Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mark Andrew was the first male singer we heard perform during the blind auditions on The Voice.

And he wound up becoming the first-ever member of Team Shakira.

The 27-year-old from Eden Prairie, Minn., works with his family’s roofing business, but told The Voice that isn’t something he wants to do the rest of his life.

What he’d prefer to do, of course, is perform music, something he’s been doing since he was a teenager.

In high school, he formed his own band. We heard on The Voice how two of those bandmates have since died.

He also performed with his brother’s outlaw country group, “The White Iron Band,” for a few years, according to his website bio, sharing the stage with Nicolas David of Season 3 fame at one point.

His website says he also spent time in Spain, teaching English and singing and playing guitar in the streets and subways of Madrid to supplement his income.

On The Voice, he auditioned with Bob Dylan’s “Kockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” one of the first songs he learned to play on guitar.

He wasn’t more than two lines into the song when Adam Levine turned his chair around. Shortly after, Shakira did the same.

Mark chose Shakira, saying his wife would never forgive him if he didn’t. In an interview with the Chaska Herald, his parents explained that Mark’s wife is a huge fan of the new Voice judge.

And the fact that she’s a rookie judge doesn’t bother Mark.

“She has the experience of being Shakira,” he told The Voice in a post-audition interview. “And I think that’s enough.”

By the way, his full name is Mark Andrew Pudas.

On Facebook, Mark describes himself as a “folk meets blues singer/songwriter.”

And if you want to hear his music, check out the full-length self-titled album he released to iTunes in 2011. Or head to his YouTube channel.

Two of the songs from that album are embedded below.

Update: Defeated by Tawnya Roberts in the battle round; they were asked to sing Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.”

“Not Cold, But Broken”

“Outlaw Tune”