Her audition: Katie Basden, 23, of Durham, N.C., auditioned with the Allman Brothers “Midnight Rider.” She enticed chair turns from Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine early in the performance. A big note near the end got Christina Aguilera to spin her chair as well. Blake Shelton’s team was already full at the time. In spite of Blake’s anti-Adam lobbying, that’s the team Katie opted to join.
Her background: As she was growing up, Katie says she and her dad would listen to classic rock together. She adds that she’s always been singing, whether it was in church choirs of children’s choirs. After high school, she attended the Belmont University School of Music in Nashville. “I felt like I was gaining traction,” Katie says. Then she was called home because her dad was experiencing medical problems. Katie says she’s looking for The Voice to take her music career to the next level.
What the show didn’t show:
Katie graduated from Belmont with a bachelor’s degree in commercial music.
While raised on country and classic rock, Katie’s website bio says her original music is inspired by all genres. Her music is described there as “alternative, Americana style of country.”
She released a five-track EP called “The Gospel of a Southern Belle” in 2012. It’s no longer on iTunes, but can be found on Spotify.
She released an eight-track album called “Release the Sound” in September. It’s an impressive collection of originals highlighted by “Count on Me to Run” and “Gypsy Prophet.”
Speaking of which, “Gypsy Prophet” earned her a finalist spot in American Songwriter Magazine’s 30th Anniversary Song Contest, according to that website bio. And the video for the song was chosen as the “Best Country Video Performance” by Grammy winner Chris Stapleton and songwriter Charlie Worsham.
As it happened, Katie’s blind audition and battle round were aired on the same night. She was watching at a church gathering, with about 150 friends and family members. In a conference call with the media, she said everyone was disappointed when Blake’s team filled before her audition aired. They were elated when she made the show as a member of Team Adam, then disappointed again when she lost her battle to Ryan Quinn. The disappointment didn’t last long. Christina and Blake both tried to steal her. She joined Team Blake, of course.
Says Katie about that experience: “It was just kind of like the very definition of a rollercoaster. Everyone was like emotional. Everyone was crying. And it was just a very cool experience to experience it with a lot of my hometown.”
On iTunes: Her Voice performance plus the eight-track “Release the Sound” album from last year.
Keeping up with Katie:
Twitter: @thekatiebasden
Website
Facebook
YouTube
“Gypsy Prophet” (from her “Release the Sound” album)
“Fallin'” (from her “Release the Sound” album)
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