I’ve been making music since I was very little, but if we’re talking seriously doing it, like making things that are good enough to put out in the world, probably three or four years. I did musical theater from six to 14 and have always been musically inclined.
You have such a wonderfully unique sound. I’m curious which artists have influenced your work so far?
Ooh, Amy Winehouse. I love Amy Winehouse. I like to take inspiration from The Beatles, and I love Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks, what an idol. Also Harry Styles, which is funny, I know, because we have the same last name. We’re not related [laughs]. I’ve had that question asked since I was a little kid. But yeah, I also had myself a little One Direction phase…and I don’t think it’s ended quite yet.
What draws you to making music?
I really like writing a lot and I love to perform, especially in front of an audience. I the energy that comes out of that. It’s so adrenaline-inducing and such a good outlet for getting things out there as your own personal therapy.
How has music helped you better get to know yourself and/or your gender?
Yeah, well, I do go to actual therapy [laughs]. But seriously, music and coming out were related. Ever since I was little, being a musician was my dream. I never had a backup plan. It was always like, I want to be Hannah Montana. But once I got a bit older, music became this big source of insecurity for me, because of my voice. I used to talk really high, and I still kind of do, but for a long time I think that was just because that’s what people wanted to hear. I was always this peppy little kid, the baby of every friend group I’ve ever been in. So I spoke at a volume and pitch that fit my character, which I learned later made no sense: a voice can’t define you. But back then, when I noticed that something about this puberty thing didn’t feel correct, I felt it in my voice. I got really quiet.
How did your relationship to your voice evolve as you better understood your gender identity?
I practiced. How I speak now is how I spoke then when I was alone. So I kept asking, why can’t I just speak this way around other people? Why do I let that anxiety take over me? I mean, I cried about it, because it’s been a journey, and I don’t think it will ever be 100% resolved, but that’s okay. Now I see my voice not as a weakness, but as a strong suit. Like, look at this vocal range that I have. I can be a soprano. I can hit all these notes and also go low. It doesn’t make me any less of a man — if anything, it just makes me sound cooler. I’m a boy who can hit a high C without effort.
Hell yeah, Ace. That’s awesome. Speaking of your talents, I was wondering if you could tell me a little about your experience on Idol?
My oh my [laughs]. Well, I got to fly. That was an adventure in and of itself. It was my third time on an airplane, which was fun. We got to L.A., went to the hotel, and then we quarantined for two days. We couldn’t leave our room, so we did puzzles and played music. When the day finally came, my audition was the second to last. I went on at 8:00 at night. I actually did “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” but they just aired “Addicted,” which is fine. Obviously you saw some of what they said. At the end of the day, it may have not been what I wanted it to be, but it was an opportunity that I chose to take and I’m glad I took it and had the experience.
A lot of people felt pretty strongly about the judges’ decision. What’d you make of the fan response to your audition?
