Harlan Goode has set himself apart from the rest on Australian Idol with his powerhouse vocals and has sung his way to the grand final.
Even though he’s only 18, he shouldn’t be underestimated.
And he exclusively told New Idea about what we can expect from his final performance, and his plans after the show.
Read more about him below.
Who is Harlan Goode from Australian Idol?
During the early stages of the show, Harlan, who hails from Redland in Queensland, was finishing his Year 12 exams.
While he was not interested in university, his high school music teacher became one of his biggest cheerleaders.
He told New Idea that high school was not easy for him, but his teacher, whom he dedicated his rendition of I’m Still Standing, along with his mother and nan, became a guiding light.
“You have opportunities with teachers, like amazing, good, genuine humans that mentor these students and that refined but my music to completely change my mindset on a lot of things, and I’m just so grateful for her,” he explained.
Along with being thankful for the support from his loved ones, Australia’s love hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“It’s been incredible,” he continued to tell us.
It was in contrast to what life was like a couple of months after graduating, where some people were mean, and home began to feel “a bit strange”.
“On the side of the journey, you’ve got like this massive group of people just seeing you, and just pushing you and pointing you to all you can be, it’s just absolutely incredible,” he shared.
For the Sheldon College graduate, it has been a joy representing his town on the national stage, and he cannot wait to book a gig back home to thank them for backing him.
So, what’s in store for his final performance on the show?
“I will be going feral on stage,” he shared. “I haven’t really done that yet, and I’m very excited to do a different type of performance. I’m just ready to unleash.”
After Idol, he’s also got festivals booked for later in the year, and is keen to release music.
“I think my songs are just like my story about my life,” he explained to New Idea. “I’m very guarded, and I don’t open up very quickly, and my writing is where I just let it all out, you know?”
When it comes to music, he is vocally inspired by Ariana Grande and Adam Lambert, whom fans said he reminds them of. Getting a message from him during Heroes and Tributes Week was icing on the cake for the rising star.
He also received invaluable advice from You Raise Me Up hitmaker, Josh Groban.
“He told me to be nuanced, not perfect,” he shared. “For some reason, that really stuck with me because as humans we’re striving for perfection and I think hearing that with nuance to be something that people can remember rather than… being a people pleaser.”
Watch Australian Idol on Channel Seven and 7plus on Monday and Tuesday at 7.30pm.
