The Voice – Blind Auditions Night 5

By starrymag | March 11, 2015

Q) Caitlin, sometimes when the coaches tell an artist that they’re awesome and that they could win the whole show, I’m not always convinced that they actually mean that. But clearly, what they told you, what we saw last night, they definitely meant that. And they definitely think that you’re someone to be reckoned with. So I’m wondering, first of all what does that make you feel to get that kind of feedback from them? And then secondly, when you do get a feedback like that, does it make you more confident or does it put more pressure on you to sort of live up to that expectation?

Caitlin Caporale: Well, when they said that I could possibly win the show, I mean I felt like I was living in a dream. It was really so surreal. I kind of blacked out during the whole thing. But that really stood out to me when they said that. So I was so grateful. I mean, I know sometimes they say that. But I really felt like they meant it. And it adds a little bit of pressure because I have to stay up on my game and I have to bring it every time. But I’m up to the challenge. I’m ready for it.

Q) Paul, I just want to know if you have any messages for your fans back in Maryland?

Paul Pfau: I guess, thank you is about a simple as I could get it. This whole thing has been ridiculous. There’s been such an immense amount of support that came even before my audition there. And I could not do this without the support that I’ve gotten from the Four State community in the past four to five years. Everyone has been so supportive, so encouraging. They buy my music. They come to my shows. They tweet about me. They post stuff online about me. It’s very humbling and gratifying, and it means the world to me. So thank you.

Q) So how long were you in Tulsa? And did you bring up Tulsa because you thought you might want to go with Blake and you thought that might help in your decisions or you already made up your mind?

Paul Pfau: I was sort of thinking out loud. It was definitely a tough decision. I don’t if you even saw during my decision process, when I put my head and said “I pick,” I was looking at Blake; I almost went with Blake. And at the last second, I kind of just changed over and decided to go with Pharrell just to kind of go with my gut. But I was just kind of thinking out loud when I was mentioning Tulsa because I knew he was from Oklahoma. I just kind of, you know, just figuring it out all in my head. I was only in Tulsa until I was about 4 years old. I was born there, lived there until I was 4. And then my – we moved to Texas after that. But I just – I’ve been back and played shows there. And I still have a large community in Tulsa that still supports me, which I’m grateful for. But I guess I was mostly just thinking out loud and I just kind of wanted to rep the hometown a little bit.

Q) Caitlin, I just wondered if Christina remembered you after you got to sing like note-to-note with her and you had performed in front of her already?

Caitlin Caporale: Yes. Actually, Christina did remember me. They cut that part out of the Blind Audition. But when she turned around, she said, “You look familiar.” And I explained to her, “You know, a couple of years ago, when I was 19, I sang to you at the Globe. And at that point, she remembered. So it was really awesome that she recognized that.

Q) Paul, tell me what it is that you think Pharrell can do for you that maybe you didn’t think Blake could do? Was it the makeup of the teams they already had or were you privy to that information? Or what was it?

Paul Pfau: Well, we didn’t know who’s already on the teams. I think I had have gone with Pharrell the last minute just because of his multi-genre. That kind of appealed to me, the way he works with different genres of people. And to him, it’s more about just making good music and staying true to yourself and kind of letting whatever is inside of you come out. And I felt a little bit – they didn’t show a lot of what Blake said. He said a lot of great things. But he also when he was talking, he was really focusing on keeping me in the whole crooner category which I mean, I was grateful that he recognized that in my voice. But as an artist, I’m really trying to just stretch out what I do already. And I felt like Pharrell was just going to be able to help me a little bit more with that.

Q) Hannah, how did you feel when Blake hit that button or turned around at very few seconds left. What were your feelings? What was going through your head at that time?

Hannah Kirby: Well, throughout the entire song, like I knew that no one was turning around for me. And I was surprised – and I remember thinking while I was singing, “Why aren’t you, like more nervous, like why no one is turning around?” And I just kept singing. I was just doing my thing. And I really love The Letter. It’s one of my favorite songs. So I felt really comfortable with it. And when Blake finally hit his button and turned around, it was just sort of like – it was sort of the opposite of what you would think it would be. I just felt so calm. There were so many emotions going through me that it was just – it all sort of combined to just be this calm. And I knew that he turned around and that I was going to move forward. And it was absolutely amazing

Q) Caitlin, can you tell me a little bit about that moment of having Christina sing with you? I mean, it obviously came as a surprise. But can you kind of talk a little bit about your emotions at that time? We can see them on screen, but what were you thinking while it was happening?

Caitlin Caporale: Yes. I mean, after I chose Pharrell and then he gave me the hug, Christina came right up after him and she’s like, “Come over here.” And I’m like, what is going on right now? And she was, “Come sit in my chair.” And at that point I’m thinking I’m just going to be sitting in her chair. And that was enough for me. And I’m looking around and she’s like, “Let’s sing together.” And I’m like I cannot believe this is happening to me right now. And I thought to myself, “Don’t mess up. Just make sure you sing this. Don’t hit a wrong note.” So then I just went for it. And it was really all the emotions coming at once. I mean, I’ve never seen her in concert. So the first time for me to hear her sing is with me, in front of me. It was just a dream come true.

Q) Paul, with Pharrell, can you talk a little bit about working with him and what has Pharrell done with you so far?

Paul Pfau: So far, it’s not really been about what he wants to do. I mean, as you can see from last season and from this season, his pitch is always about what the artist wants to do. And that’s the truth. He really sticks to that. And the first time I really got to talk to him is during our team photo shoot. He came up to me and the good thing about him as he explained to all of us – I’m sure Caitlin can remember this, too. He explained to all of us he told all of us why he chose us. And he told us why he’s excited to work with us and what he sees in us. But for the most part, he’s just like, “I want to do what you want to do. I just want to help you get there.” And so there’s been a lot of times that, like, if there was like a rehearsal or something where maybe the band director was saying I should do one thing. And I was kind of nervous. But Pharrell always just told me to stay true to who I am and what I want to do because, I mean, the show is amazing as it is and there’s a huge audience that it reaches. It’s only here for a limited time. And so I really want to get across who I am as an artist rather than focusing on just like what I have to do to like win the show.

Q) What’s a piece of advice you would give to a kid trying to pursue a music career?

Paul Pfau: I would start with like two very cliché things. And one would have to be that, like, it requires a lot of hard work. And it’s something that you should never take lightly. It’s something that if you really want to do it, you should really do it 100%. And, I mean, as you saw yesterday, I’ve dealt with like vocal nodules and (us) playing gigs to nobody for no money and it’s part of the grind. And you kind of have to just keep pursuing it. You have to keep working hard. And also the other thing like I just talked about with the other guys, staying true to yourself. There’s lots of people that can that can sing amazing runs and all this sort of thing. I’m not one of those people. I have a very limited range. But I have a very unique tone. And so that’s kind of what I focus on, like focus on your strength but always be yourself. Don’t ever try to do anything that you don’t think that you can do or that you don’t want to do. So I would say work as hard as you can and stay true to yourself. It sounds so cliché, but it’s the best advice I’ve ever gotten.

Q) What was your music experience like at Middletown?

Paul Pfau: Well, I took guitar with Mr. Shearer in 9th grade. That was like my first experience of that. And, I mean, high school for me was about music. I never really took any musical classes. But I spent a lot of time – a lot of my high school time at home, just in my room doing nothing else but just playing guitar and trying to teach my own self how to sing. And I was lucky enough to, you know, join a band with some kids that later on became really good friends of mine. And so it was like exploration, man. I was getting turned on to all sorts of different types of music. And, I mean, that’s kind of like my high school. You’re getting older. You’re about to get out and go on your own. You’re kind of starting to learn things for yourself. And so, I mean, I just – I was just kind of leaving the doors open and just letting whatever came in affect me.

Q) I just wondered if you got any feedback from Adam after you gave him that demo tape that you did?

Paul Pfau: I haven’t heard anything yet. I mean the CD literally, you know, I chickened out. I put it on my music shelf with all my other CDs. And I never thought about it until this came up. And then when that – during one of the interviews, I was like, “Wait. I actually think I have that.” So on one of the breaks, I – when I was at home, I found it. And I brought it back. And I was really hoping that he’d turn around so I could give it to him and be on his team. But, you know, just the fact that I got to sing in front of him and he had positive things to say and I got to give him the CD, it was just – it’s so good to be able to get that off my shelf and get it into the hands intended for.

Q) For everything that happened to you growing up, your grandmother instilling a love for music in you, you starting a band, you losing your vocal chords, all those issues, what is the first thought that you had when you were on a team and you knew that you’re going to be advancing?

Paul Pfau: I mean, it was like, I’m sure like what everybody says. I was surreal. It was literally unbelievable when – after seeing them turn around, it just felt like I was in a dream. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. And dealing with all that stuff and then having to come up with different ways like to, you know, approach singing and stuff to just take better care of my voice, it’s like you kind of have your doubts. There’re certain things people liked about my voice before I got my nodule. And so I had a more grittier voice then. And I had to like clean it up. And so I felt like people may not be digging it as much. But then to have Pharrell and Blake, and even Adam, like want me on their team, it was so gratifying and so encouraging. It just made me believe that I’ve been on the right path the whole time and I just need to keep sticking to it.

Q) Vance, did you always know that you wanted to be a singer when you’re growing up? I mean was that Plan A or was that a Plan B?

Vance Smith: Honestly, I started playing drums in a church actually and my dad, he had a band, and I used to – I can’t really – I can’t remember the name of the band often, but he had a band, and I used to sit on the stairs in the basement and watch them rehearse. And just seeing him, you know, in front of the mic, you know, singing I kind of wanted to, you know, mirror that as, you know, his son and kind of carry the torch. So I just kind of picked up on it, you know, and as time went by, you know, I kind of – I backed away from playing the drugs and I started to sing, you know, in the church. And from there, it just kind of grew, you know, grew on me as artist. And ever since, you know, I was like 6 years old, you know, it’s always been like my Number 1 passion. I think for the most part, yes, this is one of the things that I’ve loved since, you know, since I could remember,.

Q) Hannah, same question. Was there something you were planning to be if this didn’t work out? A nurse or a doctor or a psychologist?

Hanna Kirby: No. My parents who are educators, they wanted me to go to university, so that if at some point they couldn’t support my music career I would be able to support my music career myself. And so everything that I’ve ever done and that my family has ever done has been planned, so that I would be able to focus on music as my Number 1. And ever since I was a child, all I wanted to do is sing. I mean there was at one point when I was in elementary school, I said, “I wanted to be a singing paleontologist.” But the university that I’m at doesn’t offer a paleontology degree. I went with psychology since both of my parents are counselors.

Q) Vance, how does your experience on The Voice compare to any other musical endeavor that you have taken thus far?

Vance Smith: Wow. This experience on The Voice has probably been one of the most memorable moments for me and as far has been one of the most fun but nerve-racking experiences just because you go in not knowing what to expect. Of course, you watch it on TV. But to actually be on the stage and kind of taking in that experience is kind of shocking because you don’t know what’s going to happen throughout the time you’re there. So I would definitely say it’s been one of the best experiences and one of the best learning experiences for me thus far. And I love every moment of it.

Q) Paul, have you had a chance to meet members of the other teams? And by any chance, have you met Corey Kent White from Tulsa from Blake’s team?

Paul Pfau: Absolutely yes. We’re all – the best part about this whole thing is all of us are like super good friends. It’s been amazing just for that. But yes, we know Corey.

Q) And who would win, you or Corey?

Paul Pfau: Oh god. You know what? It’s so hard with this. I’ve never looked easy in the competition, especially coming from a bruised background. Everybody has got their own voice and their style. But being the humble person that I am, I would say Corey would win. But I would give him a run for his money.

Q) Hannah, this is – I just want to ask a little bit about your musical style and your background, kind of where you’re coming from the competition

Hannah Kirby: Well, my musical background, it’s quite varied, I would say. Of course, living in East Texas, when I was 13, I started playing at what we in East Texas call jamborees where a lot of people would come and play with the house band and sing a couple of songs and put on a show in a theater kind of way, and that was country music. And I played country music until I was about 15. And, of course, everybody wants a fiddle player around here. So it was really easy for me to make money playing country music. However, it wasn’t where my personal style playing, where my passion was. I learned a lot from playing it. And I think it definitely contributed to my love of folk music because country really stems from folk music and sort of old world music. And then when I was 15, I started playing jazz and doing violin and that sort of thing and playing in wineries and coffeehouses and I played some folks, too, and just recently I’ve tried to, a couple of times, put a four-piece, five-piece band together to be able to play rock music which is difficult. It’s difficult for me to find a band that has the same love for the music that I love.

Q) Paul, can you please tell us more about the senior showcase experience in high school in the first time you were on stage singing?

Paul Pfau: Yes, absolutely. I just remember – I mean, I – at that point, I’ve been playing guitar for four years. So I was okay, it wasn’t great. But I had the fundamentals down. And so I was like – I was a big fan of John Mayer and Adam Levine and Gavin Degraw, and they all sing while they play an instrument. So I was like, “You know what? I’m going to try that out.” And I come from a big family two brothers and they all sang growing up not professionally but they just – they would all sing in church and in the car and just everywhere, and I was the one that just didn’t. I just move against it like a black sheep. But I told my parents the night like – it’s a small community, as you know. So everybody supports everything. So my parents are going to see the showcase anyway in my – I just told them before they left the house, it’s like, “Hey, I’m going to be singing tonight,” and they were like, “What?” And so I remember, you know, just standing in the hallway before I went on stage, and I was super nervous. And I remember I walked on stage and just to kind of make it light. I just asked everyone how they were doing and then I sang that song and I just – I felt great about it at first, and then I got to the second verse and I just, like, choke. I looked out on the audience, and I just choked, and I was – it was like a horror story and that was like this is like the worst thing that could happen. So I ended up like – I kind of froze for a second. And then I just started playing the guitar and I wasn’t singing and I looked down in the front row and my buddy John Malask, who was our president at that year actually at the school, he was in the front row, and he is a big Fray fan. So he started mouthing the words to me. And so I kind of got back on track. So I owe him a lot. I don’t know how to spell his last name, if you’re going to print that. But yes, that was kind of it. But after that, no one really talks about how I screwed up. Everyone is encouraging.

Q) Caitlin, would you say you’re a big social media person? Do you Twitter a lot? Do you Facebook a lot? Or are you pretty reserved about that kind of stuff?

Caitlin Caporale: Oh I’m definitely a social media person. I’ve been attached to my phone since last night. I’ll wake up at 3:00 in the morning. I’m just taking it all in.

Q) And so you enjoy it then?

Caitlin Caporale: Oh yes, I love it. I mean it’s definitely a little overwhelming now. But this is what I asked for. But I’m really grateful for it.

Q) Well, you mentioned Christina being influence to your life. Besides her, who would you say your greatest musical influence throughout your life, an artist you listen to you were like, “This person has inspired me and I really want to be like him,” or, “I’d like to have a career like them”?

Caitlin Caporale: There’s two that comes in mind. Jojo, I know she’s kind of under the radar right now, but I follow her music faithfully. She is amazing. And she’s really underrated. Same with Kelly Clarkson, I mean she is just a powerhouse. She can do it all. So Jojo and Kelly Clarkson are definitely two people that I look up to.

Q) Paul, I got a hypothetical for you. You’re stuck in an island and for some reason, you only had one CD in your bag you have the rest of your life. What CD you hope it was?

Paul Pfau: One CD for the rest of my life, I would take Lyle Lovett and his large band all day. It is one of my favorite records of all time. I mean that’s been a big record for me. I mean it’s – their first record that I – the first and only record that I’ve done was basically kind of an overview of the whole style of that record. I mean, it’s such a meaningful record to me because it combines a lot of style that’s really for Lyle Lovett, he’s a country guy, but it was a very jazz-infused record. So for me being a songwriter and a blues occasional jazz dabbler and country dabbler as far as guitar playing guys, I kind of – it all comes together on that record. And there’s many other records that I might listen to more than that. But if I had to only listen to one for the rest of my life on an island, it’s just there’s so many good – there’s happy moments. There’s sad moments. There’s up-tempo. There’s slow. It’s just a wonderful record.

Q) Hannah, you weren’t that nervous about people not turning. But how did that feel knowing that all the judges actually wanted you but they weren’t in the position to select you?

Hannah Kirby: Just knowing that they would have turned around if they could have definitely boosted my confidence and made me feel really good about how my song was delivered and how it came across and that it caused not only Adam, who is a rocker, to like the song but also Pharrell and Christina.

Q) Vance, I was wondering you seemed a little nervous throughout the performance. Did you think at any point, “Oh my gosh, the nerves have gotten to me, I’ve blown this”?

Vance Smith: Definitely from the start when I was walking up the stairs, it was definitely a lot of nerves, a lot of pressure just built up from, you know, just waiting and just the song choice. I didn’t know – I didn’t have – I had no clue of the outcome of the overall performance. But I think throughout, I definitely was nervous. I don’t think the nerves die down just because – like I knew where I stood from the lineup. So I was just like, “Man, if they turn, it’s a blessing. If they don’t, I did my best, you know, I did my best for that moment.” But yes, I was definitely nervous. Definitely. But I don’t think they got the best of me. I think I didn’t let them do my best of me. I did my best to kind of control it throughout the performance. And I think after I saw them, it’s just kind of – all the nervousness left after I’ve seen the chairs turned. I was like, “I did it.”

Q) Paul, tell us about the situation with you losing your vocal cords. And did you ever think about giving up?

Paul Pfau: Yes. I mean, I did only for the fact that it seems like it was only a realistic – just being completely realistic about it, it just seems like that was the only option I had was to not sing anymore at the time. I still play guitar in a few bands but, I mean, I knew I had something wrong with my voice for a while I would say probably towards the end of 2012. And then in March of 2013, it still wasn’t – it was never recovering. I literally just couldn’t talk. And I would try to sing, nothing would come out. So I went to a doctor and he told me I was going to need surgery. And so I stopped playing. I was definitely trying. But it was kind of a blessing in disguise because all the people that I met through in that all time, like, playing guitar for other bands I made some connections that got me to – got me even farther than I think I would have gone if I was still just doing my own thing. you try to be realistic about it and it hurts because – especially when something you love to do and that’s like – that’s why identifying this myself as a person, I’m a musician, when I think of myself, I’m a songwriter. I was definitely exploring other avenues. I was like, “Am I going to have to get another job, like, as an economist or could I focus on just songwriting or just playing guitar and how can I make that work?” So, definitely a point of some confusion and – but I’m glad it went away.

 

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*