Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Liam von Elbe, 30, of Plattsburgh, N.Y., performed “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room” by John Mayer. Liam immediately gave off a great male singer-songwriter vibe, with ample power and a touch of rasp. He got chair turns from Niall Horan and Snoop Dogg midway through the performance. Snoop called his voice mesmerizing and exactly “what we need on this show.” Niall called his voice beautiful and his tone “so pure.” He’s shocked that Liam waited so long to pursue music as an artist. Liam opted to join Team Niall.

Here’s more about Liam:

* He’s a singer-songwriter from Plattsburgh, N.Y., who credits an audition with another singing show for unleashing the artist within him.

* Liam’s career has been as an audio engineer, touring as a crew member with well-known artists, including Katy Perry, Paramore and Taylor Swift.

* In 2022, he decided to audition for Season 21 of American Idol, which aired in the spring of 2023. He auditioned in Nashville, just before his 28th birthday.

* Singing “Better Man” by James Morrison, Liam scored three yeses to advance from the Idol judges. In an interview with American Idol Unaired, Liam says Katy scolded him for waiting until he was almost 28 to audition.

* Liam’s audition did not air. He was cut in Hollywood Week. But he said he still cherishes the experience for the friendships made with other artists and for the impact it had on him.

* He’s since relocated from California to Nashville where he’s found a community of collaborators. And he’s since released his first music, including a debut single called “Pushing 30” that came out in 2023, and an EP called “Adlai Demos” from 2024. Check out “Find Your Own Way Home” from that EP below.

* His latest release is a single called “Deja Vu,” which he describes as a fun summer song, more up-tempo than the music he typically writes and records.

* Liam told American Idol Unaired he’d been singing since high school, but never in public. The Idol audition, he said, was “”life changing for me. It was something that I needed in my life to make me realize that maybe I can do this.”

* The decision to audition also led to one of his most memorable moments. He was touring with Paramore at the time. When Haley Williams of Paramore learned he had auditioned, she called him on stage to perform in front of 4,000 fans at a show in St. Augustine, Fla., in November 2022.

* More recently, Liam spent two years working as a stage director on Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour.” In a December 2024 social media post, he writes: “Thank you @taylorswift for changing our lives. The crew will never forget the memories you have given us.”

Liam on social media:
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