The Voice – Blind Audition Night 1

By starrymag | September 26, 2014

Q) James, obviously you’ve been at this for a while, what do you hope that you’ll get from The Voice and what have you already gotten from The Voice?

James David Carter: Well, what I hope to get from The Voice is obviously, when you set out to be an artist, you obviously want to, you want to do it at the highest level possible. At least that’s what I did when I first started out, that’s what my goal was. And obviously you want to be exposed to as many people as possible. And beyond this show, hopefully it’ll springboard into people knowing me enough to where they’re interested in my own music, the music that I write and that I’ve done before this show and that I plan on doing after.

Q) I know you go into the thing thinking who you want to work with, but when you have people like Adam and Gwen and Pharrell just pleading to do it, all of them pleading. Is it really hard to make a decision that’s different than the one you set in with?

Elyjuh Rene: Yes, going in having, sometimes you go in having a mindset of who you think is the best coach for you and who you really like. And we were told in the beginning not to do that because you can go up there and at the same time you go up there you can feel something totally different from what you thought before. And so very difficult when there are four awesome coaches up there who want to help you become the best artist that you can be and they’re telling you great things about how much they want you and all that. And you’re first thing you’re like “okay, I already have my mind set up.” But then they start talking to you more and more so you start falling for that person and end up not going with the person you probably thought you were and then going with the person you never thought you would only because they talked to you, such in a great way and you start to fall for it.

Luke Wade: Yes, you have an idea of who you think the coaches are and what you think their strengths and talents are going to be. But when you get on stage and they’re talking to you and they’re pitching themselves to you, there’s no way to predict how they’re going to react to you and to your talent and how they figured they want to showcase it or how they want to nurture it. So that’s the thing is. you can have an idea of what you think the coaches are like from watching the show in the past or listening to their music but there’s no way to know how they’re going to feel about you. And that plays a big part in who you pick, because you don’t if the person that you like the most or the person that you want the most doesn’t seem to be saying the right things or have the right perception of you, then you want to go with the person who gets you. For me, I was really torn walking on stage because I knew that I didn’t have, I didn’t know who was going to want me the most and I didn’t know who was going to, I didn’t know what they were going to say to me and I was there to believe what they had to say. And I’m somebody that, I want to be the best version of myself in front of America and that’s what I want to do. And that’s what Pharrell said, he said, you know, I want to show America who Luke Wade is. And that’s why I’m doing it and so that was the perfect, just happened to be the perfect to say to me and so as soon as he said that, I knew exactly what I was going to do.

Q) Taylor, if Gwen Stefani told me I was making her hot, I think I would have to go on her team too. Would that be a big deciding factor?

Taylor John Williams: No, honestly it wasn’t, it was very flattering to hear, but everybody, all the coaches were in a very flattering state, I think so. It was more to do with her kind of pinning me as a writer based on how I sang the cover. Which I think was really cool and kind of unique and yes, that’s basically what won it for me. But the hot thing was kind of cool.

Q) Allison, you auditioned before and no chairs turned around for you but when that happens, did you know right away that you were going to audition again?

Allison Bray: Really, whenever you are on that stage, I don’t care how comfortable you are in any setting, I don’t care if you’ve ever been nervous on stage before, it is a complete different ball game. Being there, it’s kind of like an out of body experience. Like, even after the second time I got off stage and I’m like, what did they say to me, did I get my words right. And it’s very overwhelming and after I went back home and it all set in, it was kind of like, well, I’m not one to give up and the fact that I just failed on national television is going to push me even harder to come back and redeem myself. So I mean, it took a while for me to kind of figure out where I wanted to be as an artist after being turned down and something like that can kind of make a person second guess what they’re doing and second guess if they’re in the right spot in their life to proceed with the show. And I kind of knew deep down that maybe I should go back and I came back and it ended up being a good feel for me. But right away I did not know if I wanted to come back, but it’s kind of an experience that no one else gets to have, and the fact that I got to have it twice is a huge deal for me.

Q) What felt different last night when you went out there?

Allison Bray: Really, if you want the honest answer, my nerves, my feeling, my outlook on the show was completely the same the first time going out if not more scary and more difficult. It’s just as nerve racking the second time as it is the first and then you have this thought in your head, you know, I failed at this once and if I fail at this again, it’s going to be awful, I can never show myself again. But, I tried to go out this time thinking to myself, “You worked on what they told you to work on and if that doesn’t work, then maybe it’s not your shot, maybe it’s not your time.” So, I tried to go out this time with a little more open mindset and maybe that’s what worked out for me. But I’ve kind of learned to not get into my head so much and just go out there and do what I know to do and that’s what I did and look where I am.

Q) Last time you went and you didn’t get any chairs, you came back and you got three this time so why did you go with Team Blake?

Allison Bray: When I went onstage, I told myself that I would not set in any certain coach that I wanted and that I would have an open mindset about who I wanted to go with if I got a chair turn. And, as they were talking to me, I really, really wanted to go with Gwen actually. She was the person, after they spoke to me, I was like “wow, you could do a lot for me, she’s a girl, that’s a good factor and she seems like she really wants me.” And Blake’s pitch wasn’t as strong, of course, as everyone else’s because he kind of knew to himself but I would want to go with him. So as I was thinking about which coach I was going to pick, I thought back to last season and last season Blake was the coach who had the most positive things to say about me. He was the one who was like, “I’m going to give you an invitation to come back and try this again, but you’re going to have to work on some things” and the fact that he even turned around after hearing me means that he thought to himself that I improved a little bit. And when everybody turned around, it’s great to hear and everything about, “Oh, she’s going to go with me,” it’s just promising that another country artist like that wants to help out a girl like me to pursue my music career. I thought about it long and hard onstage, they were probably mad at me because I was up there for a long time. But Blake was, obviously was a pre-option for me and after thinking, I got it, I really wanted to go with him.

Q) Clara, you were one of the contestants who seemed to be thinking one way about who you would pick as a coach going into the audition, and then wound up doing something different. Why did you choose Adam and did that poem have anything to do with it?

Clara Hong: I am in love with Pharrell, I still am. The second you go with that decision onstage, because I don’t know, I didn’t want to overthink things. And, I mean, the poem was, you know, it was cute, it was kind of like the same thing, you know when, I guess Gwen called Taylor or that she got hot for Taylor. That was like it was a nice thing like it was funny and it was cute. Like you think at least the way I remember it, Adam just seemed so excited and really energetic and like he just wants to have me on his team. And Pharrell, I mean he was equally, he wanted me but I don’t know I think I just felt this, like this connection with Adam. And I remember thinking, wow, this is so hard and I was thinking a lot about anything and everything and I just said, well I’m just going to make a decision and I just went with Adam. I mean the poem was awesome though, I thought it was really funny.

Q) Luke, you’ve been out as a musician for many years now, you’ve been a performer for even longer than that. What are some of the things that you learned from Pharrell that maybe you didn’t know coming into this competition? What are some of the things that maybe you didn’t know or you hoped to learn or some of the things that he has helped you to do better than what you did prior to this, to The Voice?

Luke Wade: Well at this point in the show, all that’s really happened is just my interaction with him onstage. What I learned from him, so being up onstage and just feeling the way that the coaches interacted with me, in just that short period of time, I could feel his energy. He’s got a very, he’s got a calmness to him and he has like a, he’s very deliberate in his communication, just. And that’s the way that I would like to be, he’s very good at being present in the moment and looking at you, like I know what to do with that voice. Just saying what he’s thinking in an articulate and intelligent way. In terms of what I’d like to learn from Pharrell, it I guess, you know, it goes beyond music. He’s a person that has never stopped pushing forward in his career. And he’s had a lot of setbacks, and he’s been the hot hand and he’s not been and he’s come back from it. And he never stops. He keeps on, just, and he always wants just to do it by being himself. He’s not the kind of person that reinvents himself to try to do something, it’s more along the lines of just getting better at being himself and continuing to work at that and just having faith that it’s going to work out for him. And so, that’s the kind of artist that I’d like to be and that’s what I’ve done but on a small level and I want to learn how to really do it from the master and so that’s my mindset.

Q) Damien, I have to say your story beforehand about what happened at the airport, it has to be one of the most touching and one of the most heartfelt stories I’d ever heard. Was it really hard for you to share onstage or was it therapeutic for you in a way?

Damien: Yes, it’s definitely tough to talk about it, to actually relive it. I’m able to talk about it a little bit more, a lot easier, than I used to. I actually couldn’t talk about it at all for I would say maybe the first four months. I couldn’t even watch the news or anything. Anything sad or anything like that so. But I think after going through therapy and all that, and they just kind of guided me on how to deal with PTSD so I was able to slowly talk about bits and pieces of it. And I still think at times it’s hard to talk about it. So, yes it was very difficult.

Q) Would it be fair to say then that music is probably one of the best therapies?

Damien: Music is definitely therapy for me. I think that just being able to talk about it also now at this point is healing as well. But music, I always go back to music anytime I’m feeling sad or anything like that I can always listen to something and it can encourage me or just lift my spirits or whatever so yes, definitely. And just being able to sing at the memorial because I definitely did not think I could do that. I was actually, I told them no. I was begged to sing I Believe I Can Fly song at the memorial and I specifically told them no. And then someone talked to me and pulled me to the side and said “Hey, we think it would be really good if you could just try.” And so I even up to the point of me like, maybe five minutes before me getting ready to sing at the memorial that was, I was still trying to get myself together and I just kind of asked God to give me the strength and I was able to make it through.

Q) It really seemed like it came out of left field that you picked Adam. I did not think you were going with Adam for some reason.

Damien: Yes, most people didn’t. I think that after just speaking with the coaches, what Adam said to me, like I said resonated with me more than what everybody else said. So I really felt that Adam really wanted to work with me. Going into the blind audition, I had an idea of who I would like to work with which was with Adam or Pharrell. But after they all began to talk and it just became clear to me that it was, Adam was the right choice for me. Well good choice and again congratulations to you and to everybody else. Best of luck.

Q) Bryana, it sounds like you moved around an awful lot when you were young. I was wondering if you could give us a little more detail about what you’ve done musically in the time just preceding The Voice and also why you thought Gwen would be the coach for you.

Bryana Salaz: Well, I’ve been moving around since I was born. And I never really started music until I was 12 and that was when we were stationed in Hawaii. And I just started doing local performances there. And when we moved to Georgia people were noticing that I should start, like entering in competitions and try doing other things, bigger things. I would just do local competitions. But when I came to Texas, The Voice had actually found one of my U-Tube videos and I had tried to post some covers up there, you know to get myself out there to see, like, if people were responding to it. And when they invited me to come audition, that was definitely a big, it was a big realization, like people are listening and someone did see. And it was a huge compliment. And I never expected to make it this far on the show. And when I was onstage, picking a coach, I’ve seen it on the show many times, I love the show and I always that that if I go on there, it’s going to be really easy for me to pick who I want. In my head I had always had Gwen in my mind. But when I was on there, I have to say I was very, very torn between choosing Adam and Gwen, because Adam fought for me very hard. And I think one thing that Gwen pointed out that made me choose her was that she talked about performance. And then thinking about it, I am a huge fan of Gwen’s career and she’s very unique and very original and that’s something that I’m trying to work on for myself is finding something that makes me unique and makes me original. And I thought Gwen would be the best coach to work with to help me discover something in myself and pull out some things that even I didn’t know that I had.

Q) Taylor, after your audition, you mentioned that you sound a lot like Adam and that’s why Adam was so passionate. What do you think about that because when I was listening to you, I was thinking the same thing. And have you gotten that response before?

Taylor John Williams: No, I had actually never heard that before. Yes. I guess that’s the simple answer.

Q) James, the coaches are all very talented and I am sure you all would like to work with a number of them. After you picked your coach in the back of your head are you thinking that maybe you might get to work with one of the other coaches during the other round, the steal round? Do you guys have that kind of in the back of your head at all? And is there like another coach that you would consider?

James David Carter: I know for me, like my mindset has to be to stay with the coach that picked you. Like you have to, well it’s like when you’re performing, you can’t second guess yourself or be thinking about another option. I actually kind of relate it to, I guess my journey up to this point. Like, I’ve kind of come through operating without a net basically with my music career. Like a lot of people might have bailed at this point but I feel like you just have to be confident in the situation you’re in and believe, and trust the fact that you’re with the right coach that you picked, obviously, coming off the blind audition moment. I think you have to be just confident with your choices you made.

Q) Allison, did fellow The Voice alum Olivia Henkin give you any tips before you headed off for your third shot at this?

Allison Bray: Oh my goodness. I’ve known the Henkin family since I was, I mean five. I used to compete in pageants with them and everything. And I’ve known the family and throughout the journey of being turned down and everything, Olivia was always cheering me on and always being like, “You can always go back next season” and what are the coaches thinking and things like that. She has been there for moral support more so than I guess giving tips. She’s always been like, “If you need anything, if you need to talk to anyone about the show, please, call me. I’ll talk to you about anything. I can give you any knowledge that you want to know about going into it, everything like that.” But besides that, we really only talk about going into it and her being like, “I’m always here if you need a friend if you need somebody to talk to,” someone who’s been there before and she’s been very helpful with that.

Q) James, kind of continue on with what you just said. Of course you said that you were kind of going on with your career without a net. Was there a time in your career where you thought, “This just ain’t going to happen.” And if you did feel that way, what kept your faith in the sound?

James David Carter: I never had a moment to where I felt I was going to bail. I think with anything in life, there’s kind of ups and downs and early on in my early 20s I had experienced. I had a few development deals in Nashville, some with Mercury Records and RCA Records. And I, the timing just wasn’t right in hindsight, you look back, and in my early 20s I kind of, I took it pretty hard, I took it pretty personal. I didn’t really have a great grasp on the music business and kind of how it worked and just knowing that you’re going to, you’re going to more than likely face more rejection and adversity than you are success. And just understanding that how much, how many things have to line up to have success in the music business. That was kind of my schooling, if you will. But I never really had a moment. I mean, I had thoughts that crept in about what else in life could I be interested in doing. I’m a huge, it’s no secret, you can ask Luke, I’m a huge sports fan. I grew up playing sports and played football and baseball and that was my world growing up and I worked really hard at that. And then, I ended up having a bad knee injury that kind of ended all that. But that thing in me, I still have a strong passion for sports so I was going well maybe I could go back to school and be a teacher and coach football or something.

Q) So there was a plan B for you, if you had to.

James David Carter: Not really, the thought of going back to school for me is like, I’d rather lay in a tub full of scissors, I just, I honestly to sit in a classroom again, I just don’t think I could do it. But like, along the way like on my journey, I just had to me, like moments of confirmation in, right when I needed it just to keep pushing and to keep grinding. And keep writing songs, keep playing shows whatever, put videos on YouTube that people connect with or so for me I just had too many, too much confirmation along the way to give up. So that’s kind of where I’ve landed today and that’s basically where I am talking to you right now.

Q) You’d make a good teacher because that’s a pretty good lesson on how to stick with it for everybody.

James David Carter: There’s a lot of life parallels and a lot of life lessons that really don’t, you know, I think with anything you can parallel that with, it doesn’t have to be music it can be, I always tell people like, find out what you’re passionate about and figure out how to get paid for it. I learned that when I was really young. And it doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. But it’s worth it in the end.

Q) Taylor, Gwen told you that working with you could help inspire her for her next album. So what did you think when she said that?

Taylor John Williams: It was incredible to hear her say that. I don’t know how much truth there is in that as far as time that we would have together to even talk about that sort of a thing. But it was cool that I seemed to inspire her and make her want to write more and yes, it was very humbling.

 

 

*CONFERENCE CALL*