The Edgar Family Band takes over ‘America’s Got Talent’

One of the show stoppers from this season of “America’s Got Talent” has been Edgar, the self-described modern day family band. Made up of Ryan Edgar, Nikki Leonti-Edgar & Jaslyn Edgar, their powerful voices and tight harmonies have brought the crowds to their feet each time they’ve performed. I caught up with them to talk about the live shows and what’s next for the band.

Why did you choose America’s Got Talent as the place to showcase your band?

Nikki: I got an email from one of the AGT producers suggesting that I audition to sing on this season, which I didn’t really want to do. My family had started doing some shows and singing at church so I asked if we could audition as a family band. I couldn’t imagine doing this show without them.

It’s a lot of work, but what’s been the most fun part of the process of the show so far?

Jaslyn: The most fun part has been seeing the other amazing acts on this show. When you’re there, you just don’t know who is going to walk in the door. It’s cool to see so much different talent in one room.

Ryan: We’re backstage for a while so we get to spend time with the other people on the show, which is really cool. We are all a part of something with a really cool value to it. We have this in common and now, after watching everyone on TV, we all sorta know each other and our backgrounds so we are connected.

You’ve made it through the first two rounds. What are you most looking forward to with the live shows?

Nikki: Updating the presentation on stage. The live shows are a bigger production rather than our audition on am empty stage.

What’s your biggest challenge as a band?

Ryan: We all have different musical tastes but the biggest challenge is that we have our family life together as well. Getting us all together to rehearse and be on the same page is tough sometimes.

Nikki: We all have creative brains and when it’s just us as home and we don’t have one person telling us to be someplace or rehearse at a certain time, it takes effort to get us to all be still and rehearse.

How do you strike a balance between family time and rehearsal time?

Nikki: We really don’t. That’s what makes it fun. We realized we are all different and it makes working together interesting and exciting.

Nikki, you talked on the show about being a young Contemporary Christian Music singer and I remember “Everlasting Place” being a huge hit. All these years later, do you shake off that version of yourself or embrace it?

Nikki: I have a different view than I did when I was performing Christian music. The religious side of needing to please the conservative Christian community is gone. I came from a time when singing mainstream music was considered a sin. That’s still alive out there in some people. I’m a Christian and I’d love to contribute to that community, but my work now is Hollywood based. I call myself a progressive Christian.

You say that view is still alive out there.  I’m assuming that’s popped up again since your audition and story aired on AGT.

Nikki: The first week, after our audition aired, it brought out those people who condemned me for singing non-Christian music. Mean-spirited religious people had things to say but I’ve learned that when using the word ‘Christian’ in any context, you’re going to find people who take issue with it.

How did you move past that?

Nikki: I struggled with it that first week but I’ve decided I’m just not going to please everyone. I hope we can be a new example to people who’ve been turned off of Christianity by the crazy people. Hopefully, in me, they can see a different face of what being a Christian is.

You have solo careers as well as your band together. Besides whatever happens on “America’s Got Talent,” what else do you have planned coming up?

Ryan: Nikki is an amazing songwriter. Jas is also a great songwriter.

Jaslyn: And I’m in school at the same time.

Ryan: I’m working on a solo project currently.

Nikki:  We are really just seeing what happens. We’d love to make an album together so we will see where this goes.

For more, head over to www.edgarfamilyband.com

Interview by Ryan Brinson