The Voice – Knockouts Night One

By starrymag | March 25, 2015

Q) Brian, a couple weeks ago we talked about the statement you were making about bullying and stuff. Since that time have you gotten a lot of positive feedback about the things you had talked about initially in the first show to now?

Brian Johnson: It’s been pretty insane. I actually had a few of the people that I was thinking of when I was thinking about bullies from high school actually contacted me through Facebook and just said that they were sorry if they played into any part of me feeling bullied when I was in middle school or high school. It’s been pretty insane. I actually had a few of the people that I was thinking of when I was thinking about bullies from high school actually contacted me through Facebook and just said that they were sorry if they played into any part of me feeling bullied when I was in middle school or high school.

Q) Also do you feel vindicated — I guess is that the right word — maybe vindicated in a way? I mean you can’t forget that kind of stuff. But are you a forgiving kind of guy?

Brian Johnson: I’m definitely a forgiving kind of guy. The people that I guess hurt me in the past or anything like that it’s all forgiven and I am who I am today because of the stuff that I went through back then. So I’ve learned a lot and I’ve forgiven a lot and that’s kind of how I live my life.

Q) For Mia, when we talk to singers about the battle rounds and about the knockouts, they always tell us about sort of how unusual that experience is because in real life it’s not like you guys are going around and eliminating other singers. So I’m wondering to the extent that obviously you knew you would be put in that situation, how did you sort of prepare for those rounds and how would you say that they made you a better performer, coming out of them victorious as you did?

Mia Z: Yes. Thank you. Well, music isn’t a competition like we’ve all agreed on. In this competition, it’s a TV reality show and we’re all artists and individuals. And being able to share the stage with everybody and to meet everybody and to sing with them and just to get to know them as individuals and artists it helps and inspires me to learn from everybody and to see what they do and dig it and be inspired by it. So it’s definitely it helps my performance being able to be up there with my friends and really connect with all of them.

Q) Would you say there is additional value maybe in preparing you to go and then compete for America’s vote in the live shows?

Mia Z: Yes. Absolutely yes. I mean America’s going to vote who they want. But my main goal is just to be myself and go up there and just keep doing me and if America values it or appreciates it then awesome.

Q) Sawyer, you have such power in your voice and it’s really inspiring for someone your age to have such a powerful and individual kind of sound just through the way you sing. Why did you choose “Collide?” Why that song?

Sawyer Fredericks: I picked that song just because I feel like a lot of people can relate to it and it’s got a lot of emotion into it and I’m very good at singing emotional songs because I put a lot of me into my music. And I think that’s the real reason I picked that song.

Q) How did it feel when Pharrell told you that you made it through?

Sawyer Fredericks: I was really happy when Pharrell picked me. And I’m just happy that all the work that I put into that song paid off. And I was – I didn’t know that Mia made it though and I was so worried about Paul not getting stolen and it was just kind of a sad and happy feeling for me.

Q)Sarah, on the show it looks like Matt comes out of nowhere and you’re surprised. Was that really how it happened for you?

Sarah Potenza: Oh yes. I was totally surprised. I did not expect him to be at the rehearsal at all. I met him the day before doing like – they do like a digital thing called facing off where like the contestants kind of just like get to sit with some of the contestants from last season and they kind of like punk you. And that was cool and we had fun doing it. And I was just so like excited that I got to meet him then. And I told him that I was doing his song and he was like, “Oh, that’s so exciting” blah, blah, blah. And I had no idea. Like it was just totally – I had no idea that he was going to be there at all  at rehearsal. And when Blake said, “Why don’t we ask Matt” I thought he said Nate and then I’m like, “Did he say Matt?” And that’s why I was like who, like what was going on. I really had no idea.

Q) But hearing you sing it and hearing your interpretation it’s like brought a whole new thing to it. I mean did you know that with the song – you mentioned that he was one of your favorite contestants a long time. Did you come into this competition hoping you would be able to sing that song at some point?

Sarah Potenza: No. I didn’t actually. It didn’t really cross my mind at all. I just knew that I really loved that song. And when I watched the show last season and I watched him do that song, it had stuck with me. And I downloaded it on iTunes and I just – I would always kind of like be singing it like around the house. I don’t know why. It’s so catchy. And when it came down to pick a song for the playoffs, I just had really loved that song and I thought that it would just be really cool to get to do a song that was an original song on the show. I just felt like it was a cool – it was a cool thing to do. And I also felt like a really personal connection to the song because of my story with my husband and I. I think everybody has that where they feel that way where there’s like somebody that they’re like texting at 2:00 in the morning that they shouldn’t be texting or – you know what I mean. Like everybody has that kind of like impossible love, that wasted love, that thing that’s out there for somebody that they have these certain feelings with it. It’s never quite like that with anybody else.

Q) Nathan, you talked about being in love at 16. Was that song important for you to do?

Nathan Hermida: Well I think because I’ve never really been in that situation where I’m asking someone to like kind of leave their lover. But I’ve known other people who struggle with like – like they’ve been having crushes on someone and maybe like that person’s with someone else. And I know how much they’ve been with the – like really hurt by that especially if the person that they want has been treating – they’ve been treated badly. So I felt like I just connect with that more so rather than connecting it to my personal experiences because I’ve never experienced that.

Q) Now did you know after you finished it that you had nailed it or were you like this could go either way? Clinton could have taken it or did you think I did it this time?

Nathan Hermida: I really think it could have went either way because hearing Clinton like I respect him so much as a singer because he’s really good and really capable of doing different songs like he did Stay and he also did Wanted. So I was just really impressed by him. And I think both of us deserve to win. But I’m just happy that Adam chose me. But I’m really – like I really respect him as a person and an artist.

Q) Sawyer, how are you coping with being away from home and dealing with being away from your family and farm?

Sawyer Fredericks: It’s been hard for me to be away from home and my animals and just the farm. Definitely a different feeling out here in the city. And I’ve been doing all right. I have my mom with me so it’s not too bad.

Q) You feel more confident as you’re winning each round so far? I mean do you feel yourself gaining any confidence?

Sawyer Fredericks: I do think I’m getting a little more confident. But I mean just being on stage more and more times of course you’re just going to get better and better at it.

Q) What is the best advice that Nate gave you while you all were working on the song?

Sonic: He just kind of told me to let go and to just put my own experience into the song and just like leave it on stage and just like loosen up. And I still struggle with my confidence up there and he was just encouraging me to kind of let loose and just really feel the song and just sing it from my heart. And yes, so they didn’t really show much of that. But yes, he was giving me a lot of really great advice.

Q) Well how did you do that exactly? Did you kind of like psych yourself into it say okay, I just got to let myself go? I mean did you like a Buddhist chant? I mean how do you get to that point where you feel that confidence to do it?

Sonic: Yes. I just try to be the best me that I can. And I always wanted to be myself and I felt like doing an actual R&B song was my breakout moment because that’s what I do. I do R&B soul. So doing that song and also he has always been an influence for me. It really meant a lot. So I was able to like really connect and let go and just feel the music and connect with my voice and it just happened.

Q) Kimberly, why that song? I mean because you absolutely nailed it too. Why that one?

Kimberly Nichole: I think I really love Sting. He’s probably one of my favorite rock vocalists. Like his voice is amazing. And I think that’s one of my favorite songs of his. I feel happy and I feel an emotion whenever I see him perform it live on YouTube when I saw his YouTube videos or whatever. So I really knew that that could be an option for me to perform, I definitely wanted to do it. And it felt good to do it. I had a good time. And what I loved about Christina is she was – I was – at first I was really concentrating on like doing certain things like Sting does it and she was like, “Girl, make the song your own.” So when I kind of that made it my own, it – I knew I could really do a great job with it.

Q) Brian, how do you make sure you don’t sound like James Morrison when you’re doing one of his classic songs?

Brian Johnson: Yes. I respect James Morrison so much. He’s been one of my favorite artists for a long time. But when it comes to me doing music, I’m just trying to fit myself into the song. And James Morrison has such a talented voice and such a rasp to his voice. And I’m just trying to do my thing on that song. It’s such a beautiful song and such a fun song to do. But like Kimberly said, it’s very much just do you and you’ve got to – you’ve got to just put yourself into the song whatever song you’re given or whatever song you choose.

Q) Mia, you do a very bluesy cool song. You’re very blues based. Is that the kind of artist you want to be?

Mia Z: Yes. Yes. Absolutely. Because the blues kind of got lost in the shuffle of modern music I think. So I’m trying to like just bring it out more. But keep it modern for everybody to enjoy.

Q) Well who turned you onto the blues? I mean was it your parents, your dad, mom?

Mia Z: Yes. My mom and my uncle. I was just around it when I was younger and they wrote a blues song for me and said well, try singing it. And then when I sang it, I just – it stuck with me. I loved it. I loved that – the minor chords and the sad kind of blues. So it really just caught with me and I stuck with it.

Q) Is there a particular blues artist from way back like a John Lee Hooker or a Bessie Smith or is there a particular artist that you’d say wow,this is who I would say this is the ultimate blues artist in my opinion?

Mia Z: B.B. King obviously. I definitely think and Amy Winehouse too was a big inspiration for me growing up and even now watching back and seeing her sing the blues and the jazz is definitely the road that I want to take as well.

Q) Sawyer, in the review of last night’s episode I read online someone wrote that you’re beyond this year’s sincerity and a beautiful break in your voice calls back to the mind of a great folk rock artist of yesteryear. That being said, what are your greatest musical inspirations?

Sawyer Fredericks: Yes. My favorite artist is Ray LaMontane. And as I said on the show, I listen to a lot of Creedence and I actually listen to a lot of types of music. I listen to Langhorne Slim just because I love how much emotion and the lyrics that he puts into his music. And I know this is a new artist that’s coming up in the U.K. is Paolo Nutini. And I also really love his lyrics. Kind of a very – I really pay attention to songs just because I’m a songwriter and that’s kind of what I want to be.

Q) Brian, could you tell me how do you think your education at Cedarville has influenced you and helped you grow as a person.

Brian Johnson: Cedarville was an incredible opportunity for me to explore who I was an artist as well as who I am just as a person. College is always one of those kind of where you discover who you are. And Cedarville was such a good opportunity for me to do that. And it gave me lots of opportunities to grow as a singer. I sang in Jazz choir, I sang in Jubilate and I sang in One Voice the Gospel choir. So I just – I kind of threw myself into music. And, you know, Cedarville is just such a unique school where music is so important. So yes, that’s definitely one of the biggest ways where Cedarville influenced me.

Q) What you think some of the like challenges might be like in the live playoffs and how you plan to try to overcome them I guess?

Brian Johnson: Yes. I think one of the biggest challenges is there’s just – there’s so much thinking. I mean there’s just so many people. I mean I respect so many of the other artists on this season. Every single one of brings something different and something new to the table. And for me I think in order to kind of capture America’s heart and kind of – I have to just be true to who I am as an artist and who I want to be after the show too. And less comparing myself to other people and more just being who I am as an artist.

Q) Kimberly, what is the strangest thing you’ve gotten on social media so far? Anything really crazy like please marry me or anything like that?

Kimberly Nichole: Nothing yet. No. Not yet. I have a friend that has been in the same competition and she was like – she’s had crazy stuff said to her but that has not happened to me yet.

Q) Are you a big social media person?

Kimberly Nichole: It’s really bad. Yes. I’m really Instagram and Facebook and Twitter. Yes. Very addicted to it, yes.

Q) Well that’s important now especially in this competition I would imagine.

Kimberly Nichole: It is. Yes. For you to interact is to be active on social media. They’re very important platforms with all areas of industry these days so you have to be active.

Q) Brian, I know you use you Twitter. So is Twitter the platform for you as well?

Brian Johnson: Yes. I love social media. That’s actually one of the things that I studied at Cedarville. I studied a communication degree. But social media was kind of what I would like to do after school like working social media for a company. But I try really hard to respond to just about everybody that tweeted at me last night just to kind of build a big fan base and try to interact with people who are listening and – yes.

Q) Sonic, for you, what is the downside of social media so far in being in this competition? Is there a down side to it that you discovered?

Sonic: I just think that in the career path like for all of as singers and entertainers you’re going to get good and bad. There’s people that are going to really love you, people that are going to really not like you or like your style of singing. And I think that’s what we all kind of have to like walk out. I try not to feed into that then they get dirty. But I think that’s the only like downside for me. But it’s also (fuel). I take that as a like well I’m just going to keep growing and getting better, you know. And, you know, you just got to utilize and just take the punches but yes, that’s the only downside for me.

Q) Sawyer, last night’s episode you went up against Mia and Paul who are teammates of yours. How close are you with the other members of Team Pharrell?

Sawyer Fredericks: I think we’re all very good friends on the show. Everybody’s just extremely nice and it’s nice to hang out with everyone.

Q) Nathan, what is the coolest thing about Adam Levine?

Nathan Hermida: I think the coolest thing about him is like – well just like growing up like listening to him and then it’s like the coolest thing is that he’s really natural like working with me. And he just tells it like it is to make me become a better artist, so. Yes. That’s what I think the coolest thing.

Q) Sarah, what is the funniest thing about Blake?

Sarah Potenza: Man. I think he just like shows everything like how he is. He dances like a lunatic. He drinks like a fish. He tells jokes. I mean he’s so hilarious. He’s just really like he’s just so funny. I love him. You know what I love about Blake. Blake is just like – exactly like my husband only he has money and no beard. And let me tell you something. I know how to deal with that situation. That I know what to do with. This Adam Levine, Christina, Pharrell – I don’t know these people. But Blake, he’s my people. I know this person. I know what he wants. He just wants to tell a joke, have some vodka and laugh. I can do that.

Q) Kimberly, has Christina given you any kind of fashion or have you all done like girly stuff like that, fashion, makeup kind of thing yet

Kimberly Nichole: Well, no not really. She’s complimented me on my style how much she likes it. And she just really encourages me to just be exactly who I am, my personality and the energy I do on stage. And so I always say like working with Christina is almost like I’m working with one of my good girlfriends and she’s a superstar and I’m coming up behind her or something. That’s how I feel. We laugh. We have fun. She has some cool things to tell me as well, so. It’s totally fun being on her team.

Q) For Nathan, I was just wondering how is preparing for the live shows different from that of preparing like for the previous rounds and what are you most anticipating from the live shows coming up?

Nathan Hermida: Well I think the live shows just in terms of appearing it’s been really more intense because it’s like every performance has been in the moment. But I feel like this one truly will be because we’re not only performing for an audience that is near the stage but also a live audience like around the world. So – I mean not around the world; around the nation. But yes. So I think just that aspect of it is kind of nerve racking. So I think that’s the only (thing).

Q) Sawyer, where do you see yourself in your career being in five years’ time?

Sawyer Fredericks: I have no idea. Yes. I have no idea.

Q) Brian, how do you think it’s going to be different in Team Adam than Team Blake?

Brian Johnson: Yes. Working with Adam I’m really looking forward to – I don’t know. I mean I’ve talked to Nathan and a few of the other contestants about what it’s like to work with him. And though I’ve loved working with Blake. And like Sarah said earlier he’s a lot of party a lot of the time. And Adam seems to be a little bit more serious – not serious but just like – I don’t know how to put it. But I guess I’m looking forward to seeing what he has to say. I’ve seen a lot of past seasons where he’s really worked hard to like form an artist. And that’s something that I really look forward to.

Q) And would you mind telling me like what’s the most exciting part about making it this far in the competition?

Brian Johnson: Yes. There’s a few things that come to mind. First of all, it’s exciting just to share music. Music has always been such a big passion of mine. So just to be able to share it and to have songs on iTunes and seeing them climb up different iTunes charts it’s – like that’s been so exciting for me. And then the second part that comes or the second thing that comes to mind is just meeting the other contestants. And when I got to work with Sarah this past round in the knockout round, she’s been a friend of mine since the beginning of this whole process. Burt like just getting to know her better and getting to know her story and getting to know we worked really hard to – on both of our songs and then listening to each other’s songs about what we can do better, different things that we can tie in emotionally to our song. So just being able to work with 48 other incredible artists has been such a blessing and such a unique cool experience.

 

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*