The Voice – Blind Auditions – Night One- 2018

By starrymag | March 1, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) My question is for Britton and for Justin. You were the first two singers to experience the block, and I was wondering what you thought of it and how it factored into your coaching decision.  And if we could start off with Britton please.

 

Britton Buchanan: I was extremely flattered that Blake decided to use his block on me.  It was crazy.  It was kind of surreal and I wasn’t expecting him to give the person at all.  I don’t know if it really factored into the decision. Alicia is a great salesperson, and she roped me right in with everything that she said.  So she pretty much had me in the palm of her hand as soon as she started talking.

 

Q) For the block – any disappointment that you couldn’t choose Adam?

 

Britton Buchanan: I wanted to going in, but I’m super crazy happy with the decision that I made.  So I don’t know if I would change it now.

 

Justin Kilgore:       I was completely shocked that Alicia used her block.  I did not expect that.  It was completely from left field.  I kind of thought that maybe Adam would use his block because, you know, Adam and Blake I consider you know, the country artists. But was just dumbfounded by the whole thing. Super honored.  I didn’t know what to say. I was like – when I say I was dumbfounded, I stood there like a mime the whole time. But just completely honored.  Like Alicia Keys is Alicia Keys, and the fact that she waited to use that block on me – it’s amazing and I can’t say enough how humbled I am by that. I wasn’t upset at Blake being blocked.  As a contestant, you want as many options as you can get, but Kelly was always a pick for me.  Like it was between Kelly and Blake, no matter what. So the fact that he was blocked just meant that I knew that I was going to be going with Kelly regardless, you know.  Her connection with country music, her husband, her mother-in-law, it was a no brainer.

 

Q) Kyla, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your thinking when choosing Team Blake rather than team Kelly.  Kelly had seemed to bond over your Aretha Franklin audition, but then you went with Blake instead.

 

Kyla Jade:    Absolutely.  I think it was actually a very difficult decision, but I wanted to challenge myself.  I think Kelly would have picked very similar songs.  I think actually we would have worked very well together.  But again, Blake has a known track record and I’m all about picking a winning team. So I wanted to challenge myself vocally.  I wanted to put myself possibly in an uncomfortable situation to bring out the best.  So that was really my thinking.  I don’t think I could have lost with any of the coaches.  So it was a blessing to choose between the two of them.

 

Q) I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about singing backup for Jennifer Hudson.

 

 

Kyla Jade:   I’ve been singing with Jennifer for three years now and it is amazing.  She’s an amazing artist.  So anytime you have the ability to see an artist day to day, see them perform when they feel terrible, see how they interact with the audience.  Jennifer has the ability to wake up at 4:00 am and sing the same way she sings at 7:00 pm and at 11:00 pm and at 2 am.  That is – she’s an anomaly.  And so the fact that I get to see it and not have any of that pressure, has just been the best training ground for me as an artist on my own.  So it’s been fantastic and I’m always Team JHud.  So she’s amazing.

 

 

Q) Britton, so first of all, what inspired you to try out for the show in the first place?

 

Britton Buchanan: So the day before I decided to go to audition, I was listening to the E Street Radio.  I’m a big fan of Bruce Springsteen.  And this interview came on with Tom Hanks and Bruce, and Tom asked him what it would take for a person to make it today, and Bruce responded with, you had to be desperate enough to take every shot that comes your way. And the next day, I was contacted and I decided to go to Charleston for an audition and here I am right now.  So it was really kind of an impulsive decision.  And it was obviously the best decision I’ve ever made regarding music.

 

Q) Yes.  I think I’m just seeing people on Facebook and on our Facebook, just people are going crazy here about this.  I’ve seen a couple of things you’ve posted on social media, but what’s kind of been your emotional reaction to the amount of support you’ve received?

 

Britton Buchanan: It is very humbling and it’s like weird in the best way possible because I’m not used to attention.  I don’t get it at home.  So it’s brand new and it’s weird in the best way possible and I love it, and I would not mind having an entire career built on these things.  All the comments have just been awesome.  And I read everything and I try to respond to everything because the support means so much to me.  It’s just – it’s crazy.

 

Zachary Horner:   Did you ever think you’d be at this point back when you were stepping into these musical opportunities and singing in bands?

 

Britton Buchanan: Oh God, no.  I really didn’t.  I thought that I would just sing in bars for the rest of my life. I’m not really the biggest fan of myself at all, and that’s okay.  I think it pushes me to try to just work harder so I can be satisfied with what I do.  So if you ask me if I ever thought I would get anywhere doing what I was doing, no, never.  But hey, I’m definitely not complaining.

 

Q)  Oh yes, definitely.  So what are you doing next?  What’s the next little bit look like for you as you head toward the next round?

 

Britton Buchanan: I’m just going to ride the wave and see what happens. I’m just going to strap on my seatbelt and go for a ride, you know, and then see what happens.

 

Q) If you can say anything to the people of Sanford right now, what would it be?

 

Britton Buchanan: Thank you so much.  That’s all.  Love you and thank you for your support and for your kind words and just everything.  Like I couldn’t thank them enough.  So I hope that this little statement says more than it sounds like because I just – I really – I don’t have the words to express.

 

Q) Drew, I was curious, what was your inspiration for the version you sang of “Sex and Candy?”

 

Drew Cole:  There were a couple of actual versions that inspired my arrangement of “Sex and Candy,” one of which being of course Maroon Five’s version that was put on one of their records.  I love their take on that, but I would say originally actually, there was a guy by the name of Allen Stone who did a killer arrangement of this song, kind of stripped down acoustic. So, I took those two ideas and melded them together.  And, you know, when we were in rehearsal with The Voice band, we came up with the arrangement that was shown on TV last night.  And I’m super proud of it and I think there were some really great moments.

 

Q) It sounded great.  And my other question is, when Blake said he could see you as the winner, but you didn’t ultimately choose Blake, was there anything that he could have said that would have changed your mind?

 

Drew Cole:  When you’re faced with a decision in such an intense environment, you know, you kind of always go back to your gut.  I mean of course, we’re listening to the coaches and hearing them out and there are things they can say that just sway your opinion.  But I really for a long time have looked up to Adam and my gut was telling me to go with him and then I did.  But I mean it was, again, an incredible feeling to hear those words coming out of Blake’s mouth too.

 

 

Q) D.R., why did you choose “Believer” by Imagine Dragons?  And what inspired you to audition for The Voice?

 

D.R. King:  “Believer” wasn’t like my first choice pick, but I’m glad that I was able to perform it.  What inspired me to audition for The Voice was, you know, just seeing people that I know that were on the show having such a success in their careers.  And I want to go to the next level.  So it kind of urges me to do it.

 

Q)  And I know that prior to auditioning for The Voice, you had a residency in Japan.  How did that influence your music?

 

D.R. King:   It just helped me build up my song list and my repertoire and just allowed me to hangout the top 40 tunes six nights a week.  So it allowed me to strengthen myself vocally on stage.

 

Q) And with that being said, who are some people that you draw musical inspiration from?

 

D.R. King:  My favorite singer of all time is Pavarotti.  And, you know, of course Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston.

 

Q).  And currently you live in Harlem, but how would you describe your relationship with your hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

 

D.R. King:   I love my city.  I put on for my city all the time, every time.  If somebody asked me where I’m from, like I live in Harlem, but I’m from Cleveland, born and raised.

 

Q)  Any plans to return?

 

D.R. King:             To visit, yes.

 

Q)  And what’s one thing that you would say to your fans back home?

 

D.R. King:             I love you.

 

Q) Kaleb,  I’m wondering if you could tell me what prompted you to audition for The Voice, and how would you describe the experience so far?

 

Kaleb Lee:  Well, probably what prompted me the most was my wife begging me for the last few years to do it.  I gave up music as a career probably eight years ago.  Decided to spend more time with my wife and kids, and haven’t really done much music since then.  So it’s been an interesting journey on The Voice, just getting back into music, coming full circle and actually skipping all the other stuff and going straight to The Voice stage.  A lot of dust to shake out and rust to shake off.

 

Q) So you literally went from kind of not singing to going for the audition?

 

Kaleb Lee: Yes.  It was one of those things at the right time.  And like I said, my wife and my kids have always been a huge support of mine and playing around the house and still writing on occasion.  Just more of a fun hobby and focusing on my family and doing those things, then back to The Voice stage.  It’s kind of crazy.

 

Q) And how long ago did you leave Benton?

 

Kaleb Lee:  When I graduated high school, I went to Murray State for a few years and ended up living in Murray for a few years, and then moved to Owensboro.  Lived in Owensboro for a few years before I moved to Florida.  So it’s been 14 years since I’ve been back – since I’ve lived in Benton.

 

 

Q) Anything you would like the readers to know?

 

Kaleb Lee:   I’m a Kentucky boy, born and raised.  I live in sunshine state now, but I have a lot of ties and family back home in Kentucky.  I would consider myself a hometown boy.  So I’m thankful for all the support and encouragement I had in the last 24 hours. It’s obvious that those people are awesome and loving and supportive of me, even though I haven’t been there in a while.  So just let everybody know thanks so much and keep praying.

 

 

Q)  So, Kelsea, you made it on to Team Alicia.  What was it like to perform in front of all that crowd and those four phenomenal artists?

 

Kelsea Johnson:  I was freaking out basically.  Like I was so nervous.  Obviously I’ve never sung in front of four superstars before, and it was just so nerve wracking.  But surprisingly, I had this really weird overwhelming sense of like calmness. So I just kind of went out there, just took a deep breath and just sang.  And I’m glad with the result of it, but it was just really nerve wracking.  I’ve never really done anything to that magnitude before.  So it was really kind of scary for me.

 

Q) And any reasons why you chose Meghan Trainor’s song?

 

Kelsea Johnson:    I think that the lyrics really resonated with me.  The song resonated.  I think it really fit my voice.  And yes, I just think that it was a good tribute to my grandfather.  So I think it was really a good choice.

 

Q) And why did you choose Team Alicia when you had Adam and Kelly both out there as well?

 

Kelsea Johnson:  I’ve always loved Alicia Keys.  Oh my gosh, I’m crazy about her.  So going in, I had already told myself like, if Alicia turns, I’m definitely going with her.  There’s no doubt about it.  But to my surprise, when I went on the stage and they were like battling it out for me, I was really second guessing it, like oh my gosh, Adam is making good points.  Kelly is making great points. I just don’t – I don’t know who to go for.  But I just went with my gut and went with who I originally said I would go with.  So I stuck with Alicia and I’m really happy about that choice.

 

Q) And so for now that you’ve gotten chosen, what are you looking forward to most about being a part of The Voice?

 

Kelsea Johnson:  I’m looking forward to learning more about my voice, about the industry, about music.  I’m really just here to soak up as much as I can, you know. Of course I’ll be here to win, but at the end of the day, if that isn’t my future, which I don’t even want to put out there, but if that isn’t my reality, then I just want to learn as much as I can from everybody.  I’m going to work with Alicia Keys.  So I just want to learn as much as possible.

 

Q) What made you want to try out for The Voice and what are some things you’d want to say back to your friends, family and fellow Delawareans?

 

Kelsea Johnson:    I actually did The Voice on Snapchat and it was just a little one off and I was like you know what, let’s just do it.  It’s cool.  And they ended up showing my little video on The Voice Snapchat.  I said oh, that’s cool but you know, when it came time to picking teams, they didn’t end up picking me to be on the team. So I was like ah, okay.  And a couple of months later, I got contacted and they’re like hey, you should try out for The Voice.  Like we saw your clip on The Voice Snapchat.  And you know, I was just like you know what, why not?  I had just graduated and I felt like it was just the perfect time for me to take a real step into music and really pursue my music career.  So I did it and it’s paying off. And what I want to say back to my fellow Delawareans is, you know, don’t stop believing in yourself.  If you have a dream, if you have something you want, you can get it.  It doesn’t matter that you’re not from New York.  It doesn’t matter that you’re not from LA.  You know what I mean?  You don’t have to be from a big city to make a mark on the world.  And I would just tell them to keep believing in yourself.

 

Q) Kaleb, you went with the song that you did last night, “Never Wanted Nothing More.”  Why that choice?

 

Kaleb Lee:   The song “Never Wanted Nothing More” probably wasn’t the best song I could have done vocally.  I mean I was trying to keep some cards in my back pocket, but for me it was the song that meant the most as far as where I’ve been in the last few years. And the song is all about not wanting anything more than you’ve got and being happy with it, and being content with your life, and you can still pursue dreams and can pursue other things, but it doesn’t mean that your life today is less adequate because those things aren’t there or might not happen. So, you know, for me it was more about the message and establishing why I’m here in the first place.

 

Q) Oh, I love that.  I know you went with Team Blake.  Why not Kelly?

 

Kaleb Lee:  It’s interesting.  Drew mentioned earlier in a question, when you’re in a moment like that that’s so intensive, you do have to rely a lot on your gut.  I went in, in my mind I was going to go with Blake.  If Blake turned, I wanted to go with Blake. Being a country guy, not to be too cliché about it all, but being a country guy, and it just felt like a good connection.  But I’ll be honest with you.  I thought more about going with Kelly than I thought I would.  There’s just something about her, the energy she brings. It was just – there’s an “it factor” with her that is obvious when she speaks and when she’s up there.  I don’t want to take away from any of them just because they’re all incredible.  But there was just something about her. So I did.  I did think a lot more about going with her, but at the end of the day, I went with my gut.  And I knew my kids would kick me out of the house, so.

 

Q) Well, I know you’ve come a long way.  You left music, left Nashville, that behind, went to Florida.  What can you say to inspire maybe some of the youngsters here in the area or for those who maybe have forgotten or put their dreams behind them?  What would you like to say to them?

 

Kaleb Lee:   I would tell them, it’s never too late to pursue your dream.  It’s obviously great if you can do it when you’re young and you’ve got the time, you’ve got the focus, you’ve got the energy, your overheads are low and just and go do it.  And it doesn’t matter where you’re from.  Pursue what you want to pursue because you never know what you could be.  But I also tell those folks that may have not pursued their dreams, I want to represent them too.  You know, I’m 32 years old, three kids and a wife and I live in Florida.  I don’t live anywhere in Nashville or LA or New York City.  And so it is one of those things too that, you know, it’s the right time and right place, but I want to represent those people out there too, because a lot of people I think have put their dreams on the shelf and don’t think they can ever pursue them again.

 

Q) How do you plan to keep this momentum going for yourself?

 

Kaleb Lee: Well, for me it’s continuing to engage my fans and support network and friends and family.  That’s how I got here.  And so I’m hoping that I can continue to lean on them for the next round and hopefully more. But yes, that’s it.  I’m a relationships guy.  I’m a family man.  And so for as much as I can rely on other people in that way and be good to them as they’ve been good to me, I think it will all work out.

 

 

Q) Kyla, you spoke earlier about singing backup for Jennifer Hudson.  Can you talk about what you have learned from being able to have that experience that you think will help you with your own singing career?

 

Kyla Jade:  Sure.  I’ve actually been singing professionally for about 10 years, and I’ve toured with a couple of artists and each one of them has taught me different things.  Some of them have just been posture.  Some of them have been how to pack clothes, how to present yourself. But each artist, because this is what they do, basically just from their life, how they wake up, their discipline, how they – you know, it’s simple things like in touring that you learn, what to eat, when you work out, how much you need to sleep, how much water you need to drink, those things are super important – sometimes people forget about the basics. And being on tour with artists like Jennifer, like Wynonna, like these artists, you get to develop again without the pressure.  It’s a one on one training.  It’s a hands on without your name being in lights and without you being responsible for anything but yourself.  So it’s fantastic to be able to just watch and learn.

 

 

 

Q) Kyla, being that Jennifer has been a coach on The Voice and is still a coach on one of The Voice franchises, and that you’re a background singer, was there any concern over a perception of you as a contestant on the show that people might think, of course she’s got an inside track?

 

Kyla Jade:  Oh, of course.  People’s perception is always going to be that.  And I don’t even argue, but I say this.  When you see Jennifer Hudson’s show, is my name anywhere on the marquee?  Is my name anywhere on the advertising?  No, because it’s not about me. Background singers, inherently our job is to support the artist.  It has nothing to do with us.  We are literally singing – because we love to do it.  We love singing.  We wouldn’t take the job if we didn’t like it.  So I love that people challenge it because you want to challenge fairness, but I am an individual artist who is stepping out on my own for the first time, and that’s where people miss. It has never been Kyla.  It has never been Kyla out.  It has never been anything like that because when I’m singing with other artists, I’m a part of their team.  So the fact that I have an opportunity to present myself to the world on my own, it is nerve racking and crazy. And I am just as wonderful as Britton who is 17 and hasn’t been on a stage like me, like Rayshun who’s done other things, like D.R.  Everyone on this phone, we are all the same level, the same people.  So it doesn’t bother me I guess is the answer.

 

Q) And what led you to audition in this particular season?

 

Kyla Jade:  It was a conversation with casting, and I was really apprehensive because I actually don’t compete well.  I am someone who loves everybody and I just – I’m so proud of everybody on the show.  I feel like the mother or auntie.  Like I love everybody. So, I didn’t know about coming to a competition because I don’t like to compete.  I think everybody has something different to offer the world.  So it took a while.  It took a while for me to be convinced, and it really boils down to well Kyla, you’re either going to be a background singer for the rest of your life, or you’re going to step out on your own. So that’s really why I made the decision.  I love singing background, but I want to see what I can accomplish on my own.

 

 

Q) Brynn, now, you’re 14, right?

 

Brynn Carteli:       Yes, I am.

 

Q)  Wow. Do you feel a little intimidated coming into the competition at such a young age?

 

Brynn Carteli:       Yes.  I come from a really small town and I’m still in high school and I play sports.  I’m just a regular freshman in high school, but I really love to sing.  So being joined by people that do this for a living and are professionals and have been on so many stages, it really is intimidating. But I work really, really hard to bring my level up to theirs.  And I try to perform the best I can every single time I get out on the stage.  And being on a stage as big as The Voice, I brought out my all and I really hope that I continue to show this on the show.

 

Q) Other than The Voice, what’s the biggest audience you’ve performed in front of?

 

Brynn Carteli:       A few – I think around two years ago, I won a competition in Boston to sing at a professional soccer game at the Gillette Stadium there.  And that was around 15,000 people.  And so that was the largest crowd I’ve ever sung in front of.  But since then, it’s been small bars and breweries and restaurants, and just anywhere I can just get a small crowd that would enjoy listening to me.  So it’s so crazy that I’m here.

 

Q) And was Kelly your choice from the get go?

 

Brynn Carteli: She actually was.  I really, really loved her and I love Alicia, Blake and Adam.  I love them all, but going into it, I was really hoping to turn Kelly’s chair.  During my blind though, I mean I was listening to her and Blake and in that moment, you start to question yourself like oh, maybe I should go with Blake because I was thinking I want to be on Kelly’s team. But Blake started talking and he made a couple of great points, but in the end I know that my five year old self, I couldn’t – I would kick myself if I didn’t choose Kelly because I just love her so much and I am so, so happy that I did.

 

Q) Britton, a couple more things.  Are you 18 now?  Just saw a couple of people on our Facebook say you are.

 

Britton Buchanan: I am 18 now.  I turned 18 on January 7.

 

Q)  Okay.  So I’m assuming that was after the audition?

 

Britton Buchanan: Yes.  I was 17 for the audition but now I’m 18, yes.

 

Q) And you were scheduled to graduate from high school here in June.  Is that still kind of the plan?

 

Britton Buchanan: Yes.  I will be there to walk either way, no matter what happens.

 

 

Q) Rayshun, I enjoyed watching your blind audition, but I was curious because at the end you chose Adam and Adam even seemed really surprised ultimately.  But what was it that he said that made you choose his team?

 

Rayshun LaMarr:  So yes.  First of all, it was a very, very, very tough decision between the two.  It was literally like a split decision for a second, but I chose Adam because I wanted somebody that was not just going to praise me, but just give me some criticism about my performances because at the end of the day, I want to grow.  I want to move on.  I want to keep going as far as I can go. So with him critiquing me right at that moment made me understand that okay, he’s just not going to beat me with the, hey, you’re great or you’re whatever, but he’s going to also correct me when I’m wrong or fix me.  I love constructive criticism and that’s pretty much what got me right there.  As soon as he pointed that out, I was like okay, yes.  I’m going to go with you.  And that’s what drove my decision to choose Adam.

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*