Twenty-four year old Pomona, CA native Alejandro Aranda aka Scarypoolparty received nationwide attention when he auditioned for the seventeenth season of American Idol. His audition overwhelming impressed the judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan prompting Richie to say: “This guy is freaking unbelievable” and Bryan adding “I feel like I’m in the presence of greatness”. From being homeschooled, working numerous jobs including as a dishwasher while busking, to now selling out shows, Aranda is the epitome of hard work paying off when a great opportunity presented itself. Aranda started playing music at a young age, but didn’t make the push towards a professional career until his late teens/early twenties. After connecting via social media, Aranda became good friends with Twin Shadow, who would mentor him and take him out on tour with him. The recognition from American Idol gave him the exposure he needed to get the attention of Hollywood Records (Joywave, MORGXN, Breaking Benjamin, ZZ Ward, Dreamers, Demi Lovato, etc) who would sign him to their label. Fresh off a small intimate sold-out tour, Aranda will be performing at this year’s Lollapoalooza and will embark on a wider scale tour this fall.
B-Sides caught up with Aranda to talk about his journey on a reality competition show, his moniker as Scarypoolparty, music influences and more. Check out the interview:
