The Voice – Battles Night 2

By starrymag | October 17, 2014

Q) Tanner and Grant, we did not get to see your battle round match-ups last night so I was hoping each of you could tell us how it went and why you think you wound up being the contestant declared victorious?

Tanner Linford: Our battle went great. I think the coaches really seemed to like it. I think the reason that I came out strong is the coaches said that I just showed a little more power and they saw that I had a long way that I could still grow and they said that I was a lot more confident than my blind audition so they really like that. They thought I had come a long way and yes, they thought my stage presence was better and yes, I think those were the main reasons.

Grant Ganzer: I thought John [Martin] and I’s battle really went well, I thought we both sang it as best we could. I think I came out on top because well Blake said I had more confidence in my parts in the song and I just put more passion into my part and he also said that he just wanted to keep working with me because my voice is very unique.

Q) Alessandra, you and Joe Kirk seemed to really connect during the duet last night and at one point it almost seemed like his microphone was going to get tied-up in your hair almost because you guys were so close. Can you tell me if you were afraid of kind of having an incident during the performance of maybe getting stuck on each other like that?

Alessandra Castranovo: No, we weren’t afraid of any incidents like that. I mean, we’ve practiced a lot beforehand to make sure nothing would have happened but I think it was fine. I don’t think there were any accidents that were close to happening.

Q) It must have been difficult to kind of work so closely with someone and then be judged which is more worthy of moving on like that in this context of the show?

Alessandra Castranovo: Yes, it really, really killed me. It broke my heart because he really reminded me of my younger brother and I love my younger brother to death and it killed me that someone either had to go home and I was praying that he would have been still in and it really stinks that he didn’t, but I guess that’s just how this show does and I hated it.

Q) For Team Pharrell, what would be the most important piece of advice Alicia Keys gave to you?

Taylor Phelan: I think that they showed it last night but Alicia gave me this tip. I’ve never had any vocal lessons. I’ve never had any sort of formal training and so this whole process to me is very new and Alicia made a comment and I kind of thought that they would cut it just because of the nature of it but I thought it was really funny that they decided to show it. But she told me that when I was trying to hit my high notes in my falsetto range to push out my stomach and push down on my stomach like I needed to poop and so I thought that that was a really interesting way to look at it, but that was actually very helpful for me. Like I said, I’ve never really had any sort of formal training and so to be able to have like obviously we all poop so I know where to push down to make that happen and to put it in a context that I and we all understand was very interesting and a unique way to explain it so that was actually really helpful from a technical standpoint I think.

Q) Alessandra, what was your first impression when you walked into the room? I’m sure it was surprise but what was it about Stevie Nicks? Is Stevie Nicks special to you?

Alessandra Castranovo: Honestly, I was not. I knew of her. I know that she’s pretty much a legend but I never grew up on her music or anything like that. The style I grew up on was (mostly) R&B soul music, pop music, that was what I grew up with (the same field) but I did know of her

Q) What did you find was the most impressive thing about her comments to you? I mean, what really stuck with you more than anything else?

Alessandra Castranovo: What stuck with me more was that you just said at one point I worked in a restaurant too and we all have to start somewhere.

Q) Joe had turned four chairs during his blink audition. I think you had turned two. Did you get the sense that you were the underdog going in and what do you think turned the battle in your favor?

Alessandra Castranovo: No, I didn’t think that because he got more chance during that he had the upper hand. It was a new fresh start, you know? It was such a close battle. Adam took forever to choose so I mean, Joe did phenomenal and it was Adam’s opinion, Adam’s choice. I honestly don’t know what I did. Maybe it was me hurrying around the state like Pharrell said, I don’t know but I just went out there and gave 100%. I tried to project as much emotion as I could when I sang that song and maybe that’s what made him pick me.

Q) Menlik, both Adam and Pharrell tried to steal you. Why did you decide to join Team Pharrell?

Menlik Honestly, it’s really kind of hard for me to explain any decisions I make on that stage because it’s really when once you get up there, it’s just like a rush. You can’t really think about anything. It’s just instinct from up there so honestly it just felt right. I just I listened to what both of them said and I just followed. The vibe was right. I just went with Pharrell.

Q) Troy, tell me a little bit about your battle round. What were your feelings right before you were picked?

Troy Ritchie: Let’s see, right before I was picked I felt like there was a steal going on in the air. Adam and Pharrell were super complimentary of both of us which made me really excited. Menlik has become one of my best friends of the show through this process and I was just I was nervous because I didn’t know who was going to win but I felt confident that a steal was going to happen so it wasn’t anything too nerve-wracking.

Q) It must be tough when you work with someone so closely and then someone literally has to judge. Did you all talk afterwards, the two of you?

Troy Ritchie: Oh yes, in the wardrobe we were just like hugging and like messing around and like dancing around and then celebrating. It was really awesome. And the wardrobe people hated us because they wanted to go home.

Q) And Tanner, we didn’t get to see your round. Can you talk a little bit about it?

Tanner Linford: Yes, so me and Justin Johnes and “You and I” by One Direction and according to the coaches, they really liked it. I think it went really well. We both did like I think it was one of our best runs on it so yes, the coaches they really all seemed to like it. We didn’t get a steal, but every one of the coaches complimented both of us and it was a really great experience.

Q) Well, are you a big One Direction fan?

Tanner Linford: Yes, I like One Direction. I actually wasn’t even familiar with the song when we first got it. Justin knew it so in our first practices it was kind of weird. I had to kind of learn the song but yes, I’ve learned to love the song especially now. It’s one of my favorites.

Q) Grant, what is the hardest part of going through that whole process of those rounds? I’m sure that it’s just the singing and getting it right. Is it going through the initial rehearsals with the coaches or is it actually hitting the stage? What would you say is the hardest part of it or is it the decision?

Grant Ganzer: For me the hardest part is always the outcome. I think the performances would be a lot easier if you didn’t have to worry about at the end they’re going to pick somebody and so yes, like going into it, me and John really took the approach that we were just going to we were going to try and be really prepared in the first couple of rehearsals. So that we could get as much criticism and as much constructive out of the coaches and the advisors that we could so that was pretty easy and the performance is obviously a challenge but I think the outcome of what’s going to happen after all of this is the hardest part for me.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*