Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Ian Ward of American Idol Season 23

Season 23 kicks off Sunday, March 9 on ABC with Carrie Underwood joining Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan at the judges’ table.

A sneak peek will air Sunday after the Oscars.

Here’s more about Ian:

* He’s Ian Ward Brininstool, a singer/songwriter, actor, and producer from San Diego, Calif.

* On Spotify, Ian describes his music as “melodic, storyteller-based alt-pop rock music.”

* And, yep, you guessed it, that means he’s already released music. That includes three singles dating back to 2018 and a five-song EP called “One Shot” that landed in January.

* The EP’s title track has been streamed more than 70,000 times on Spotify and is about a relationship Ian was involved in “where both of us were at a crossroads, torn between pursuing our individual dreams and following our hearts.”

* In a recent interview, Ian told Buzz-music.com: “That tension between love and ambition really resonated with me … It’s a reminder that life is fleeting, and sometimes you have to take that one shot, even if it’s scary. The song is my way of celebrating the courage it takes to chase what truly matters.”

* Ian’s been performing since he was a child, appearing in TV shows and performing at the Radio City Music Hall and the Old Globe theater in San Diego.

* He has an extensive musical theater background. That includes playing the lead role of Drew in “Rock of Ages” and appearing in “American Idiot.”

* Ian also performed RENT in Concert with the San Diego Symphony last summer, and you can check out his performances from that show on his YouTube channel.

* And he’s a performer and producer of a salute to the music from Quinten Tarantino films at The CineVita, a new music venue across the street from SoFi Stadium in L.A. That show opened Friday night.

* Ian has made TV appearance, including on Season 3 of “9-1-1” and on The CW show “Vernonica Mars.”

* He studied music and theater at the University of Miami and the Berklee College of Music.

* In another recent interview with Hype Magazine, Ian says his major musical influences include storytellers like Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Kurt Cobain and pop stars like Jason Mraz and Bruno Mars.

* In the same interview, he calls American Idol “an incredible experience” and “a chance to share my music with a whole new audience.”

Ian on social media:
Instagram
TikTok
Facebook
YouTube