After placing third on NBC’s "The Voice" in 2020, Hawai‘i's Thunderstorm Artis is seeking a second chance on the national singing competition "American Idol."
Artis, who was raised in Haleʻiwa on O‘ahu, stunned the judges during auditions in Nashville, Tennessee, by performing an original song about his marriage.
Now, he’s preparing for Hollywood Week, or Idol Arena, which begins March 31.
He said "American Idol" producers have long reached out to him, but he’s turned them down until recently.
“When God opens a door, sometimes you just gotta step through it in faith,” he told HPR. “I think I have something special to offer, and I knew 'American Idol' is a great place to find that platform and to be able to take my dream to the next level.”
While preparing for his audition, he faced an unexpected challenge before singing in front of the judges — Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.
“The week leading up to that audition, I had actually lost my voice because my 2-year-old came home with a cold,” he said. “My voice was just completely rasp, air and there was nothing.”
Artis said his audition was originally going to air Wednesday, but producers were able to push it to Saturday, which was the last slot they had.
The 29-year-old was raised in a musical household. He’s one of 11 siblings.
He remembered waking up in the morning to his father playing the piano.
“I would lay underneath the piano as he was just going through jazz pieces,” he said. “It’s always been a place of peace for me.”
Underwood, who rose to fame after winning the fourth season of "American Idol," praised Artis for having a mixture of genres.
“It’s got a soulful thing, it’s got a really sweet thing, you've got that growl at the top,” Underwood said during his audition. “You took all the genres and you just rolled them into a ball and threw that ball at us.”
Artis grew up listening to various artists, including James Taylor, John Denver, Paul Simon, Sam Cooke, The Beatles and more.
He also mentioned local artists that have been influential to him: Jake Shimabukuro, Jack Johnson, Gabby Pahinui and Paula Funga.
“A lot of these artists have been really shaping the newer sound that I've been kind of chasing,” Artis said. “But I think it all kind of derives from this idea that my father always said, that we couldn't say we didn't like a genre of music unless we really understood it or knew how to play it.”
Artis moved to Nashville in 2020 to chase his dream in music.
He said his dream is to support his children and the rest of his family.
“We have a mission to share a really special message, or to be able to interpret emotions that we all feel and cannot necessarily put into words,” he said. "As a songwriter, I've always strived for vulnerability and authenticity to be able to convey something that's really special.”
