Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Mitchell Lee is one of the contestants who auditioned for The Voice Season 13

You just wwon’t find it under the name Mitchell Lee.

Shortly after graduating from The Citadel (The Military College of South Carolina), Mitchell met fellow musician Henri Gates of a rival college in Charleston, S.C.

They began playing acoustic gigs together and eventually formed a band called Southwood.

That alt-country band, also including Craig South and Rob Royson, wound up releasing a pair of EPs — a four-track self-titled project in 2011 and the six-track “Dixiana” in 2013.

The band gained quite a following in South Carolina and performed festivals with the likes of Hootie and the Blowfish, Kenny Chesney, Kacey Musgraves and the Eli Young Band.

After three years with Southwood, Mitchell headed off to Nashville to pursue a solo career. He’s been performing and writing songs there ever since judging from his Facebook page.

But he’s released just one song since — “Long Gray Line” — a tribute to Citadel released under his full name, Mitchell Lee Wetherington.

How did he get his start in music?

Well, part of the credit goes to American Idol, he said in a 2013 interview with BestNewBands.com.

At the prodding of friends, Mitchell tried out for Season 11 of Idol, never expecting anything to come of it. He wound up auditioning for the celebrity judges with his family gathered outside and emerged from the room with a golden ticket to Hollywood.

He said it was at that moment that his father accepted the fact that music might be a viable career for a son who graduated from military school. And though he was cut midway through Hollywood Week, Mitchell said there was another benefit from performing for the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler.

“I can tell you, after that, I’ve never been nervous on stage,” he said in the 2013 interview.

Here are Mitchell’s social media links, followed by samples of his music — “Long Gray Line” plus “Twice” and “Dixiana” from his days with Southwood. You can find another sample of his newer music, a demo of a song called “What It Feels Like,” on his Facebook page.

Instagram (disabled)
Twitter: @itsMitchellLee
Facebook
YouTube

The Voice has done it again, rounding up an impressive array of talent for Season 13. Keep checking back for more profiles of the contestants we’ll meet when the blind auditions begin Sept. 25 on NBC. And for complete coverage of The Voice once Season 13 begins.