When Fitz and the Tantrums take the stage at Redondo Beach’s BeachLife Festival on Friday, May 1, co-lead singer Noelle Scaggs returns to a place that feels like home. The band performed at BeachLife in September 2021 when the festival resumed after the pandemic. Though she now lives in Nashville, Southern California holds a strong sense of belonging for Noelle, who spent most of her youth here.
“I was six or seven when we moved to LA from Denver,” Noelle said. “Getting back to Los Angeles and back in California is always great for me because it gives me an excuse to see friends and family, or have people come out to the show that haven't seen us play in a long time,” she said. “There's always a reconnecting component to when we play at home.”
For nearly two decades, Noelle has helped define the soulful pop energy that has made Fitz and the Tantrums a festival favorite. But behind the scenes, her journey has also been about rediscovering her voice.
“For most of my career, music was my only focus,” she said. “With that comes a lot of ebbs and flows. Every person, I don't care what you're doing in this world, how in love with it you are, you get burned out.”
When the pandemic paused touring for all musicians, Noelle reflected on another side of herself—the student who studied publishing and the business side of the music industry in college.
“I had a moment where I didn't know why I was still doing music,” she said. “I felt like everything on my adventure had been fully about the band, our music, what we were doing, that it was neglecting sides of myself that I felt were more important and I didn't know how to recapture that.”
That reflection led her to start Diversify The Stage in 2020, a nonprofit designed to expand opportunities in live music—especially for underrepresented young people who might not realize those careers exist. Through mentorships and apprenticeships, students gained hands-on experience in various aspects of the live music business, from stage production to booking and ticketing. For Noelle, the mission was personal—she often found herself the only woman who looked like her in executive or backstage spaces.
“I didn't really feel like there was representation of my culture within the live industry space, and it didn't matter where I was in the world or what we were doing, that's what I saw. Not to say that it doesn't exist, I just didn't see it.”
From 2021 to 2024, Diversify The Stage partnered with major festivals, touring companies, and nonprofits, giving students a foothold in an industry where they might otherwise go unseen. Although challenges with funding forced the nonprofit to close, its impact—and the confidence it gave students and Noelle’s own voice—will be felt for years.
“I started Diversify The Stage and I ran that organization for three years,” she said. “That brought a part of my voice I thought I had lost back. And a confidence came back to me as an artist within Fitz and the Tantrums as well.”
Today, Noelle says she’s embracing her “golden 40s”—a chapter defined by gratitude, perspective, and self-love.
“I've built a great life with this band,” she said. “I'm just trying to enjoy the experience of enjoying what I built… a beautiful home. I’ve got two great dogs. Now I'm dating.”
Her confidence also comes from the strong women who raised her.
“I have a family full of women who are just bosses,” she said. “My aunts, my cousin, my sister. All the women in my family are matriarchs.”
That joy—and the life she’s built—is reflected in her new solo single Money Fame Love, released in February 2026. When asked whether she deserves it all, Noelle answered candidly:
“I think so. Can you have it all? I think I've done well. I'm in love. I am in love with myself. Truly in love with myself. I love my partner. I have really amazing friends and family. My dogs seem to like me a lot depending on meal time. I think you can have it all, but I think you can also have it all without losing yourself in it.”
Money Fame Love captures that balance—self-love, gratitude, and celebrating the life you’ve built without losing sight of yourself.
Outside of her music, Noelle embraces a quiet life. “I am not a party girl,” she said. “So as much as the energy that I exude on stage, I'm a complete pumpkin in the house. I love to cook. I really do enjoy being at home. There is nothing better for me than sitting at home, finding a series that I can binge, reading a book, or making my next adventure.”
But when the lights come up and the music begins, she knows exactly what she hopes the audience will take with them. “Joy,” she said. “That's a big thing for me… I love that I have the ability to bring people joy. If there's anything that I do in this career and this life, it's that.”
When opportunity calls to lift others in need, champion the cause. Step boldly. Embrace your purpose. Find your voice.
Editor's Note: Noelle Scaggs' full-length album, Money Fame Love, drops May 1, 2026. A visualizer for the focus track “Head To The Sky” also premieres that day, coinciding with a live performance at the BeachLife Festival.