At some point, every teen dreams of picking up an instrument to feel just a bit like their favorite band or artist. Growing up, I learned how to play the guitar because I thought that Kurt Cobain’s simple chord progressions and melancholy voice would be easy for me to learn (it wasn’t). Because of this, I already knew that I had no business covering any song by Paramore because, well, Hayley Williams is a goddess. One teenager in San Diego, California, decided to bring her teenage bandmates together to let her high school know that if you can dream it, then you really can do it.
The above video features the all-girl band Flailing Idiot, at what appears to be either a talent show or a Battle of the Bands at a local high school. The song being performed by the girls is the incredibly vocal-heavy All I Wanted Was You by the pop-punk band Paramore. For those unaware, that particular song is very difficult to sing, even for the most gifted singers, and can likely only be done by talented lead singers like Hayley Williams herself. However, just as the song reached the pivotal lyrical moment, the lead singer of Flailing Idiot, 15-year-old Sammie Augusto, absolutely wowed the crowd with her insane vocals. She did such an incredible job that one of the top comments under the video said, “First 5 seconds, 100% thought this was Hayley.“
Flailing Idiot has been a massive pinnacle in the pop-punk scene as of late, with Sammie’s mother posting a different performance the band had done last year. Last year, Flailing Idiot performed Still Into You, also by Paramore, to a crowd who very much in awe of the entire performance. You can really hear the vocal powerhouse that Sammie is, with her bandmates playing their instruments in perfect harmony around her.
Of course, Sammie isn’t the only incredible artist in the band. The other members, Miya Schultheis, and Lillee Gillum are also teenagers who go to the same school. The girls also have original songs, which mimic the high-energy and general internet presence of the various bands that clearly inspired them. I wish I had a group of friends who were this talented when I was going to high school! More than anything, I can’t wait for Flailing Idiot to become as worldwide as they deserve.
