Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Franklin Boone of Durham, N.C., during his audition on American Idol Season 18. (ABC Photo)

Luke Bryan proclaimed that Franklin Boone provided an “Alejandro moment” during the American Idol Season 18 auditions.

And that’s high praise considering the success Alejandro Aranda — aka Scary Pool Party — enjoyed last season and has enjoyed since the show.

Franklin, 27 at the time of his audition, is an instructor at the School of Rock and has been working as a worship director at a church in Durham, N.C.

But he’s also released a good deal of original music since 2015 and auditioned with a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” that had the Idol judges praising his style.

Here’s what Franklin told Idol Chatter about his audition experience and his original music.

Idol Chatter: How did you wind up auditioning for American Idol Season 18 (ABC Season 3) and what prompted you to do it this year? Had you auditioned for singing shows at any point in the past and, if so, how did that go and did it help when it came time for this year’s Idol?

Franklin: Someone casually brought up the Raleigh open call audition in conversation. This was a few days before they were scheduled to happen & I pondered all the times people had told me to try out for Idol. I looked up the details and found out the age limit was 28. Being 27, I thought “This could be my last chance to try this and see where it goes.” I had already told myself that if I couldn’t make significant progress in my new career as a musician by 2020, I would go back to corporate jobs.

I felt that I needed to dive fully in, and take big steps if I was ever going to go from someone who writes and performs music as a hobby to someone who does it as a career and makes a living. I figured I may not make it through the first round, and at every subsequent round I considered rejection a HUGE possibility, so I just tried to bring my best and be prepared for any response. Every step of the way I have been pleasantly surprised with the positive feedback I have received from producers and judges & it has been a major boost to my confidence.

Idol Chatter: Why did you choose Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” for your audition song? What’s your performance history with that song (for instance, is it one you’ve performed often)?

Franklin: That song has been a favorite for years; it was one of the songs I did at one of my first real gigs many years ago. I felt that this was a song that showed one of my big listening preferences, but also was an arrangement that showed my unique style. It’s also in a key that serves my range well. I never have any issue getting into the emotion of the song when I sing it, as I’ve had my heart broken before like the song describes.

Idol Chatter: What was that audition experience like? You didn’t come off as nervous at all. And the judges certainly had high praise for your artistry.

Franklin: I was a little nervous, just because it’s one of those moments in life where you MUST get it right the first time because there will probably not be a second chance. When I talk on camera (or in many social situations) I feel anxious, but when I start singing the nerves usually melt away. I was totally blown away with their high praise, I thought I would at least get mixed reviews but instead I got three glowing yesses and a golden ticket!

Idol Chatter: You’ve released several singles over the past 5 years. Can you tell me a little about your latest single, “Can’t Shake It?”

“Can’t Shake It” is kind-of a stained-glass window into some of the pain I’ve dealt with for several years. I’ve dealt with betrayal and the loss of a longtime friend. At the same time, I was moving to a new city and just felt tremendously alone and misunderstood. It has taken years to mend some of the emotional damage from that time in my life, and writing about it has helped with that process. The end of the song offers a prayer for divine assistance when “it all starts to crumble.” “Can’t Shake It” is one of the songs I’m most proud of writing, and producing. I had some help with some of the tracking and mixing and drums, but I wrote all of the different instrumental parts (and also played and tracked most of them.)

Idol Chatter: Do you have more original music coming? And how would you describe your original music?

Franklin: I have TONS of original music. I must have about 10 songs officially released, but I have been writing now for 10+ years and I have dozens more songs that I’ve yet to officially release. My original music is a blend of many genres, R&B, Americana, alternative/indie-rock, blues, pop, jazz & even some forms of electronic music like synthwave. More often than not it tends to be rock with overtones and undertones of other things and consistently soulful vocals.