. Make sure to write us a review
and leave us five stars. See you next time.
Host
Jenna Ushkowitz
Popular Podcasts
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.