Phish heads and “American Idol” fans might seem to be worlds apart, but they definitely have something in common this week.
Trey Anastasio, a uniquely talented singer-guitarist who’s beloved by the Phish faithful, and Taylor Hicks, the gray-haired “Idol” winner who inspired a million shouts of “Soul Patrol!,” have joined forces for a podcast called “Sugar Maple.”
Hicks provides vocals for an evocative tune, “Revolover,” co-written by Anastasio and featured on the podcast’s eighth and final episode. “Sugar Maple” reached its conclusion on Tuesday, and “Revolover” was a crucial part of the storyline.
“I thought it was a really cool idea and a really cool project,” Hicks, 45, said in an interview with AL.com. “I loved the tune, and was up for putting vocals on it. It’s a dreamy jam band tune with lots of space and lots of nice visual images.”
You can hear the Alabama native perform “Revolover” in the video below. It’s part of a “Sugar Maple” soundtrack that’s streaming on platforms such as Amazon Music and Spotify. Songs from the soundtrack are posted on YouTube, as well.
“Sugar Maple,” a podcast from Osirus Media, has a deep connection to Phish via Tom Marshall, co-founder of the podcast network and its chief creative officer. Marshall, 58, a lyricist and keyboard player, has been writing songs for Phish -- often with his childhood friend Anastasio -- since the mid-’80s.
Marshall and Anastasio wrote “Revolover” for “Sugar Maple,” teaming as they’ve done many times before. Their songs for Phish include “Wilson,” “The Wedge,” “Bouncing Around the Room,” “Chalk Dust Torture,” “Rift,” “Sample in a Jar,” “Down With Disease” and more.
Marshall is the co-creator and executive producer of the “Sugar Maple” podcast, and one of three writers for the overall storyline. “Sugar Maple,” which was two years in the making, traces the path of a Fender Telecaster guitar with mystical powers and remarkable influence.
Each episode focuses on a specific character who finds the guitar, writes a song on it, becomes obsessed by it and finds his or her life changed, for good or for ill. Eight players are highlighted in the storyline: a homegrown bluesman, a promising country artist, a haughty disco legend, a gospel newcomer, a troubled metal queen and more.
Hicks was cast as the singing voice of the main character, podcast narrator Terrance Woodridge. He’s enmeshed in the guitar’s journey through family ties, and has been interviewing its various owners, trying to uncover the guitar’s secrets.
Fred Savage -- the actor/director known for “The Wonder Years” -- plays Terrance Woodbridge throughout the podcast. Hicks takes over, however, when Terrance performs his own song on the guitar as the series concludes.
“Revolover” is an important element in the episode, resolving dramatic conflict and providing narrative harmony. It also caps the soundtrack in a peaceful and hopeful way.
Anastasio wasn’t available to comment on “Revolover,” according to his publicist, but Hicks described the song as “very Anastasio-eque, with a lonely undertone, kind of like ‘Strawberry Letter 23′ meets Cat Stevens.”
Hicks said his first encounter with “Revolover” was through a demo track that featured Anastasio on vocals and guitar.
“I was just honored, and was taken aback when I got asked to sing it,” Hicks said. “This is the song where all jam-banders go to heaven. It’s definitely dreamy.”
He was recruited for the podcast by Maggie Rose, a rock, soul and country singer-songwriter. She appears on “Sugar Maple” in Episode Five, playing the character of Belinda Rose, an up-and-coming country artist who earns fame for the song “Two Arms to Hold Onto.”
Maggie Rose performs the tune on her episode, and wrote “Two Arms to Hold Onto” with Don Hart and Chris Gelbuda. She’s part of the Osiris Media family, and has her own interview podcast, “Salute the Songbird with Maggie Rose,” on the network.
“Maggie Rose and I crossed paths, and we performed together not too long ago,” Hicks said. “She called me and approached me about doing a really cool podcast, then Don Hart (the musical director of “Sugar Maple”) called me about three months ago and asked if I wanted to sing one of Trey’s songs. ... I was on my way to Birmingham from Nashville, and I ducked off the interstate to where the studio was. The music was about 75 percent laid into my vocal track. The song was in a good space for me to sing it during an afternoon session in Nashville.”
Hicks said “Revolover” marks his first performance on a podcast, but he’s a longtime admirer of Anastasio and Phish.
“One of my favorite things to do, when I have time, is drink about seven really cold beers and listen to Phish live,” Hicks said. “I’m a fan. I think they’re funky.”
“Sugar Maple” extras: Posters and limited-edition NFTs are linked to the “Sugar Maple” podcast. More info on the digital artworks, or “non-fungible tokens,” here.
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