Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Reid Umstattd performs during the live playoffs on The Voice. (NBC Photo)

Reid Umstattd was eliminated from The Voice during the live playoffs.

But before departing, he accomplished something never before done on the show.

His knockout round performance of Patty Griffin’s “Let Him Fly” was montaged, yet was the night’s most popular song on iTunes, hitting number two on the rock chart and number 125 on the overall singles chart.

That comes on a show where montaged performances most often don’t chart at all.

Reid, from Austin, Texas, was 34 when he auditioned for The Voice and landed a spot on Team Adam Levine.

Here’s what Reid told Voice Views about his time on the show and his plans moving forward.

Voice Views: What’s next for you as an artist? And do you envision releasing new music soon? If so, can you tell me about that? Either what you have planned or what you’d like to do? And what sound fans can expect?

Reid: I absolutely plan on putting new music out soon. I’ve already co-written some music with a few people back home in Austin and plan on continuing to do that until I have enough material. Probably enough material for an EP release. I’d love to end up sitting somewhere in the sonic landscape between Ray LaMontagne and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. And a sprinkle of Leon Bridges!

Voice Views: How do you think your career — and any music you release in the future — will be affected by The Voice experience? If so, how?

Reid: I don’t see how this show could do anything but good for anyone’s career. The level of exposure that you get is intense and incomparable to basically anything else short of performing on the Grammys or the Super Bowl or something. And you can’t discount the help and advice you get from your coach either. Additionally, the connections you make with the fellow artists is huge. I definitely see a real possibility in collaborating with several of the other massively talented singers that have been on this season.

Voice Views: During the playoffs, we didn’t get to hear about the thought process behind the song choices. Can you explain yours a bit? And how do you think those performances went for you?

Reid: “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” is just basically one of the best songs ever written in the rock genre. That whole era of U2 is pretty untouchable. I’ve loved that song for a very long time and couldn’t wait to perform it, and the way it ended up exceeded my expectations.

I felt more pressure performing that song than any other this season. It is such an iconic tune and has been in peoples’ lives on such a large scale for so long that it was pretty intimidating to try to dive into it. I just tried to convey the emotional impact of the song, and hoped it sounded as sincere as I meant it to be.

“Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress” was actually a song Adam suggested during our first day of rehearsals. I was supposed to perform something else, but after listening through once, Adam seemed unconvinced of that song’s punch. He started thinking about a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performance that Pat Monahan from Train had done when The Hollies had been inducted.

Luckily, I knew exactly what song he was talking about and the band worked it up super quickly. I was so pleased with the change. That song finally gave me the chance to get out and move on stage and imbue a little party vibe for my two minutes on Wednesday, which I hadn’t done yet on the show.

Voice Views: What was your favorite performance from the show and why?

Reid: The performance I’m most proud of is “Let Him Fly”, which unfortunately got montaged. I was so emotionally invested and moved by that song and that performance, and actually broke down a bit on stage when the performance was over. I can’t believe they montaged it! I’ve never seen a TV show pass up the chance to show someone cry on national TV, but they must’ve had their reasons. I was so bummed when it got cut down, but the iTunes success of that song salved that wound tremendously! I’m so glad that people have a document of that song to keep and listen to. I’ve already gotten massive feedback on how moved people have been by that track, which means everything.

As far as a full performance that was aired, it’s a close call between the two playoff songs. I definitely had the most FUN on stage with “Long Cool Woman.”

Voice Views: That was a new playoff format this season. What did you think of it and would you recommend any changes for future seasons?

Reid: I thought it was $#%&ing brutal. I haven’t watched enough previous seasons to know how it’s gone down in the past, but to lose 12 people in 8 and a half minutes is just a gut punch. Having said that, I’m not sure of a solution, HAHA! It’s just a tough week.

We had to jam 24 performances into two hours, and that felt very hectic and I don’t think they got the best out of us on Monday because of that. Having said that, I think the live aspect of it adds a very sink-or-swim dynamic and is very exciting. It was also an INCREDIBLE learning experience for the artists. I can confidently say that my days of pre-show jitters are over after having gone through two nights of live performances on stage in front of 10 million people!

Voice Views: Is there anything else you’d like to add about The Voice experience?

Reid: I’d like to extend the most genuine thank you possible to all of the people who have discovered me and supported me over the course of the show. The amount of praise and love I’ve gotten not just over the past few days but ever since my first performance aired has been truly moving and totally unbelievable.

People have invited me and all of the other artists into their homes week after week and their encouragement and love has been so genuine and moving. I want everyone who cares about me to know that this is not the end but the beginning, and that I am on a mission to get new music out into the world and to continue to share my heart with others.

Editor’s Note: For more on Reid prior to the show, including his time with the alternative rock band nelo, head here. His social media links follow.

Instagram
Twitter: @ReidUmstattd
Facebook