Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Lana Scott reacts to feedback from Blake Shelton on The Voice Season 21. (NBC Photo)

She admits now she probably wasn’t quite ready then.

But she feels ready now.

And Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson certainly agreed, turning for Lana’s blind audition performance of Kelsea Ballerini’s “hole in the bottle.”

In fact, The Voice coaches got into such a prolonged debate following Lana audition that her colleagues left their chairs for a snack break.

After they returned, Lana decided to join Team Blake.

Here’s what the 28-year-old L.A. resident said about her blind audition experience.

Voice Views: How did you wind up auditioning for Season 21 of The Voice?

Lana: I auditioned for The Voice for the first time back in 2012 when I took a bus from Virginia to New York City to brace the cattle call audition! There were thousands of people and I made it through to the callback.

Even though I didn’t reach the blinds, I felt encouraged by how far I did go so I kept at it. After a few more “almosts”, the producers remembered and recruited me… and VIOLÀ!

Voice Views: Had you auditioned for televised singing competitions previously? If so, what do you think made the difference this time?

Lana: As mentioned, this wasn’t my first time auditioning for The Voice. I’d been recruited by two other singing competition shows in the past, too, but never made it to the TV screen.

The Voice, in my opinion, is the ultimate platform of them all, so I’m thankful for the way things happened. I believe what made the difference this time is readiness. Though I’ve always wanted this opportunity, I don’t think I was quite ready 10 years ago when I first tried out.

Now, though, I know exactly who I am as an artist and as a person… I’ve experienced a lot and I know what I want to say through my music.

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More about Lana Scott and her music

Voice Views: Why did you decide to perform “Hole in the Bottle” for your audition song?

Lana: I’m a fan of Kelsea’s music and, like her, am a pop/country artist. As someone who loves to sing it all (from upbeat to mid-tempos to ballads), it felt like the right move to choose a song with higher energy as my first impression so that I could move around the stage, have fun, and show my personality.

Voice Views: How would you describe that blind audition experience?

Lana: A dream come true— truly. It was a thrill to put myself out there like that on the world’s biggest stage for aspiring artists not knowing what was about to unfold. I felt ready, though, so I was able to let go and be in the moment. I’d also describe it as life-giving; to have all four superstars express their belief in me.

Voice Views: And why did you decide to join Team Blake?

Lana: Every time I’ve auditioned, I always hoped for the chance to be coached by Blake above anyone. Three reasons: His level of experience and success in country music, the fact he’s been on The Voice since season 1, and his persona (he’s the perfect balance between being light-hearted and serious with his artist