You will recognize her when you see her. That contestant from NBC’s singing reality competition, the Voice. The big red hair and loud personality might get you talking but her voice and style will get you hooked. I’m talking about Chevonne and even before the Voice she was so lucky to tour with some big names—including Estelle and Lady Gaga. Modern Frequency recently sat down with Chevonne and this is what she had to say.
How did you get on the Voice?
There’s a blind audition first. There’s a huge pool of 50,000 people from around the country and eventually it gets narrowed down to 200.
How were the judges?
Everything you see on television is what you get. The first time you get on the stage to when the judges turn their chairs around is the first time they see the contestants.
Do you think American Idol overshadows the Voice in anyway?
I remember watching Idol and I watched it for the first couple of seasons and I really loved the show and the format. The Voice, though, is a little bit more on the pulse of what’s happening in 2012 and what this next generation is looking for. It’s very social media orientated. It’s a symbiotic show between the show and the Internet. There’s a lot of online voting and the official Voice online artist page. I think it’s the most cutting edge music show that loves independent artists and music. It was my own image and our own branding that comes across in the show. I love Idol, but I think the Voice goes the extra mile and we were very nurtured. It’s a very interactive experience.
So your experiences with Voice were positive then?
Nothing but fun. It helped me create a large fan base. I worked with Cee Lo and Christina and they gave me such good advice on my look and my career. The Voice is that gift that keeps on giving—I have over 3,000 twitter followers and people who like me on Facebook. It gave me a lot of exposure. It’s one thing if you are fresh and young and you don’t know your sound or style, but the Voice helps you guide and nurture you to that. They knew what kind of look I was going for–from the clothes to the make up chair.
What was it like working with Estelle and Lady Gaga?
Estelle is brilliant, beautiful, and funny. She had a small team on her, but we hung out with her. We went out to clubs after the shows and she was so genuine and real. She made me feel worth it.
Eventually, I got the gig with Gaga and she was awesome too. She’s another strong woman and I had some of the best times of my life on her tour. I saw and experienced every major city and continued my travels around the world on her Monster Ball tour. It was a true rock star dream.
I’m very happy for Estelle—she got nominated for a Grammy again for this year and Gaga is on top of the world.
Do you think the music industry is now saturated with a lot of female pop stars?
I think it’s a great time. There a lot of other artists out there like me—but I like classic roc and love soul music. I’d like to marry them both under on big pop umbrella and make it accessible. There’s Pink, Cee Lo, and Bruno. There are lot of artists right now that are not definable by genre and love it. I’m really excited to see where the industry is going right now.
Is it safe to say that’s what your debut album will sound like then?
Yes, it’s gonna be really fun and a lot of up-tempo stuff. It’s gonna be big and colorful and confessional. Right now I’m still unsigned and funding my own album through Kickstarter. Many contestants on the Voice are using Kickstarter. People donate money and in turn get free stuff. There will be clothes, t-shirts, and free album downloads on there for those who donate. The album should be out in March. I write all the songs and collaborate with a few people. I worked with Semi-Precious Weapons as well. I also write with my band. I am very excited about it.
What do you want the world to know about Chevonne?
I just want people to have fun while listening to my music. I just want to make people smile and dance and laugh through my music.
