by Gina Scarpa

 

Erin Martin first caught the attention of judges Blake Shelton and Cee-Lo Green with her unique sound this season on The Voice. When Cee-Lo caught a glimpse of her after turning his chair around though, he really fought to have her on his team! She went on to defeat The Shields Brothers during the battle round in the song "What's Love Got To Do With It" and now anxiously and excitedly awaits the live shows. We talked to Erin today in an exclusive interview about her audition experience, the feedback from fans and blogs, and her feelings about her fans.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your performance experience prior to going on The Voice?
A. Erin: I grew up in musical theater at a small playhouse in southwestern Michigan. I was involved in theater from the age of five and it's been ongoing. I still do film and TV work. I did choir when I was in middle school and even in elementary school, I was in a special singing group. I've been involved in music my whole life and I started writing poetry when I was a kid. I started writing songs when I was 12 and art has always spoken to me. Trying out for The Voice came up as a random opportunity. They were in town and holding auditions. I auditioned just for fun but it's turned into a "take your career to the next level" thing. I thought it would be a great learning experience but I wouldn't get on the show and here we are in the live shows. You have to take it very seriously. Auditioning was just sort of like, "I'm just going to put myself out there and see what happens!" I feel very lucky to be a part of the show and it's definitely not something that happens every day.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Did you stress over your blind audition song or was "Hey There Delilah" an easy choice for you?
A. Erin: You know, it was a little bit of both. I love the Plain White T's, they're from Chicago, which is the homework that I represent. I wanted something that would showcase my voice in an upbeat way but I realized how perfect the song was for my voice. It seemed magical up on stage.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: It didn't take very long for Blake to turn around, and Cee-Lo turned soon after. How did it feel to have two judges turn their chairs for you, but then have to decide between them?
A. Erin: You know, it's not like anything I could ever compare to something that's happened to me before. You wanna sit down in a comfy chair and have a latte with these guys because they're so chill. You wanna ask them, "What are your creative ideas?" You don't have a lot of time but I had it set in my head that I would love to be on Team Cee-Lo. I thought if I chose Blake, he would bring out the indie side of me like he did with Dia and Xenia. If I chose Cee-Love, he would take my performances over the top and really help mold me into a relevant artist today. I was like, Team Cee-Lo all the way!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: It was definitely an odd pairing for battle round, you against The Shields Brothers. What did you think of it?
A. Erin: I thought it was crazy! They were the last people on my radar that I thought I would be singing against. They're such nice guys and were so contrastingly different. There are no words for what happened on that battle stage. It was a crazy song, it was a crazy pairing, and I don't sing like that every day. I was really just trying to pull out all the stops so I could be heard and be seen. It was an interesting performance. It was a fun experience, but I'm ready to move on to the live shows.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: There's been some talk on the blogs that you advanced in the competition because of your looks. What is your response to that?
A. Erin: Yeah, you know... with The Voice, after the blind auditions, they're looking for the whole package as far as artists go. I think I embody that. I think I'm flexible as an artist. I show versatility, and I think Cee-Lo wants someone who can bring the shock and awe value and I think I can provide that. I think he sees me as a moldable artist and I think that's invaluable in this competition.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What are you most excited about for the live shows?
A. Erin: I have the biggest surprise for you guys, I can't even tell you! It's going to be a Grammy worthy performance and they have some things prepared for all of us. The live performances are just going to be over the top, just incredible. I can't tell you anything about it.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What do you want to say to your fans?
A. Erin: I just wanna say to all of my followers on Twitter, all the people who leave comments on YouTube and on my Facebook page, I read your comments, I feel the love, and thank you so much! The fact that I did advance just gives me another opportunity to show another side of my theatrical, creative, and vocal abilities. Moving forward, it's not just about your voice. It's about the whole package. Thank you so much to all the supporters!

 

The Voice airs Mondays at 8/7c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa and "Like" her on Facebook!