The Voice – Blind Auditions

By starrymag | October 2, 2015

Q) Morgan and Lyndsey, both of you did a great job reimagining your songs. Yes, obviously there’s a risk in that. There’s a risk because the audience is used to hearing it one way and even if it seems like the coaches have maybe not been as receptive to that kind of singing in the past season or two — so I’m wondering, “What made that right decision for you,” and, “What sort of response have you gotten since the show aired?”

Morgan: Oh my gosh, it’s been so crazy — the response that I’ve gotten. I don’t know, I just always thought that that song should be a love song ever since I heard it and just really listening to the words and I came up with that version about four years ago and I was just like, “This,” I actually – it’s kind of funny. I had a dream about doing it on the show when I was watching last season. I didn’t even know I was going to, like, try out or anything like that. And I had a dream about doing it on the show. And then when that song got picked, I just – I was like, “It’s a risk,” but I was – I couldn’t have been happier.

Lyndsey: I, first of all, just been blown away by the amount of support and love that I’ve gotten since last night and it was definitely a risk taking this song and making it kind of a slowed down Pop/Acoustic/Soul version just because it such a well-known song and it’s been all over the radio and it’s done so well that it was definitely a risk to take and I kind of played around with the song and came up with that version and walked in the band rehearsal and hoped that they would take it and they would like it and they ran with it and so I was really excited about it but going into that type of situation you just hope that any of the four coaches turn and that they would recognize the song enough to know what it was and that they would really enjoy the version and it looks like it paid off which was incredible. It was the best risk I could have ever taken, for sure.

Q) I was hoping that Manny, Chris, and Lyndsey could explain the thought process that went into their choice of coaches — and Manny, if you could begin. Congrats, by the way — Top 10 on Rock Chart.

Manny: Well I felt that initially going into it I was going for Blake but Adam hit a nerve with something and he brought back some good memories and he kind of related to growing up with the age of rock stars in the 1980’s and playing in garage bands and it seems that that element of music is kind of missing from contemporary music. back in the day we had five guys in a garage arguing, hashing out, and writing songs and then going out and like Dave Grohl would say, “Actually suck, and get better,” and nowadays everything is done and so processed in the studio — and it’s just his support and the verbiage that he used to relate to me — it kind of hit home and I was really comfortable and I walked off that stage with no doubts in my mind that I had made the right choice.

Q) For Chris, Blake wouldn’t seem to be the most natural fit?

Chris: Well, that’s a really good question and what everybody says is true. “You really don’t know who you’re going to pick once you get up there.” You have it in your mind who you thought. I thought for sure I was either going to pick Adam or Pharrell but to be honest it was just – I went with a gut feeling. I closed my eyes and the things that Blake were saying and not just that it was – I just thought, “Well, I could go with Pharrell, I could fit in really well there, and I could fit in probably really well with everybody on Adam’s team,” but I kind of didn’t really want to fit in. I wanted to be bold and stretched in a direction that I wasn’t familiar with and so I thought, “Going with Blake would give me that opportunity,” and not just that he just seems like such a genuine and heartfelt guy and so does Pharrell and everybody else but, I don’t know. I honestly just went with what I thought would be best in that moment and it really was – it really wasn’t that calculated, to be honest. It was a straight up gut feeling. It surprised me. It just surprised anyone else.

Q) Lyndsey, if you could explain why you went with Gwenn. I think you’re the first four chair turn to join Team Gwen.

Lyndsey: Yes, that was incredible and I didn’t know that until afterwards and it was just an honor to know that I was kind of the first one to pick her out of a four chair turn and kind of like everybody else is saying, “You go in with the preconceived idea of who you want, ” and I totally thought I was going to pick Pharrell but they really did stress to us before we stepped onto that stage, “Live in the moment, be present, and listen to everything that the coaches have to say if you have the option of multiple people fighting for you,” so that’s what I did. I tried to just listen to everything that they had to say and all of them had such nice things to say but I felt like Gwen was fighting the hardest for me which I totally didn’t expect. I – it was kind of threw me off for a loop too and she was the first person to turn which was incredible and just some of the things that she was saying. It was this weird connection that I couldn’t explain that I was having with her and she talked about how she could download her career which has been so timeless and so incredible that she could download that into me and she’s a mother and she could nurture me well and another thing that she said that really hit home was obviously singing cover songs on “The Voice” and you have to make them into your own and she said that she loved what I did with “Lips are Moving” so she wanted me to be able to tell my story through the songs that I sang on the show and that really resonated with me especially with taking the risk of making a song into my own and hoping that they liked it — so I really did what I felt was best for me in the moment and picked the coach who I felt like would be able to help me the most in the stage where I’m at as an artist and I definitely don’t regret my decision. She’s fantastic and such a genuine and kind human being. It was honestly an honor to pick her — so that’s kind of the process of what went through my head during that moment.

Q) Lyndsey do you perform original music as well and if so what style?

Lyndsey: I’ve started too. I’ve started kind of coming up with my own versions and I would say that I’m Pop/Soul kind of with Acoustics, too. I play my guitar and I’ve been trying to incorporate a loop pedal to kind of make my own band, per say, as myself — so I would say Pop/Soul is my genre that I like to go for.

Q) Do you perform original music as well? Do you write music?

Lyndsey: Yes, I’ve started to write music. I’m kind of new to the songwriting game, but I’ve started to jump in at different upcoming gigs. I plan on performing some originals and hope to get an EP out at some point within the next year or so — so I’m excited about that.

Q) For Tyler, in this business though, we’ve heard that it’s happened to a lot of people and a lot of people get discouraged by it. They get that one chance and they get dropped and they go away. What has kept you going? I mean, was there ever thought that, “Eh, maybe this ain’t going to happen for me?”

Tyler: I have thought that before. I have gotten into my feelings and thought, well, it happened once, it’s not going to happen again, that kind of thing, but I always come back to this. I have seen death so many times. Death has been on my front door step so many times and God has pulled me out of that for a reason — and I always come back to, “God put me here for a reason. He saved my life so many times for a reason and I have a purpose in this world and my purpose in this world is to make people smile, make people happy with my voice that he has given me.”

Q) Yes, and what it is a fantastic voice and as Blake was saying the thing that he had heard about you and knew about you and then you kind of like disappeared? And so this is kind of like a second coming in a way.

Tyler: Oh, it definitely is. I mean, I can’t thank the people at “The Voice” enough for this second opportunity at my dream to make my dream come true. I mean, like I said, there was a time when I got down and I thought this was that one time was it but I am a firm believer in second chances and this is definitely my second chance at making my dream come true.

Q) Madi, after your performance, Gwen and Pharrell kind of came up on stage and got really kind of close to you. Was that kind of overwhelming when that happened?

Madi: Oh, yes, it was definitely overwhelming. I don’t think I’d ever wanted to implode so much at one moment in my entire life. I was so afraid. It was just kind of unreal.

Q) Yes, and so, kind of in that moment what kind of made you just kind of focus on trying to choose a Coach?

Madi: I was really, really trying to listen to what they were saying to me and kind of interpret what they were saying for me but it was really hard because I was so nervous and I was so kind of just thrown off by their kindness and it was such a – when people turn around for you like that after you’ve been working for like months to, for that exact moment and you’re like, “Am I going to get a chair?” And then suddenly you get two chairs, it’s just this weird, switch of emotions that’s almost impossible to describe. But it really just kind of like hurts your brain a little bit and you’re – and it’s so hard to make that decision in such a weird mindset, but I was really listening to what they were saying and I just as much as I really heard Gwen and what she was saying and I really loved what she was saying and I really wanted to pick her, I just felt this weird, weird, like connection with Pharrell and I felt like he has a lot of strengths where I have weakness and he could really help me a lot.

Q) Jubal, how in the world did you pull that off? And was the plan to always pop the question? How does it work that you just kind of got the perfect opening to say, ‘Okay,’ how did that go down?

Jubal: Well, yes, it was just a matter of sort of waiting back and letting the thing unfold. I mean, I knew one way or another that I was going to do it before we picked our coach and when they started asking us about if we were a couple, hey, it was just perfect. It was just, they “threw me a softball,” you know? So it was just easy from the – I “knocked it out of the park.”

Q) Why before you picked the coach? I mean, why was that the timing you had kind of decided on?

Jubal: Well, it was just at the moment. I mean it’s like once you’ve picked the coach then the fanfare’s going to start off and you’re going to get the – do they walked off the stage so, I mean, while you had the control of the situation in that moment that’s just – that was just it. That was just the time.

Q) Why was the blind audition the time that you wanted to do this?

Jubal: Well, for one thing, of course, we didn’t know if it – if there would be another opportunity to do it on the show and – I felt like, well, I mean, this is something that was already in the air. We were talking about this. I think it’s pretty obvious since we started dating it’s probably where this was going to go. It just works. I figured you have this opportunity to come do a blind audition you want to marry the girl anyway, why not? I mean, it’s good TV, its fun, it’s sharing the moment. I mean it’s just – I just didn’t see any downside to going for it there.

Q) Amanda, what was – what is your response to all of this?

Amanda: Oh my gosh, well, first of all, to pull that off on national television and to get that genuine response from me was – that was pretty good and he had to be pretty sneaky to do that so props to you Jubal. I love you.

Jubal: Love you too.

Amanda: No, it was so wild because when I was performing on stage it – I’m feeling energetically like the energy between us. I’m like, “Something is up with Jubal,” as we were singing “Seven Bridges Road” and I’m thinking, “Man, I hope he sticks with me through this thing,” and “What’s going on?” And after the whole song was over and the proposal took place I was like, “That, it was it.” Like, his mind was on two separate things. I mean, he was already thinking through the engagement and if he was going to have the opportunity to say something and he did. I mean, the whole thing looking back is hilarious from the inside or the inside part of me that was experiencing all of the – not only the emotions of the blind audition at the moment but seeing it all unfold and I mean I wanted to black out for a couple of days and bits and pieces started like coming back to me of, “Oh my gosh, did that just happen?” It just hit me like a ton of bricks. “It – we just got engaged on national television,” this is wild.

Q) Jubal, could you tell me a little bit about how like you went into the competition did you have a coach in mind when you started this process? And were you kind of disappointed that your fellow Oklahoma didn’t turn his chair?

Jubal: I’m disappointed that we didn’t get all four but not for long. I think that early on in the thinking and the process I – we were definitely thinking a solid Team Blake but as we watched Season 8 both of us just kept falling more and more in love with Pharrell Williams. And just his energy, his presence, his vibe. I describe him as having this kind of “Dalai Lama’esque(sic)” vibe and I was just drawn to it. And in addition to that of course you don’t know who’s going to turn — if anybody’s going to turn. I mean obviously you’re just hoping for one person to turn and you don’t really care but, of course, you think about what you’d like and by the time we got to that place, we were definitely hoping for Pharrell to turn and that’s who are first choice had become.  I think we made that decision look a little easier than it was in the moment but I think what I – one of the things I turned around and said to her was, “I don’t know see any reason to deviate from the plan,” and the plan was trying to be on Team Pharrell. And it’s four of the reasons for that is similar to what Chris said on his question a minute ago. It just – the – being pushed little bit or just exploring musically different territory, different influence is and one of my favorite examples of producer and an artist that should not have really have not gone together is Hard Rock producer Rick Rubin and the stuff he did with Johnny Cash, it was just brilliant, and I think sometimes those situations produce amazing art — and that was part of my appeal to Pharrell too.

Q) Amanda, that’s the song that you sang did you specifically sing that song because it was written by Jubal’s dad or because you had sung it when you were in your trio?

Amanda: Yes, no, it’s so wild because my sisters and I grew up singing that song. I grew up with the (Pressler) Sisters – that’s what we called ourselves. We are an Acapella trio. My dad also sang bass every once in a while with us so that as our favorite song growing up singing and then when I met Jubal for the first time on February 18 in person on our first date I started learning about his story. I mean, I about lost it when I heard his dad had written that song. I mean, it was just wild — so I think it was important and monumental for both of us in that way because that song meant so much to me growing up and then obviously it meant so much to Jubal because his dad wrote that song. So it was so neat. It was such a neat moment just kind of combining and merging our two worlds, if you will.

Q) Riley, it was described as kind of soulful but you’ve had more hints you’ve done more Pop covers recently in the past and so moving forward what – do you have a specific style that you kind of want to aim for, pursue, and how is Pharrell going to help — or how do you want him to help shape that with you?

Riley: I would describe myself as pretty Pop but I definitely in the last years of kind of growing into my style and myself I kind of lean towards the more Pop/Soul genre and I think that he really is really involved in that aspect of music right now and he really understands that side of music and I just think that he has the skill and like the ear for being able to even like hon e in and to develop it more because I do do Pop as that’s what I do so I don’t want to lose that part of it but I definitely love to incorporate the more soulful side so I think he could really help pull that out of it.

Q) Did you have any thoughts when he turned his chair around or where were you just focused on finishing the song?

Riley: I had some friends that went before me and they told me, “Don’t focus on the chairs because it makes me nervous so I was really intent on not looking at the chairs at all and I was just singing to the crowd and I know – when he turned I knew someone had turned but I actually didn’t even know who it was because I wasn’t looking. So when I did he was actually my – he was the first – he was my number one choice going into it and I was like ecstatic, like I was so excited.

Q) And you didn’t realize it until after you’d finish that it was him?

Riley: Well, it took me like a good ten seconds to like fully realize who had just turned around and I was just like, “Oh my god.”

Q) Chris, so do you know while you were doing your music did you play a lot in Houston and Baytown? Kind of give me a little bit about your musical history in terms of playing live and what you were doing here in Texas?

Chris: Yes, well, especially kind of Houston I wouldn’t exactly call that a “Huge to Musical Mecca like maybe you would find in Austin or Nashville but there’s some talented people here in Houston. They just don’t usually don’t get much of a venue. So I play just about every bar and big and small that you can imagine some festivals here and there but I was always so horrible at booking gigs and marketing myself. I always pick the wrong gigs, unfortunately, so I would open up for a death metal band at Warehouse Live and everyone’s like, “Who’s this guy?” Because it usually a bad situation just because I didn’t know how to market myself well but I still took it. In my opinion, no gig was a bad gig. I did also a lot of underground stuff that was not advertised but a bunch of friends of mine we had this underground music thing called, “The Renaissance Suite” and it was kind of “Invite Only” and it was one awesome, awesome thing and that’s where I kind of really “cut my teeth” on some real like soulful music.

Q) Jubal, going into Team Blake I almost think it’s almost a strategic move. Maybe you didn’t think of it there consciously but he’s a team full of country singers and I – to me, I think, you’re a perfect fit because you’re not competing against 12 other country singers.

Chris: Yes, you know what? That’s true. At the time I didn’t really know who all were on his team whether they were going to be country or not and to be honest, yes, that was a factor. I was definitely thinking about that. I was like, “Well, I want to be different because if I’m on Team Pharrell I can get – there’s going to be a lot of artist like me or Adam or Gwen,” so I thought, “Maybe with Blake I would be with some different people and maybe a chance to stand out a little bit more only to find out there are a few people on this team that were kind of in my category but more than anything, like, Adam almost got me. I’ll be straight up honest with you. He said it. I was like – in my head, I was saying, “So, you were about to pick Adam right now,” and like, “He stands for legitimate stuff.” And, of course, he’s been a hero of mine for as long as I can remember and I’m thinking, “I’m about to pick Adam and I was not going to pick him.” I was going to go with Pharrell, to be honest. He was my first choice. And then, but, the stuff that Blake was saying I closed my eyes and I just said a quick prayer and dang, man, I was on Team Blake before I knew it — and I think he was a little surprised at it too.

Q) Blake provided you with the perfect Segway to pop the question to Amanda. How long have you been carrying that ring around in your pocket?

Jubal: Well, I hadn’t actually been carrying it around in my pocket except for that day,. Because that’s not very secure.

Amanda: I’ve had the design picked out for about a year. So I – it was “out of sight, out of mind.” And, I mean, I was focused on the show. I wasn’t focused on that ring that would one day be custom made. I didn’t know what he had been doing behind the scenes. I didn’t know any of that stuff . When it popped up on that stage I was distraught.

Q) Well, you didn’t even realize the judges had turned around?

Amanda: No, and so I was trying to connect with Jubal on the stage and I remember thinking in our vocals lessons and practices and band rehearsals, I felt like I blended better when my eyes were closed and I was like, “Okay, that’s perfect because be able to probably calm my nerves a little bit too and not see – be seeing, the audience and the judges and things like that,” so I purposely did not look down at those chairs and then the stage lights were so bright I didn’t see the white runner lights that were coming up from the judges chairs so when I looked down, I mean, that was a true – my tears were already welling up on the last note because I didn’t think we had turned chairs. So when I turned around that was that true moment of utter shock.

Q) I heard you all talking earlier and you said that Pharrell was really your first choice. Now had Blake turned around would it have made your decision a little more difficult?

Jubal: Yes, absolutely. It would’ve. I mean, we were definitely open in the moment and wanted to listen to what they had to say to us when they turned around. I mean and Gwen went more cute with it with the nicknames and stuff. I think what Pharrell was saying to us and what we were saying to each other was more of what I was looking for. I think he got more where I was coming from to, I mean you always second guess, you’re always question yourself, you’re always wondering, “What if?” you know? But I mean, we definitely had him at Number One at that going into the blind’s.

Amanda: And at the end, I, the – it was on TV last night, I – it’s take up my voice and I looked at Jubal, it was like, “We’ve got to talk about this.” I mean, it was tough because, I mean, do we stick with our plan and now we have another option? Do we deviate? We’ve got to talk about this now because this was not – we had no idea that Gwen would be turning around and it would have been an honor to work with her as well but it – in that little meeting moment on the stage it was – let’s just stick – let’s just go with our duds. Stick with we’ve – stick to what we’ve been thinking this whole time.

Q) Chris, what influenced your song choice? I know that you left your wedding reception early to attend auditions for “The Voice”. Did that milestone in your life impact your song choice?

Chris: 100%. It did. Everything about that song screamed that moment because I was just so in love with this woman and she was so supportive of everything that I’ve done enough to where like leaving our wedding reception and me auditioning was all her idea. People think it wasn’t, but it totally was and I was thinking, “How can I give back to her in small way?” Yes, I’m auditioning but, “How can I show her?” And what better way to sing my love for her on national television on a song that said exactly everything I wanted to say when your legs don’t work like they used to before. Like, I was – it’s a declaration – an extension of my vows that I gave her on our wedding. “Like, when we get old, I’m still going to love you.” “And this isn’t just about me, this is about us. This is our dream.” And that was why I was so emotional when I was singing it as well as it was really hard not to get emotional and choked up because I wasn’t just looking at judges faces looking at me. I honestly, I just kept seeing her face every time I closed my eyes and that’s real, true honest answer. I’m not making that up and I’m not trying to just say it like, it really was. And it was very close to the surface for me because of that. So that song is exactly where it needed to be and it was actually what I needed it to be right there in that moment.

Q) Riley, if we could start with you. Could you tell us a little bit about what we missed in your blind audition, how you picked your song, what type of feedback you got, how many chairs turned — that type of thing?

Riley: Yes, I definitely, I’ve been listening to Kelly Clarkson for so long and she’s definitely a big style impact on my music so doing one of her songs is really something I was really excited about doing and I did “Invincible” by her and it went, I mean, it was so fun. It was honestly the best experience ever. And I got only one chair — Pharrell turned — and that was more than enough because – I was so ecstatic. He was my Number One choice going to it and I was so, so excited that it was him — and yes, it was amazing.

Q) Now and you’ve got a very popular YouTube channel filled with lots of covers. Can you tell me a little bit – so you – so do you also do a original of music and what style? What do you do original?

Riley: Yes, yes, I – I’ve been a songwriter for a while now — as long as I can pretty much remember being able to play the guitar and I started writing songs when I was like nine and I kind of published a deal with Sony last year when I turned 18 for songwriting — so I’ve been doing that for a while. And I would definitely say my style is kind of Pop/Soul. I’m definitely more Pop, but I like to as may go a little bit of the Urban, more Soul style to it — so that it’s kind of something different.

Q) Jubal and Amanda, I wanted to ask you guys about how you’re working with Pharrell to – been working with Pharrell to prep for the next round — the battle rounds. It’s a little bit – it’s a little bit of complicated deal and you guys are – there’s two of you going into that — so can you tell me a little bit of how you guys have been prepping?

Amanda: We – it’s wild because there’s – being that we have to be paired up in a battle situation I remember I’m talking about the interviews talking about how there’s actually like five elements going on at one time. You’ve got Jubal’s voice, you’ve got my voice, and then you have our duo and then you have our battle partners voice, and then you have the fifth element of that whole thing becoming one collective unit and it, I mean, it’s – it’ll take you in a head spin when you think about us as a duo coming together and having to battle someone else — so that I’ve been just mentally preparing in that way.

Q) So what are you thinking about working with Pharrell? What does he bring out in you now that you’ve had a chance to work with him some? What are you want to gain out of working with him because he is such an individual in his performances?

Jubal: Yes, I think the saying that people will discover that I’m also quite the individual and that’s how I think too and I appreciate other individuals and I think in this process too part of the appeal of Pharrell was the promise of having some sort of positive kind of spiritual side to his coaching as well as musical and I think it was important to both of us and I think that’s one of the big things he kind of brings to the process.

Amanda: I’m delighted to work with Pharrell and I second everything that Jubal said. I mean, just we fell in love with him watching Season 8 and he’s got a lot of wisdom and insight and that spiritual perspective just really resonates with me because I, I mean, I move through life in that way. That’s the way I view the world, I see the world, I experience and then therefore put into my music. So having the opportunity to work with someone who has those “eyes”, if you will, is an honor.

Q) Jeffrey, why did you particularly choose that song for your audition?

Jeffrey: Well Sam Smith is a current artist right now that I relate to musically, personally, and so when it came down to choosing a song I wanted one that was very much in line with the style of music that I’d like to make so that the judges to best see what the coaches could best see the kind of artist that I wanted to be and so “Lay Me Down”, hands down, one of my favorite songs from his album and it speaks a lot to the personal story that I have of someone calling out for someone they’ve lost whether it’s a loved one or a significant other so it also allowed me to show a personal connection to the coaches and I think that was really important when it comes to this stage of the show when you’re first getting to know it — everyone.

Q) Well, in your story you had talked about doing a lot of musical theater and I know that contestants before who had done a lot of musical theater they come off very theatrical but you didn’t. You were kind of the opposite of that. You were just very “there” and you were in the moment and stuff like that. Did – were you cognizant of that fact to make sure you weren’t going to be theatrical or did that not even come into your line of thinking?

Jeffrey: I’m like more a classically trained singer. I was trained singing musical theater and classical music so when you come into this arena you have to be very cognizant about how – your sound because it’s a completely different ballgame. There’s a lot of different technical things that apply to kind of takeaway from the years of musical theater and training that we have — so definitely was something cognizant in that I was thinking about while I was singing vocally, at least. And then in terms of performance I have to admit I was not the best actor in my day — so it wasn’t exactly that much of a similar progress as it was vocally to get rid of the theatrical performance. There’s a reason I don’t do musical theater anymore. And it has been six years since I’ve done any performance so defiantly rusty and I think in the performance department so I think being able to just be in that moment and just be able to stand out there and sing a song is what really works for me.

Q) Cassandra and Daria ,about your blind audition since we didn’t get to see them. Cassandra if you could explain how you made your song selection, what type of feedback you got, and how many chairs turned — that type of thing?

Cassandra: I basically just chose this song based on the fact that I am a person of a very strong faith. My husband, unfortunately, had very recently underwent a couple of open heart surgeries and then shortly thereafter he was diagnosed with kidney cancer — and so that whole notion of that chorus line, “I keep going to the river to pray,” my blind audition — I hate that you guys didn’t get a chance to see the whole thing — but it was just really full of a lot of passion, a lot of the emotion, and Adam was the chair that turned for me. He was the only chair, but he gave me a huge compliment. He said that he felt that I could actually teach him something. He said that he could hear that I’ve been singing for a very long time which I have. I did a lot of background singing for a couple of iconic artists younger in my life — earlier in my life, rather. And I am also classically trained — so just a really rich music history. But my song choice is just basically life. I mean, there I was going back to that place of prayer and hoping that things would work out and they have worked out wonderfully. I was so fortunate and blessed that he was able to be there with me. I was ecstatic that it was Adam that turned. He was actually my Number Two choice. My Number One was Blake. Just I wanted to do something different and a little bit “out of the box” but Adam was my second choice. I’m always – I’ve always been drawn to his voice and just the level of vocal expertise with which he conducts himself and just his career. He’s had a glowing career and so I’m thrilled to be working with Adam.

Q) And since we didn’t get to hear your story what have you been doing musically most recently?

Cassandra: Well, most recently I’ve been working as a Worship Pastor at a couple of very, large mega ministries and mega churches and currently I’m not doing that at the moment because I really wanted to just really sink my teeth into music and really pour myself into developing myself as a true artist — not as a background singer, not as a vocal coach — but just really as a true artist. And so for the past couple of years I’ve been in the studio, I’ve been traveling quite extensively as a solo artist even internationally and I’m loving the person that I’m becoming and the layer of myself that’s being revealed.

Q) Daria, can you tell us about how your blind audition went and how you chose – selected your song? What type of feedback? You’ve got, I think, three coaches turned, didn’t they?

Daria: Yes, I was so surprised by that. I actually think Meghan Trainor and it was in a stand of her and that song is just a fun song. It shows off your vocals, it’s so upbeat and I love dancing as well so I thought it was a good fit for me and I was really happy I was asked to choose that song and sing it for them and I seriously was just hoping for one chair but I was so shocked when three buttons were pushed and I mean it was Blake went to – and Pharrell — so that was amazing. And Pharrell was actually my first choice. And it’s funny because my first choice was Pharrell then Gwen then Blake then Adam — so it actually worked out quite perfectly — so, yes, I had to pick Pharrell. All their feedback was so amazing. Blake really said some sweet things. He said, “There was like no one like me on the season so far really.” Gwen was saying that she thought I was so different and she was so shocked to see that voice come out of my body because she thought it was just really different. She didn’t expect to see me when she turned around. And Pharrell just really started asking questions to me about what artists I look up to. I said, “Michael Jackson,” of course, and he loves Michael Jackson as well and we just really connected on that and he was just saying my voice was interesting and he was just really work with it and just really do some cool things vocally and I’ve been a fan of Pharrell for forever since NNDB and him being in the Neptune’s production deal which had Hugo — like, they were amazing. They made hits for everyone. So just someone I’ve looked up to all my life and I’ve totally grown up on his music — so it was already a dream come true that he pushed his button for me so I was really happy.

Q) Are you thinking of going solo? Is this just to enhance what you’ve already done?

Daria: Yes, a lot of people have been asking me that question. Me and my sisters we’re called, “The Jazmin Sisters” because we are really sisters so, for me, I don’t really see myself as leaving the group because I am related to them always we’re always going to be bonded. We’re sisters, we love each other. They were the ones who pushed me to do this. They were like, “You know what?” Because like a couple of months ago we were watching it and were like, “We really want to meet Pharrell,” and I was like, “I want to meet him too.” And just watching it, I was like, “I’ve always wanted to try ‘The Voice,’” and I was like, “You know what? Late me just try it and see what happens,” and they’re like, “Yes, please do it.” Just experiencing something on your own as well as I am the youngest of four I’m the baby of the family — so this is the first time to kind of do something on my own and they wanted me to just experience for myself. All my life we’ve been singing together. My dad’s a preacher — growing up in church, so everything was split in four’s, you know? We share everything so this was the first time actually didn’t have to share some thing’s. I did it on my own.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*