After The Voice: Natalie Stovall Shines With “Wine Or Whiskey”

Season 13 of The Voice was nothing short of powerhouse vocalists, but Natalie Stovall was an early favorite for many fans. We got the opportunity to get to know The Voice alum and chatted about her experience on the show and her new single.
What made you want to audition for The Voice?
The stars just kind of aligned this year to audition for The Voice. They have called in the past, and it was never good timing. But this year was a bit of a transition year already. I was creating new music with new people, the band was changing a little, and I just had this gut feeling that I can’t explain when they called and asked. So I went with it!
When Blake turned his chair for you during your blind audition, what was going through your mind?
THANK GOODNESS! I actually had my eyes closed cause I was hitting a big note and when I opened them, Blake was facing me. I didn’t get to audition until the very end of the Blinds when all 4 teams were almost full. And Blake was the coach I had wanted all along. So to see his face was such a relief!
What did it mean for you to be the comeback artist of the season?
Being Blake Shelton’s Comeback Artist for The Voice felt so poetic. It’s such a parallel to my own career, that it just felt right! I have been making music I am proud of for a very long time. I have been playing shows and touring relentlessly for over a decade. There have been setbacks, struggles, and doors slammed in my face over and over. But I still believe. I know what I am meant to do and I don’t give up. And I keep seeing the fruits of my labor pay off in big ways. The recent release of new music has brought so many opportunities my way and this Comeback Girl ain’t gonna stop – even if I get knocked a few more times on the way up.
How has The Voice bettered you as an artist?
Taking a break from basically everything I’ve been doing for the last decade – writing, touring incessantly, creating music with my band – and throwing a little chaos into the mix has been so healthy. The world of television is quite different than life on the road. And approaching music like a competition is a completely different mindset than creating music for the sole purpose of moving people and speaking from your heart. I learned that treating music like a competition is not something I enjoy, but somehow at the very same time, I loved learning that lesson! The glitz and glamour was super fun. And even not being fully in control was a bit freeing! But it rejuvenated me in the best way possible to get back to my own music and career.
Do you plan to make an album in the near future?
I am ALWAYS creating an album in my head! But for now, I am focusing on singles. I have been having so much fun playing around in the studio and in my writing, that I’m trying not to get too many steps ahead of myself. I already have a lot of music recorded, and there is much more to come. And it is all happening in such an organic way that, for right now, I am gonna take it one step at a time.
What is it like having “Wine or Whiskey” out for the public to hear?
I am so grateful to have “Wine or Whiskey” out into the world. It’s about that frozen moment in time where you know life is about to change – something big is coming, but you don’t know whether it is life changing in the best way or most heartbreaking way. And exploring the emotion of that moment has been so cathartic for me – especially after such an emotional year. We all live that moment repeatedly in this life – in relationships, in careers, in our health – and being able to explore that moment in such an honest way musically has been food for my soul. And the most beautiful part is the way it has spoken to others and how they have been sharing those moments with me.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I think people would be surprised to know that I was more nervous for my performances on the Voice than I have been for just about any other performances in my life. I have sung at the White House, I’ve played on the Grand Ole Opry, I’ve played on Oprah, I’ve even played for 75,000 people. But there was something about The Voice that was so nerve-wracking. Maybe it was being sequestered for a month before the blind auditions. Maybe it was feeling the pressure to be REALLY good since I’ve already had success in my career. Maybe it was over-analyzing 90 seconds of music for an entire month before getting to sing it in front of the coaches. But whatever it was… it was so much harder than I thought it would be! I’d much rather play my own music in front of 75,000 people than 4 chairs turned backwards.
You can download Natalie’s single, “Wine or Whiskey” on itunes or stream it on Spotify.