Noah Guthrie first found fame and recognition on YouTube, where his acoustic (and frankly, beautiful) cover of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know it” went viral, eventually getting featured on The Today Show and Jay Leno. Guthrie was catapulted into that select group of people known as famous YouTubers, but that was only just the beginning.

A small TV show by the name of Glee came calling, and suddenly Noah Guthrie is gaining a whole new legion of admirers and fans. As high school senior and New Directions member Roderick, Guthrie’s soulful, bluesy voice has had Gleeks raving on Twitter and Tumblr. In fact, when I ran a Tumblr search on his name, Noah Guthrie was spared many of the usual posts and the results were entirely positive. For those who don’t know Tumblr, that’s quite amazing.

Given the rather passionate fanbase Glee has, it must surely have been quite an intimidating prospect to join such a well established show. You’d think so, but Guthrie seems to take it all in his stride. “It was a little nerve-wracking,” he admits.

“One of the first scenes I shot was with all of the senior cast members and I had never done anything like this before,” he explains. “It was very weird for me, but everyone was very welcoming and the cast and crew have been great.

“It really is one huge family, as cheesy as that sounds.”

Of course, Glee’s sixth season hasn’t just seen Roderick making an appearance. We have also got cheerleading twins, Mason and Madison, footballer Spencer and feisty wannabe Warbler Jane, and Noah admits it was easier to join at the same time as the other four.

“It was good to have people who had the same concerns, the same nerves…[but also] the same happiness, the same joy, because this was all our first time on television.”

Yes, you read that right; this really is Noah’s acting debut. What a role to start with!

“I was on the road, just playing some shows. I got a very random phone call from the casting agency saying they had seen my videos on YouTube and [they] kinda thought my voice would suit a new character.

“I auditioned, and then I got the part. I had like, a day and a half to pack up my stuff and then come out here (LA), and I’ve been here ever since. It was very much an adventure, and it still is.”

So with the role in the bag, Guthrie set to work filming the show.

Those who have been watching will know that his character is very introverted and shy (plus very concerned about what he’s gotten himself into, which I find hilarious), but I wanted to know if we will see more of Roderick’s character as the season goes on. Will he get his own storyline?

“He has his own insecurities that he needs to work through [surrounding] his weight, and not having any friends. He’s new to this school. It’s his senior year and I think he’s looking to find relationships that are going to last him. He has an episode coming up later in the season where the focus is more on him trying to break out of his shell.”

I am so happy to hear that we will get an insight into what makes Roderick tick. I was originally very wary of new cast members being introduced for the final season, but I have been really impressed with their performances, and my only gripe is that I wish there was more time to develop their story arc a little further.

I ask what has been his favourite song to sing on the show so far and I am happy to note that he agreed with me (naturally), in choosing “Mustang Sally”.

“It was great to do that one because I was very familiar with the song. I’ve been surrounded by music my entire life, but I’ve always been very attracted to the old soul stuff. My audition song was a Sam Cook song, ‘A Change is Gonna Come’,” he reveals, before going on to tell me his uncle always sings “Mustang Sally” on Karaoke!

While he certainly can sing those old soul classics with style and panache, “Sexy and I Know it” was, in many ways, Guthrie’s first taste of stardom.

“It was amazing,” Guthrie said of his viral video. “It was one of those things…I totally didn’t expect it. I mean, obviously that’s what you’re wanting when you make a video but you can’t put lightning in a bottle. There’s no way to create it. When it comes it comes, and the right people see it and share it.”

In this instance the right person was Ryan Seacrest, and with so many fans then reblogging and retweeting it, the video soon became notorious.

“I remember posting it, and then waking up the next morning and it was at fifty thousand views and I was losing my mind. Then it was at like two hundred thousand, then it finally hit a million and I was like…crying,” he laughs.

“I was flown out to New York to appear on the Today Show. It’s funny how things work. It’s crazy how blessings come and what form they come in. I never thought it would be through an LMFAO song, but it’s enabled me to make my own album, and obviously [Glee] saw it so it’s been a great thing.”

If you check out Noah’s YouTube channel, you will see there are a multitude of covers, from One Direction’s “Story of My Life” to Joni Mitchell’s “River”. My personal favourite is his version of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud,” and I was interested to know what his own choice would be.

“You Are My Sunshine,” he says, without hesitation. “Everyone enjoys it and everyone has some kind of story with that song. It’s been passed down for so long, you know, mothers singing it to babies, grandmothers singing it to mothers. I get such joy out of playing it just because people love it so much.”

I can identify with that completely, having sung that to all three of my children and, in fact, I still do.

But Noah’s talent doesn’t just lie with his voice. His debut album contains thirteen tracks which he co-wrote, though he tells me he actually wrote nearer to “fifty or sixty tracks” and then somehow managed to chose thirteen to make it onto the album.

“I really enjoy co-writing,” Guthrie said. “I love writing my own stuff but sometimes you hit a wall and you need someone to put you back on track. I got to work with songwriters that I really admire, like Amy Stroup and Gabe Dixon and I’ve learned a lot.

“Knowing what direction to go in was probably the most difficult part, because it’s the first album, you know? It’s like the first impression when you’re meeting someone. You’re like, okay, this is me, this is what I’ve got. I think we did a good job.”

Now that, I can completely agree with. I like to form a connection to music and for that reason; it usually takes me several listens before I am completely sold on an album. Occasionally though, one enters my soul right away. Among the Wildest Things is one such album, without a doubt. Noah’s voice is so easy to listen to and I think the fact that this is such a personal record really comes through. Check out this video of “Call Home” from Among The Wildest Things.

So what of the future? Does Noah have any post-Glee plans in place?

He tells me that they only have one episode left to shoot and then he’s back to playing some shows in the US and, he reveals, some time back in the studio.

“I’m looking forward to getting back with my band and writing some new stuff,” he says.

He adds that he might possibly look to releasing an EP and, figuring that a new EP would need promotion, I seize my chance.

“Any plans to make me really happy and play in the UK?” I ask. “I can tell you that you’d get a lot of love from fans over here.”

“Absolutely,” he says with a smile. “We’re actually looking into that, and I hope it happens soon.”

Having had the chance to talk to such a humble and talented man, I can safely say I will be keeping an eye out for those UK dates and, Noah, the kettle is on.

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