Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Stephanie Skipper performs during the blind auditions on The Voice Season 14. (NBC Photo)

She released music with her husband Tim as the folk duo Copperlily.

She admits she isn’t quite sure what direction her music will take post-Voice.

But Stephanie said her experience on the show has left her with “renewed enthusiasm” about her musical future.

The Nashville resident earned a spot on Season 14 of The Voice with an impassioned performance of Kelly Clarkson’s “Piece by Piece.”

She joined Team Adam, but was bumped from the show following a battle round match with Jackie Verna.

Here’s what Stephanie told Voice Views about her time on the show and her music going forward.

Voice Views: I know the battles were filmed a while back. What have you been doing musically since then?

Stephanie: My husband Tim, who is also quite musical, has been helping me brainstorm some songs to rearrange and cover. I am excited about rethinking and putting my spin on a few songs that mean a lot to me. Eventually I’ll get to writing some new music, but for now it’s been fun to dip my toe back in with covers. I also lead the music at my church several Sundays a month, so it’s been nice to continue to get to sing regularly since being home.

Voice Views: Where do you see your time on the show leading you musically? You had said the show sort of marked your rebirth as a solo artist. Is that still the plan? Do you envision releasing more music anytime soon and, if so, what can you tell me about that?

Stephanie: The “plan” is still very abstract, but I do have a renewed enthusiasm about releasing music as a solo artist. “How?” and “When?” and “With who?” are all really intimidating questions for me and I’m not clear on the answers yet.

But I do know that I really love to communicate and I feel like I have a lot I’d like to put out there, whether that’s through my blog (skipskiphooray.wordpress.com), or speaking at events, or through music.

As of now, I’m going to release a cover of “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by the Darkness as soon as I am allowed to. It is one of my favorite songs and I’m so excited about the arrangement I came up with. So be on the lookout for that! And hopefully (fingers crossed) more to come!

Voice Views: Do you think you grew as an artist as a result of The Voice experience? If so, in what way?

Stephanie: So much, in so many ways but most specifically: I began to connect my voice with my heart. Artistry isn’t just about hitting the right notes with a pretty tone in your voice. It’s about telling the only story you have, with the only voice you have.

Why does someone like Bob Dylan connect with so many people? His voice wasn’t that good, but he was able to tap into something deeper that wanted to show up in the world through him. I didn’t have a ton of time on the show, but while I was there, I learned so much about communicating my art and story through song and I look forward to continuing to practice that moving forward.

Voice Views: Other than the new friends you made, what do you think you’ll remember most about the experience?

Stephanie: I have to say hugging Kelly Clarkson. Although I’ve always been a big fan of the show, I’ve been a fan of Kelly’s longer and she is the reason I auditioned for season 14. To sing her song for her, and hug her (twice), I felt like I accomplished something great. I was fortunate enough to have a real connection with someone I sincerely admire. How cool.

Editor’s Note: Stephanie was 33 when she auditioned for The Voice. For more on her pre-Voice career, head here. Her social media links follow.

On social media:
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Twitter: @StephanieSkip
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