In-demand vocal coach Eric Vetro has officially launched his podcast Backstage Pass with Eric Vetro where he invites some of his most successful students to break down their vocal journeys and the techniques that got them to where they are. The now-streaming first episode features one of pop music’s most signature vocalists, Ariana Grande.
Grande and Vetro first began working together on the singer’s breakthrough 2013 hit “The Way” featuring Mac Miller when she was 19 years old. Since then, the pair have developed a tight-knit relationship that prioritizes preserving the voice as an instrument and fostering creative growth.
On her 2019 one-off single with close collaborator Victoria Monét, “Monopoly,” Grande shouts out Vetro in the lyric: “I never track my vocals, so shout out to Eric Vetro (I love Eric Vetro, man).”
Backstage Pass’ debut sits Grande down with Vetro for half an hour to discuss everything from the singer’s adoration of Broadway music (she offers a comedic musical rendition of her hit single “Side to Side”) to the critical specificity that comes with having perfect pitch and the pair’s late-night vocal warm-ups when tour treks scatter them across time zones.
“That work was really what really kept me healthy for 99 percent of the tour,” Grande told Vetro of the vocal techniques he had ingrained in her daily practices. “I really am appreciative of that, I don’t want to miss my opportunity to say that. Our work together kept me healthy and thank god I’ve never had to cancel a tour because of a hemorrhage or been at a loss.”
Vetro’s laundry list of superstar clients also includes Shawn Mendes, John Legend, Katy Perry, Rita Ora, Chloe x Halle, Juanes, and more, opening the door for a number of intriguing conversations to be held across the first season of Backstage Pass.
Listen to the best of Ariana Grande on Spotify and Apple Music.