Idol Chatter & Voice Views

More than a month after her blind audition aired, Ellie Lawrence’s cover of “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” is still entrenched on the iTunes’ alternative singles chart.

Unfortunately, the singer-songwriter with her trademark blue hair is no longer on The Voice.

Ellie was unexpectedly eliminated this week after Braiden Sunshine was declared the winner of their Team Gwen knockout round match.

But have no fear, Ellie fans. She says she’ll put the lessons learned on The Voice to good use and plans to hit the recording studio sooner than one might think.

We met Ellie, of Calhoun, Ga., on the second night of the blind auditions and quickly learned that her unusual hair color and penchant for indie-rock made her stand out in the “itty-bitty” Georgia town where she previously lived and where the music played was “country, country and country.”

But her cover of the Ella Eyre version of “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” struck a chord with The Voice coaches. Three of the four turned around for her performance.

Fans might have loved it even more. The song shot into the Top 10 on iTunes’ alternative chart. By noon the day after Ellie’s audition aired, it hit 58 on the site’s overall singles chart. Only three of 48 blind audition songs did better.

was floored,” Ellie says of that reception. “I never expected that level of support or that kind of response to the song. Ella Eyre did such an amazing job with the arrangement and I just wanted to pay tribute to her work.”

She hit the iTunes’ charts again with “Sweater Weather,” a battle round duet with Tim Atlas. Coach Gwen Stefani declared Ellie the winner of that battle; Tim wound up being stolen by Pharrell Williams.

Since she was eliminated in the knockout round, Ellie’s performance of “Cool for the Summer” wasn’t available for download.

But Ellie says the time she got to spend with Gwen “really changed my perspective on music.”

“I realized that (there are) so many different elements to building your artistry, and it started with confidence,” she adds. “I learned how to believe in myself and push myself out of my comfort zone.”

What’s next?

OneShotEllie, her pre-Voice duo with her fiance, will become a full band.

She still plans to play indie-rock, saying its the genre in which she feels most comfortable as a songwriter.

Her hair will stay blue “til the end. Or until my ADD kicks in and I switch up colors,” she adds jokingly.

And she has some pretty awesome news to share that she can’t share just yet. She urges fans to watch her Twitter account for updates.

And, yep, she’s been working on new music that she’s eager to share with fans.

“I’m working on finishing up the writing phase for my debut EP and I’m so so excited about it,” she says. “A lot of the songs I wrote while on the show, so it all has such a personal meaning to me during the most crazy and exciting time of my life so far.

“People can expect a rhythmic and heavy style. Lyrically driven songs. I love drums and all kinds of percussion. Piano riffs and all kinds of bass lines. I’m so excited for everyone to hear it.”

Ellie, 26 at the time of her Voice audition, said she hopes to hit the recording studio after the first of the year and have the EP ready for release by the summer of 2016.

“I can show the world my true voice and personality more so than the snippets that they got to see on the Voice,” she says.

Also check out …
Korin Bukowski reveals the secret to her success on The Voice — well, sort of
Morgan Frazier, Darius Scott talk about their dual victory in The Voice knockouts
Amy Vachal explains why she decided to be swept away by Adam Levine
Braiden Sunshine talks about his knockout round makeover