Interview: Abigail Brooks Lehre of AMERICAN IDOL Season 20

Abigail Brooks Lehrer (Abby Lehrer) is from Castle Rock Colorado, she is a singer and songwriter, and TikTok star. She competed on American Idol Season 20 and her audition aired last weekend. She recently graduated from the Institute for American Musical Theatre. Abby currently resides in New York City and works in a cafe. When the cafe is empty she sings with a broom in hand as her microphone. She also used the broom for her microphone at her audition. After her audition, Abby scored the golden ticket to Hollywood!

Abby, thank you for your time to interview with me.

How long have you been singing?

I have been singing ever since I can remember. I was raised with parents who grew up singing in church and who felt it was important that I was surrounded by music from the moment I was born. My siblings and I would put on concerts for my parents from an age as early as two. I didn't truly find my voice until I was a sophomore in high school and won a Bobby G Award for the Bird Lady in my high schools production of Mary Poppins. After that I felt like I had established my tone and my style of singing.

Who are your musical inspirations?

My biggest musical inspirations are of course my mom who first introduced me to the style of music that I love, as well as Judy Garland, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, and of course Barbra Streisand. Each one of them are completely their own artist but all have the style of the golden era.

What would you consider your musical style to be?

I believe that I am still learning what my style is. It's not set in stone yet, and I have yet to discover if the style I am singing in now is truly capable of making a comeback. I think that I have hints of golden age, classic rock, musical theatre, and jazz all mixed together. It will be interesting to hear what the public has to say!

You mentioned you are a Barbara Streisand fan, she is a legend especially in the theatre world. What is it about Barbara's music, style, etc to you?

I can clearly remember that the very first time I heard Barbra sing I was enraptured by the passion she had in her voice. It was like she didn't have anything holding her back. Her voice was completely raw and real and and she had humor and she laughed and she wailed and it was all so colorful like nothing I had ever heard before. She has this drive to be the best of the best and to put her own stamp on everything she sings. No one can or ever will be close enough to touching the bar she set artistically and musically.

Do you have a theatre background?

My parents both performed in musicals as young adults and encouraged my siblings and I to dress up and put on shows or concerts in the backyard, so I was very involved in performing at a young age. I was given the lead role in the first show I ever auditioned for at a children's theatre when I was 9 years old and I caught the bug from the moment I took my first bow. From then on I begged my parents to put me in every show they possibly could. I started dance lessons when I was 11 and really threw myself into being in full length productions by the time I was in middle school. It wasn't until high school that I established myself as a musical theatre performer and started to gain attention from the roles I was playing.

Do you have a favorite musical?

My favorite musical will always be Les Miserables. I could listen to the soundtrack on repeat. It is incredibly moving and I was lucky enough to perform in the show my senior year of high school. I close second would be Oklahoma. I found the revival of Oklahoma that High Jackman starred in and watched it repeatedly when I was in high school.

What made you audition for American Idol?

I was asked to audition for American Idol because of Tik Tok. I was fortunate enough to have gone viral singing modern songs in a golden age style on the platform. I thought that I could really test my vocals by auditioning in front of judges who are incredibly influential in the music industry and who could give me direction as to where my vocal style fits into the modern world.

What are you hoping for people to learn about you musically in the process?

I hope that people learn that I am not afraid to bring back an older sounding style of music and that I believe my style, however outdated, can make a comeback and still be appreciated in this day and age. I hope they see the passion I have for music in general and that I love to learn from and listen to all styles of music whether modern or golden age. Most of all I hope that people learn that music means the world to me and has helped me grow as a human and an artist.

What have you enjoyed about your American Idol journey so far?

I have enjoyed getting to see my friends becoming their own artists and realizing that they are the individuals who will be leading the way in the music industry very very soon. I also have loved learning what others think of my style and getting their feedback as to how it does or doesn't work in the current industry. It's such an honor to be in the presence of artists who are raising the bar artistically and who are focused and passionate on their craft. I learn something new every day.

To follow Abigail's journey, you can find her on instagram (brooksabigail_) and TikTok (abigailblehrer)

Tune in to American Idol on Sundays and Mondays 7 PM CST on ABC.

Photo by American Idol/ABC