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"American Idol" alum Carly Smithson rocks in new band

Former finalist from Ireland finds her feet in The Fallen

APRIL DREW

Irish Voice Reporter

Published Thursday, June 25, 2009, 12:58 PM

Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 6:11 PM

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Read more: Carly Smithson, American Idol, Entertainment, Media, Reality Shows, Television

Carly Smithson and The Fallen

The wait is finally over. A year after her stint on "American Idol," Irish rock diva Carly Smithson has partnered with former Evanescence band members and released her first song, “Bury Me Alive,” on Monday, June 22.

Smithson, who was born in County Dublin and now lives in San Diego with her husband Todd, took time out of recording on Saturday (and time away from her mom, Sarah, who was visiting from Ireland) to speak to IrishCentral.

The last time we spoke with Smithson, 25, she was only two days off the American Idol show (she placed sixth). She was worn out from interviews and was on a 24-hour visit to New York. By the time we caught up with Smithson in the Fox offices in New York she ready for some down time.

However, on Saturday, the opposite was true for the bubbly Irish singer. She told the Irish Voice she was “super excited” about her future with her new band, The Fallen, and couldn’t wait to get on the road and begin touring.

Smithson, who owns a tattoo shop with her husband and sports an arm length drawing of a geisha, explained how her new partnership was down to good friendships and coincidences.

“I was out for a birthday dinner with a friend of mine and we went to this charity event beforehand because she wanted to swing by. There I ended up sitting next to this lovely girl called Monique and we just clicked straight away. We quickly became great friends,” said Smithson.

While the friendship between Smithson and her new friend solidified, Monique moved into a house with Ben Moody, former lead guitarist with the top-selling rock band Evanescence.

While Smithson was busy working on her own projects and trying to get her solo career on track, Moody and former Evanescence band mates John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) and new addition bassist, Marty O’Brien, were ready to get back on the road, but they needed a lead female vocalist to complete their ensemble.

While Smithson had met Moody once or twice while visiting Monique, the idea of playing alongside the legendary guitarist never crossed her mind. However, it was Monique who could see a potential match.

“I was sharing my ideas with Monique and Ben was doing the same,” Smithson says.

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As the Irish people have a genuine sense of fun, Irish entertainment can be found in every town, village, city and county. One of the most popular forms is the festival, which is used to celebrate all sorts of occasions &emdash; everything from literary pursuits to a love of oysters. Here are a few highlights of entertainment in Ireland throughout the year: Londonderry boasts the biggest Halloween Festival in the world with around 30,000 celebrating the ancient Celtic New Year every October. Grab a dodgy mask and join the party! / The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Ireland’s biggest International Festival and boasts an eclectic mix of music, talks, comedy, exhibitions and film. / The Galway Races, the Rose of Tralee Festival, Puck Fair in Killorglin, and the Oul’ Lammas Fair in Ballycastle are world famous and offer a great chance to enjoy Irish entertainment, life and laughs with the locals. / Food festivals are now a big draw in Ireland with local produce scoring high among international foodies. Head to the famous oyster festivals in Clarenbridge in Galway, or Hillsborough, County Down. / Tune in to a spot of music with the Open House Festival in Belfast, the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, or the Feile an Phobail in west Belfast. Or grab a pint and tap your feet to some cool tunes at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. / If you prefer your festivals small and intimate, try the harp festivals in Roscommon or the rough and ready horse and pony fairs from Cavan to Cork. Even today, the horses are priced in guineas, and bought and sold with a spit in the hand. / At the other end of the scale of entertainment in Ireland lies the Wexford Opera Festival with full-scale opera productions, concerts, recitals, talks, cabaret, fireworks, and, of course, parties. / For something a little different, try the Magnus Barelegs Festival in Downpatrick offering a slice of Viking life, or the Eagle Wing Festival in Groomsport, County Down, which celebrates Ireland’s cultural links with America. / Theater fans should head to Dublin for both the Dublin Theatre Festival and the excellent Dublin Fringe Festival, with wildly exciting performances taking place in fabulous venues. / Around March 17, the country turns a shade of green for a host of St Patrick’s Festivals. All over the country, from the Saint’s hallowed burial place in Downpatrick to the more carnival atmosphere of parades and exceptional fireworks in Dublin and Belfast. / Literary lovers should head to Dublin in June for the intriguing Bloomsday Festival, where fans of Joyce’s Gargantuan Ulysses dress up in traditional gear and scoff old Dublin food like “nutty gizzards” and “urine-soaked kidneys”. Alternatively, seek out the delights of the Aspects Literature Festival in Bangor in September, an annual celebration of Irish literature with lectures, discussion and music. But festivals are just one aspect of Irish entertainment—let's not forget about music! From impromptu sessions in your local bar to the thrilling beat of U2, Ireland has always been home to the best sounds of music. Ireland’s massive successes in the Irish entertainment world include some bands and artists you may have heard of…U2, The Corrs, Enya, Westlife, Snow Patrol, Ash, David Holmes, Van Morrison and The Thrills, to name just a few. Unique and distinctive, the harp holds a special place in Irish entertainment and has come to symbolize the harmony of people and music in Ireland. It’s the earliest musical instrument mentioned in Irish literature and has been used as an official emblem for Ireland since medieval times. Today, it’s on Irish passports and stamps. But there's more: Fleadhs, or festivals, are a major part of Irish entertainment as well as cultural life, and impromptu trad sessions have become the stuff of legend at West Belfast’s Feile an Phobail, the Galway Racing Festival or Kerry’s Puck Fair. Rock and dance music festivals are also big news with the Oxegen Festival, Tennents Vital Belfast and the Electric Picnic held in summer.

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"American Idol" alum Carly Smithson rocks in new band

Former finalist from Ireland finds her feet in The Fallen

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