The live shows on The Voice season 9 are in full swing and we’re less than a month away from the big finale in December. But before America crowns a new champion, there are still many more performances to watch and, unfortunately, more eliminations along the way.
The latest contestant to be eliminated from the competition is Evan McKeel. I spoke with him during a conference call with reporters. He shared his thoughts on whether he was surprised to be going home, if he would have changed anything about his Twitter Save performance, working with coach Pharrell and even what song he was planning to cover next. Also, what are his plans for the future? Read on to find out.
The Voice Results: The Top 10 is Revealed >>>
Was Evan Surprised to Be Eliminated?
On singing competition shows, sometimes contestants have a feeling they’re going home. What about Evan? “I wasn’t necessarily expecting to go home, but I knew anything was possible.” For Evan, his feeling is that “No one should ever expect to go home, but no one should ever be surprised to go home.” He added that even if they receive positive comments from the coaches, it doesn’t mean America will agree. “We all knew going into this … anything could happen. We shouldn’t really have any kind of result picked out that we think is going to happen. Everybody should be prepared that they could be going home or could be the first name called [to advance].”
As far as his Twitter Save performance goes, Evan “wouldn’t change a thing.” It’s one of his favorite songs. “What you want with a Save song like that is you want something that you know very well and ideally something you’ve performed before so that if you do get in that moment, you’re not fumbling for words, you’re not trying to do something that’s new. You’re going to be comfortable and you’re going to sing your best.”
What’s It Like Working with Pharrell?
The four coaches are very busy with their own careers, not just working on The Voice. Evan said of his coach, Pharrell, “He’s taking a lot out of his schedule to come and be on the show with us. And some people think that he’s there the whole week like we are, but he’s coming in from shows he’s doing and other appearances, and this is one of many things on his schedule.” How much time does he spent with his artists? “I would say I probably get maybe two or three hours with him a week, which, with the way his schedule is, that’s pretty incredible.”
Evan has nothing but positive things to say about his coach. “He’s such a genuine person and such a gentle spirit. And I feel that we are very kindred in a lot of ways, and it was such a pleasure to work with him and get his insight.” He continued by saying, “I really feel like he understood me as an artist and was able to help me find my strengths and my weaknesses and my greatest passions for music and really just learn about who I am as an artist and learn how to take that outside of the show too.”
The Voice Recap: The Top 11 Perform >>>
What Song was Evan Planning for the Top 10?
Looking back over his journey on The Voice, when asked what his favorite performance was, Evan admitted that he “loved every performance and tried to put a little bit something different in each one.” For “Overjoyed,” he “did a lot vocally,” and he “had a lot of fun” with “This is It.” But when Evan spoke about his Top 11 song, “Smile,” it was obvious that was his favorite. “That was me doing the kind of musicianship and performance that I’m used to doing at home and I’m used to doing in the music that I write and record. So that was a chance for me to show some artistry and show a little bit more identity as an artist.”
I also asked Evan what songs he was hoping to perform on The Voice if he had stayed on in the competition. He revealed that his Top 10 song would have been John Mayer’s “Gravity.” “We were going to do this really cool Gospel arrangement. And I was going to play electric guitar and we were just going to have a little jam session at the end of the song. It was going to be really cool.” No doubt, that would have been great to watch on the show.
What are Evan’s Plans for the Future?
Evan’s journey on The Voice may be over, but it’s obviously not the end of the road for him when it comes to his music. The goal for all of these singers is to use this platform to launch their careers. Evan mentioned that he has already has two albums that he’s written over the past couple of years, and he even has recorded demos for some of them. Now it’s about finding the right outlet to release them. “I’m going to start talking to some of these labels that have reached out and start talking to anyone I can get my hands on to start releasing some of these demos.”
He went on to say, “I have the music ready. It’s not like I need to have someone start writing music for me or help me figure out my direction. I know exactly what I want to do and I just need to find someone who believes in my direction and believes in my vision and my passion and my music that I want to create.”
When asked what his music style is, Evan discussed the most recent album he wrote. “It’s alternative rock, is really the only way that I can [describe] it. But it’s got a lot of acoustic work. It’s got a lot of string arrangements. It’s very pretty, but it’s also very driving. … I would [also] call it an ambient rock album.”
Evan also brought up what he hopes to accomplish with his music. “I’m really passionate about so many different kinds of music and I want to create a different sound and a different genre each time that I make an album. But I also know that you can’t do that all in one album; you have one album at a time.” He added, “I always want to create music that I think can be universal and that people from all music backgrounds would enjoy,” which he believes his alternative rock album would succeed at doing.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8pm on NBC.
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
