Idol Chatter & Voice Views

His blind audition: Tyke James, 17, of Laie, Hawaii, performed a unique version of Pink’s “Perfect” for his blind audition. Adam Levine turned early in the performance, but wound up being the only coach to do so, meaning Tyke automatically became a member of Team Adam.

His background: Tyke says he loves living in Hawaii and that his day doesn’t seem complete unless he’s spent some time in the ocean. You see, he’s an avid surfer. As for music, the scene in Hawaii isn’t exactly bustling. His biggest gig is at a taco truck. There are bigger venues around, Tyke says, “but I’m not there yet.” He feels like he brings something different as an artist, and says a button push in the blinds would mean “it’s not a crappy different.”

On being matched with Adam Levine: “Adam is like a blessing and I had no idea,” Tyke told Voice Views in a conference call with the media. “Like if everyone were to have turned around, I don’t know if I would have gone with him right at the start. But now that we’ve worked together in season, I can’t imagine being with any other coach. Seriously it’s such a sick match up. I’m so stoked to be on Team Adam.”

What the show didn’t show:

* Tyke moved around quite a bit while growing up, living in Arizona, Montana, Utah and Hawaii, where he says he “found himself.”

* In a colorful website bio, he says his first-ever performance was at his 16-student school in Montana. “We put on a lil Christmas play called ‘Fat Man of the Opera’ and I was the fat man,” he writes. “I sang in the most ridiculous operatic voice my 10-year-old-self could muster and was very super surprised to receive compliments afterwards on my voice.”

* That led to more singing, including a tribute to his great-grandmother at her funeral when he was about 11. “I consider this one of the moments that I realized music is a power and a gift from God that can help and bring people together,” he says.

* Another lesson came when he failed to make the cut for a seventh-grade talent show. “It helped me to realize that I sucked and was going to have to work hard to make it in music,” Tyke writes.

* Once in Hawaii, a friend also introduced him to representatives of a non-profit humanitarian organization called Surfing the Nations, and that has led to more musical opportunities, Tyke says.

* One of those was a fundraiser in Waimea Valley during which he and band mate and friend Addison got to sing a song with Jack Johnson.

* Tyke and Addison — occasionally joined by other friends — make up The Moss, an alternative band. The Moss released a three-track EP called “Sara James” in May and a followup single called “The Drawer” later the same month. You can check out “The Drawer” below.

* You can check out more of Tyke’s music on his Soundcloud page and he recently posted a new single called “This Island.”

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Twitter: @tykejames_
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