Jim Hogan of “America’s Got Talent” chatted about “Kimberly Akimbo,” T.3 and their music.
Their national tour kicks off on Friday, which coincides with the same day as their EP.
‘Bring Him Home’ single
On their latest single “Bring Him Home,” he said, “It is obviously one of the greatest songs from the musical theater canon and as one of the most requested songs from our fanbase, it only felt natural to cover it.”
“When we released it, our fanbase made it clear it was one of their favorites and since then it’s taken such an important place in our setlist: we often use it as an encore to say thank you to our audiences,” he elaborated.
“We needed to make sure it got on the EP so that we could extend that thank you as far and wide as possible,” he added.
Daily inspirations
On his daily inspirations as an artist and musician, he said, ” I am inspired by artists! Creating something from nothing is the most difficult thing to do. It takes courage, time and sacrifice and I couldn’t be more inspired by artists of all levels.”
“From my closest friends to my biggest idols, they all inspire me to get up and try to make the best art that I can. I’m grateful to all of them for that,” he added.
‘Kimberly Akimbo’ on Broadway
On being a part of this Tony-winning musical production, he said, “‘Kimberly Akimbo’ is one of the best theatrical experiences I’ve ever had. I was a fan first! I saw the Off Broadway production from the audience and knew I had to be a part of it, so I texted my agent that night and begged for the chance to audition.”
Hogan continued, “A few months later I was lucky enough to be asked to audition and offered the standby for the role of Buddy. From day one of rehearsals to winning the Best Musical Tony Award and beyond, this show has truly been the gift that keeps on giving and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. It bears mentioning my gratitude to Liam and Brendan as well.”
“T.3 has continued full-time in spite of my schedule with ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ and that truly means the world to me that they’d let me have this experience,” he added.
Future plans
On the plans for the future, he said, “The future feels particularly unknown at this moment as T.3 is at such an exciting, brand-new juncture as a group.”
“I can’t say anything for certain, but if I had it my way, the future would include a lifetime of getting to perform our music for as many people as possible, whether that’s seven people or seven billion,” he elaborated.
Tour in December
He opened up about the tour, which starts tomorrow. “The Option Up Tour is so exciting and special to us as we haven’t had the chance to travel this far and wide yet! We can’t wait to get out there and share our sound with these amazing audiences,” he said.
One of their stops will be at City Winery in New York. “Fans can expect our most eclectic setlist yet! We’ll have everything from our first covers to our most current covers, the entire Option Up EP AND some of our favorite Holiday tunes. They won’t want to miss it,” he said.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Hogan said, “Success is a complicated word but on the most basic level, it means working as hard as you can to create a product you, and mostly importantly, you, are proud of.”
“No amount of money or accolades will bring you true happiness, but if you’re working passionately on what is most important to you, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he said.
‘America’s Got Talent’ experience
Hogan noted that “America’s Got Talent” was a very important time for the band. “In addition to being given the opportunity to share our music in front of a truly massive audience, we were able to use that time to really find out what T.3 is and what our values are. We wouldn’t trade that for anything,” he explained.
Thanking the fans
For the fans and supporters, he said, “You really don’t understand how far your support reaches. We truly could not do what we get to do if it weren’t for you, so I hope you all know how grateful we are. Thank you and we’ve got so much more to show you.”
To learn more about the band, their new music and tour, visit their official website.
