Evan McKeel – The Voice

By starrymag | November 30, 2015

Q) You and Mark Hood were both four chair turnarounds I believe in the blind auditions and you won your respective battle in knockout rounds. So did it surprise you as a result that you were the first to be eliminated from the top 12? And do you think it was just a coincidence you were both on Pharrell’s team?

A) I do think it’s just a coincidence and I think no one should ever expect to go home but no one should ever be surprised to go home. The way it is now and we’re at the point in the show where it’s America’s vote. So even if you sailed through under the coach’s opinions America could see you differently or America could just have somebody else that they really, really liked and they could vote on so many things and for so many different reasons. So I think we all knew going into this week, going into last week, every one of these live shows we all knew anything could happen. We really shouldn’t have any kind of results picked out that we think is going to happen. Everybody should be prepared that they could be going home or could be the first named called.

Q) How did you feel about your singing for survival performance last night of Let’s Stay Together? Do you think the song choice played a role in your departure?

A) Well, it’s one of my very favorite songs and what you want with a safe song like that is you want something that you know very well and ideally something you’ve performed before. So that if you do get in that moment you’re not fumbling through words, you’re not trying to do something that’s new. You’re going to be comfortable and you’re going to sing your best and at the end of the day I don’t think the song choice really makes a big difference, I think if you do a good job people are going to tweet you or they’re not going to tweet you. There’s also another person singing that they might want to tweet for. So I was happy with that song choice you know I was the one that picked it and it’s one of my very, very favorite songs and I was happy to sing it. I felt really great about my performance; I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Q) Looking back over your time on The Voice, do you have a favorite performance that you gave on the show?

A) My favorite performance – well the great thing is that they were all so different. I really feel like I did something different every time Overjoyed I really did a lot vocally with This Is It I really just had a lot of fun and went for stage presence. Even just a couple days ago doing Smile – Smile was probably my favorite just because that was the most at home for me and that was me doing the kind of performing and the kind of musicianship in a performance that I’m used to doing at home and that I’m used to do in the music that I write and record. So that was a chance for me to show some artistry and show a little bit more identity as an artist. And so I probably would have to go with best performance of Smile. But I’ve loved every performance and have tried to put a little bit of something different into each one.

Q) Were there any songs that you had in mind that you were hoping you could perform on the show?

A) Yes I was actually really, really excited about my song choice for next week. I had already picked out Gravity by John Mayer and we were going to do this really cool gospel arrangement and I was going to play electric guitar and we were just going to like kind of have a little jam session at the end of the song. It was going to be really cool. So that was one that I definitely had picked out that I was going to do next week for sure.

Q) So you gave up college to do this, any thoughts about going back or are you now fully intent on just pursuing music?

A) The underwriters have been asking me the main thing that I learned from the show and everything and I think the number one thing I learned from doing the show was just how fulfilled I am doing music, singing on stage and performing for people who need to hear something through a song. I think I’ve learned now more than ever that this is really what I feel that I was created for and what I feel called to do. And I’m really ready to sink my teeth into this even more than I was before the show. I think the show has really shown me that my direction needs to stay you know where I am right now and I need to keep pouring my heart into music.

Q) Do you take heart from the fact that Jennifer Hudson finished seventh on “American Idol?” She wasn’t anywhere near the top and look at the career she has – she’s just opening up on Broadway. Is that a career that you might want to emulate?

A) Well you know Broadway isn’t really something that I’m interested in necessarily but I definitely think that that speaks to the fact that it doesn’t – and it doesn’t really matter where you end on the show. If you have the work ethic and the passion to keep making music after the show the opportunities are going to come to you if you put in the work and if you have what it takes. And I think she’s been a great example for everybody that does a show like this to – I think she was really the first one to kind of implement the idea that you don’t have to win to win. You don’t have to be the last one standing to get something amazing out of the process. And I’ve gotten so many amazing things out of the process and I’m going to have so many opportunities after this that I didn’t have before. And that’s so incredible.

Q) I’m just wondering what the conversation with Madi Davis] was like afterwards? Did you get a chance to talk to her given she’s your only team member surviving right now?

A) Yes I actually – I only had a second to go give her a hug, I was kind of on my way out to go shoot a couple videos for the YouTube channel. And when I found her she was crying with our vocal coach and I went over and hugged her and she like – I don’t think she was really totally speaking yet. So it’s hard – I’m sure it’s hard for her because her teammates have been her teammates left the last two weeks so she’s going to be going to rehearsals by herself with Pharrell, she’s going to be working on music a little bit more by herself. And I hope that some of the contestants on the other teams will rally around her and help her out a little bit now that Mark and I aren’t there to keep doing all the stuff with her.

Q) Going into the night, did you have a feeling it might be you or were you feeling pretty confident?

A) Yes well I mean I’d be lying if I said I was expecting to go home but what we’ve all said this entire process is no one should expect to go through but no one should assume they’re going home. You should be level and understand with America’s vote being the number one thing the voting you need to be ready for anything and understand that even if you give the best performance of the night or the best performance of your time on the show or the best performance of your life. There’s still a chance that you could go home. So I felt great about my performance this past Monday, I actually thought it was my best performance on the show and I think it was the most true to who I am as an artist and I was so glad I got to show that. I wasn’t expecting necessarily to go home but I knew that anything was possible and I was at peace no matter what happened and I knew I was going to have joy no matter what happened. And so I’m not upset that it happened to me because I think maybe not everybody would be as happy and have the same perspective that I do. So I’m glad that they get to stay and at least have another week.

Q) Evan, obviously you had a lot of one on one time with Pharrell and what was one moment that sticks out to you the most that wasn’t shown during one of the shows live?

A) That’s a great question. When we were preparing for This Is It last week, I still had a couple of comments that Gwen gave me after Overjoyed kind of in my head and they were still kind of lingering and I was still feeling kind of bummed that I didn’t get the feedback that I wanted from them that night. And he spent a long time, and it didn’t really get to show this, but he spent a long time talking to me about who I am as an artist and what I bring to the table and what performing is really about. And why at the end of the day you’re not performing for anyone’s approval, you’re performing because you love it and you can’t listen to everything that everybody has to say. And just reminding me that like God doesn’t judge me and if I don’t judge myself I shouldn’t care if anybody else does. And just performing freely without worrying about what people think about it and just doing what I love without any inhibitions, without any notions, without any expectations for it to look a certain way or be a certain way or please the right people. He just spent a long time you know just pouring into me and reminding me why I do this and I do it because I love it and everything else is secondary. That was pretty amazing.

Q) What do you plan next musically? What’s in the future?

A) I have about two albums that I’ve written over the last couple of years that I have recorded a lot of demos for and it’s really like two virtually complete bodies of work that I would love to go in the studio as soon as possible and record. So I’m going to start talking to some of these labels that have reached out, I’m going to start talking to anyone that I can get my hands on, start sending some of these demos to because I really feel that I’m industry ready right this minute. And I really feel like the show has helped me to see that and helped me to realize the avenues that I want to take to start releasing music. And I have the music ready, it’s not like I need someone to start writing music for me or help me figure out my direction, I know exactly what I need to do and I need to find someone who believes in my direction and believes in my direction and believes in my vision and my passion for my music and what I want to create. And I’ve got it all right here ready to go. So I’m really just looking for the right place and the right people to do it with right now.

Q) How would you describe the music?

A) Well one thing that I really want to do in the industry is I really am passionate about so many different kinds of music and I want to create a different sound and a different genre every time that I make an album. But I also know that you can’t do that all in one album, you need to have one album at a time. So the album that I’ve been working on that I really want to release right now is it’s just – it’s really I guess alternative rock is the only way I can really say it but it’s got a lot of acoustic work, it’s got a lot of string arrangements, it’s very pretty but also very driving, I think it’s – I always want to create music that I think could be universal and that people from all musical backgrounds would enjoy. And so I guess I would just call it like an ambient rock album but – and that’s really what I want to create first just because it’s finished and I’ve poured my heart into that album for the last couple of years writing it and I think that’s what I would like to release first because I think it would be the most universal and I think it would you know appeal to the most people.

Q) You were an artist that stayed on Pharrell’s team the whole time you were on The Voice. You were never stolen. Looking back do you think that gave you an advantage or actually a disadvantage because you missed out on additional insight from another coach that maybe could have helped you grow or maybe possibly even stick around longer?

A) Well, I still was able to get insight from other coaches in comments and in stuff that they talked to me about backstage so I still feel like I was able to benefit from being around the other coaches and hearing about the coaching that my friends got from them. But I think it was an advantage to stay with Pharrell because I was able to build consistency with him, I was able to build a rapport with him and I was able to just build with him from the bottom up and not have that train broken up. And to me there’s no real advantage or disadvantage there. I think we’re lucky to get to work with one of those coaches, if you get to work with two I think that’s an incredible blessing. There’s only one steal left in the competition. Amy [Vachal] is the only person left that was a stolen artist. So I mean if you’re looking at it that way obviously the numbers would say that it’s an advantage to stay with one coach. But Mark and I both stayed with Pharrell the entire time and were the last two eliminated contestants. So we don’t really look at it that way about advantages and disadvantages we just go out there and perform to the best of our ability and with as much passion as we have in our hearts. And whatever happens after that is completely out of our control.

Q) I want to get your thoughts on the level of competition that was up against you this season. Could you handicap the top ten for me you know size up the field a little bit in terms of which artist you might view is front runners and whatnot going forward?

A) Oh gosh I have no idea. I mean everybody this year is really performing at such a high level and I think even this past week was really kind of a breakout moment for everybody. I mean everybody had their best performance this week. Better than they performed the whole season. So you know obviously all bets are off at this point with America’s vote. I mean a lot of people were telling me, I mean I’m getting a lot of messages people telling me they didn’t expect me to be going home. For all we know next week someone who’s considered a front runner could be going home. There’s really no way of knowing because America’s vote can change every week and it involves so many different people with different opinions. So I think we can look from a musical standpoint at who might be a front runner but if American doesn’t see it that way then you know it doesn’t mean anything. So I think it’s really hard to predict what’s going to happen. And if you look back at the other seasons on The Voice it’s been that way, not always what people write about and not always what people expect. All I can say is that the level of musicianship and the level of singing quality and performance quality and the quality of the people that are on this year is just higher than I think I’ve ever seen on any of these shows. And everybody is just so, so gifted. And I have been honored to share the stage with them every week.

Q) Doing The Voice is a new experience for all of you now. Is there anything that kind of surprised you about this process of being on the TV show or you know on the singing competition show in particular?

A) Oh man, well everything has been so great; all the people that work on this show are so great. To be completely honest going onto a reality TV show I was kind of expecting it to be a little bit rough and be a little bit hard edged and for the people not to be the friendliest. But we’ve been so blown away, every single person that works on that show from our drivers to the wardrobe department, the music department, the makeup team, every single person, everyone, are so supportive and so loving and so joyful and they all are just so great to work with. And that was I guess a little bit of a surprise but a wonderful surprise to see that everybody involved in this process cares so much about us artists and cares about our growth and cares about our careers. That’s been really, really amazing. The only thing that really, really surprised me was just how exhausting everything was. Just to put a show like this together especially at this point in the competition. We finished results on Tuesday and Wednesday we get back to work with five days to get ready for a show again on Monday. New song, new outfits, new preparation, lots of rehearsals, new videos, new interviews, everything. Very quick turn around you know it’s a lot to handle and it can be a little bit repetitive at times and that’s definitely something that you know was a little bit surprising to me. It takes a lot for me to get tired and I’m starting to get you know a little bit exhausted.

Q) When I talked to Mark Hood last week he raved about the connection he had with Pharrell. Did you feel that same away? Did you establish a bond with Pharrell like way beyond you and him as a coach? And how much time did you actually get to spend with him you know during rehearsals or downtime?

A) Yes well Pharrell, he’s taking a lot out of his schedule to come and be on this show with us. And some people think that he’s there the whole week like we are but he has – he’s coming in from shows he’s doing and other appearances and this is one of many things on his schedule. And I would say I probably get maybe around two or three hours with him during the week which with the way that his schedule is that’s really pretty incredible. Coaching with him has been so great. He’s such a genuine person and such a gentle spirit and I feel like we are very kindred in a lot of ways. And it was such a pleasure to work with him and soak up his insight. And I feel like he really understood me as an artist and would help me find my strengths and my weaknesses and my greatest passions for music and really just learn about how I am as an artist and learn how to take that outside of the show too.

Q) Do you have plans to come back to Richmond? Or will you stay?

A) Yes I’m going to be coming to Richmond as soon as the finale’s over for Christmas time. And I’m probably going to be there for a good little while after that. I actually have a lot of stuff I’ve been planning with the athletic director that has been asking me to sing at basketball games and I’ve got a lot of people wanting me to come do some events and festivals and stuff like that. So I’m probably going to do – I’m planning to come and do a big kind of Richmond homecoming and do a lot of big events like that when I get back.

Q) Were you ever able to work on your demo with Darius Scott?

A) Oh no, well, he was eliminated at the live playoff which was not long after we got here so I didn’t end up getting to work with him. But I did send him a lot of the tracks I’ve been working on. He’s been listening to them back home in Dallas so I’m waiting on some – I’m waiting on some touchups from him and some critiques from him. And we’re hopefully going to be able to get together sometimes in the next few months and keep working on that.

 

 

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