Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Her audition: Amanda Ayala, 17, of Mahopac, New York, auditioned with Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen.” She had nearly reached the end of the performance when Blake Shelton, Adam Levine and Pharrell Williams turned around simultaneously. Adam complimented her on a performance that got “better and better.” Amanda joined Team Adam.

Her background: This young lady introduced herself by telling viewers she was “born to rock.” She says when she was growing up, her parents would always be playing rock songs from the 1980s. “I feel like back then, the music had more heart and meaning,” she says. “I felt more connected to it.” She was just 12 when she joined her first band — Dead End — playing songs by the likes of Led Zeppelin, and Guns ‘N’ Roses. Two years later, she and her band were playing The Bitter End in New York City. “I just graduated high school, and it’s a really big decision whether I go to college or pursue more music,” Amanda says.

What the show didn’t show: Dead End broke up a couple of years ago and Amanda regrouped, joining a new band called Rockin’ One Way that also featured Nick Sochan, Tori Macchi, Brendan Vreeland and Jack Madden. Amanda was lead vocalist and the videos embedded below are from her time with that band, which she was a member of for about two and a half years.

According to the band’s website, Amanda also plays guitar, drums and writes her own music. She says her major musical influences include Pat Benetar and Hayley Williams of Paramore. And she said one of her proudest performances was singing the national anthem at the 911 dedication for The Town of Carmel.

As for her blind audition, she told BradCooney.com that “Mississippi Queen” is a song she frequently covered with her band, so it was a song she knew she’d be comfortable with and that “had every element and aspect that would work for my voice.” And as soon as he turned his chair, she said she felt a connection with Adam Levine. “I think that Adam was the best fit for me. He’s in a band. I’m a band girl.”

Or at least she was until recently. She graduated from Mahopac High School earlier this year and is a student at Mercy College, according to her website. She also just turned 18. “I’ve pretty much been in a band for as long as I can remember. This is really the first time I’ve gone solo and have been doing my own thing. It’s a nice thing for a change.”

I’ll be posting profile blogs on every singer who lands a spot on Season 9 of The Voice. For links to the others, head here. Keep checking back. There are many more to come.

On iTunes: Just Amanda’s performances from The Voice:

Update:
Battle round: Lost to Shelby Brown signing “Edge of Seventeen” and was eliminated.

Keeping up with Amanda:
Website
Website: Rockin’ One Way
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter: @AmandaxAyala

Separate Ways (live cover)

Creep (live cover)

House of the Rising Sun (live cover)

Voice audition — “Mississippi Queen”