The Blemish isn’t all about sarcasm and derp jokes. We can be serious too. *Puts on serious face, tries to stifle laughter* Which is why we’re branching out into interviews. You know, hard hitting stuff. “What’s your favorite color? Blue? Tee hee!”
Our first interview is with Katrina Parker from Season 2 of The Voice. If you’re interested, check it out below. Note that it obviously wasn’t done by me because of the noticeable lack of awkward pauses. Don’t worry, when I do an interview, you’ll be able to tell by them walking out right in the middle of it.
Here’s a little back story on Katrina Parker. Katrina was on Season 2 of The Voice on Adam Levine’s team with Tony Lucca. She was eliminated when Levine surprisingly gave Tony Lucca an advantage of 60 to Katrina’s 40. Adam reasoned that he believed they were both equally talented but he had more of connection (see: bromance) with Tony. A good amount of people disagreed saying Tony’s Mouseketeer fame and “celebrity sway” helped him through. That being said, even though she didn’t win, she was still asked to perform at the Tribute to Champions of Hope Gala on Thursday (tomorrow) in Newport Beach.
Below, she talks about if she’ll be singing her signature song, what it was like getting that 60/40 vote and what her plans for the future are.
So you are working with my good friend Amy Malin on Global Genes | R.A.R.E Project’s “Tribute to Champions of Hope Gala”. What are you expecting the outcome will be with this event? Why did you decide to lend your talent to this event?
I’m happy to be involved because I believe in what the R.A.R.E Project is doing and have a heart for anyone who is as misunderstood and under-represented as the rare disease community. 1 in 10 people in America are affected by rare diseases (that’s 30 million in the US and something like 350 million worldwide), but we don’t hear their stories very often. Of the approximately 7,000 identified rare diseases, only 10% have an established foundation and only 5% have readily available treatments or therapies. Those numbers are staggering, and the Global Genes | R.A.R.E Project is working hard to change all of that with events like this. More awareness creates more advocacy, and more advocacy leads to more support, research and empathy from the world at large. Now THAT is a beautiful thing.
Do you know which songs you are going to sing? Will it be ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’? (Hopefully ? )
Haaa, no I’m actually doing a couple of songs I didn’t perform on “The Voice.” I tried to handpick material I thought would be suitable for the night, something moving without being maudlin. One is a jazz standard people will recognize. The other is a children’s classic from a Disney film (dedicated to all the children suffering from rare diseases, which is over 50% of the community).
I am a huge fan of The Voice and loved you on the show. After all your hard work and dedication to both Adam and to singing your heart out to win the show, what did you think when Adam gave you a 40 and said “I believe that you’re both equally talented,” “When you see a 60/40 up there, Katrina, it’s not because I think he’s much more talented than you. My connection with Tony, I feel like we get each other in a way that I think could lead him to win this thing.” ?
Well first, THANK YOU. I didn’t really think anything in that moment, but I felt a LOT. It hurt (obviously). You get attached to your coach, the other contestants, the wardrobe and makeup people and everyone on the show. It’s shocking when you leave no matter how much you were mentally prepared for it. While Adam’s 60/40 split stung, it was his decision to make. He was still the same person who saved me twice, so while I may not have agreed with the decision (of course I wanted to stay!), I respected it. It was also incredibly sweet to know I won America’s vote (something I didn’t think was possible considering the level of support Tony had). That softened the blow. Everything happens for a reason. You have to leave sometime, and leaving with so much fan support (and a healthy amount of controversy) is certainly not a bad thing.
The Voice has added a few new judges to the cast. What are your honest thoughts on the judges they have selected? Do you think these new judges can fill the shoes of Christina & Ceelo?
I think the judge changeup is good and will help circumvent any possible viewer fatigue. 2 seasons of “The Voice” in one year is a lot of “The Voice” back to back. Switching out any of the judges will create a different chemistry and give folks one more reason to tune in. Everyone will be curious to see how the new judges interact with the contestants and the other judges. As to whether Shakira and Usher can fill the shoes of Christina and Ceelo – no, they’ll bring their own new shiny shoes and unique experiences to the table. That’s good for the show and for the competition.
In regards to your new album, do you have a name for it yet? Please share with The Blemish’s audience what it will be all about. How are you explaining this new chapter of your music to everyone?
Right now I’m in pre-production for what will probably be an EP (no name yet!) – writing and putting together the right songs, finding the right musical aesthetic, etc…After much experimenting and soul-searching, I’ve landed in the Electropop/Electrofolk category, somewhere between Ellie Goulding’s Lights and Goldfrapp’s Supernature. We’re almost at a point where I’m ready to demo everything, which is exciting! It’s a slow process, but I don’t want to release anything as a knee-jerk reaction to the new season. Nothing done in panic is going to be great. I want to take my time and do it RIGHT and be proud of whatever I release post Voice. In the meantime, we’re giving out free monthly downloads to my mailing list, a little something to tide them over until the EP. We’ve been getting a great response to that so far.
What is your ultimate dream for the future as far as your music is concerned?
My dream is to make a living creating, recording and performing music that I love until the day I can no longer open my mouth to sing. It sounds simple, I know, but that’s all I want. The rest are just details. Beyond that, my bucket list includes touring in Europe, hearing one of my songs on the radio and being on National TV again. That would be icing on the cake, but The Voice did really empower me to believe anything is possible, so who knows?!