Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His audition: Matt Cermanski, 20, of Phoenixville, Pa., auditioned with John Hiatt’s “Have a Little Faith in Me.” Adam Levine turned his chair within the first few notes and was followed by Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green. Blake complimented Matt for his versatility, saying he performed the song “like a cat playing with a mouse.”

Background: Matt’s one of at least two Season 5 contestants who had auditioned previously and failed to turn a chair. In Season 4, he auditioned with Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” because “I like switching up things,” but admits he didn’t do a good job of controlling nerves or picking a song that would allow him to play his guitar. At the time, Adam recommended Matt determine who he wanted to be as an artist. So Matt says he’s spent the past several months doing that, taking vocal lessons and gigging three or four times a week. Matt told The Voice he’s been singing since age 3 and taught himself guitar in middle school. As for that road to self-discovery: Matt says he now considers himself a singer-songwriter, soulful rock artist.

On choosing Adam: “When Adam turned around first and the way he was persuading me to be on his team, just really caught my eye and my attention. … Something about what Adam was saying made me decide to go with him.” In his Voice video, Matt added that he’s always been a fan of Maroon 5.

What the show didn’t show: When we met Matt in Season 4, we learned his uncle was a member of the Grammy-winning band the Trammps, who are responsible for the hit “Disco Inferno (Burn Baby Burn).” In fact, Matt recorded a single called “Chapter One” with the band. And no, it isn’t a disco tune. It is one of seven tracks on a “Long Road Home” EP he released in 2011. Make sure to check out “All Night” from that EP (embedded below). Matt also released a pair of fine singles last year — “This Train” (also below) and “Irresistible.” Matt told NBC Channel 10 in Philly that he’s been performing for crowds since he was 16 or 17 and now performs three to four times a week around his hometown, so he tends to be pretty calm on stage. He also plays piano and bass. And while his inspirations include other soulful singer-songwriters like Rob Thomas, John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw, Matt says “I like any genre of music. Anything I listen to can inspire me to write a song. There’s great music in every genre. You can learn from everything, from a dance pop song to a blues track.”

Quote: “My only job has been music other than working at a sandwich shop in high school, which I would not like to go back to.”

On iTunes: The EP from 2011, the two singles from 2012 and his Voice audition song.

Keeping up with Matt: Twitter — @MattCermanski — Facebook — YouTube — Website

For profiles of other Season 5 contestants, go here.

Matt Cermanski, “This Train” (original)

Matt Cermanski, “All Night” (original)