Taylor Phelan

Taylor Phelan, who hails from Dallas. And the two have more in common than just geography: They've both chosen to work Pharrell Williams on the show. But for Phelan, making it onto the network reality show was a watershed moment as a musician.


"It was a very encouraging moment," says Taylor, when we caught up with him at the Truck Yard in Lower Greenville. He had prepared himself for an adverse outcome, for the possibility that nobody would turn around. "I realized that all the years' worth of effort ...was really being acknowledged in that moment. Maybe this is something I'm supposed to do."

See also: Luke Wade Gets His Star Turn on NBC's The Voice

While Wade, a Fort Worth native, is well known around the Metroplex, Phelan is best known in the Chicago music scene. But make no mistake: While the bulk of Taylor's music career has been in the Windy city, he is definitely a local.

"I was originally from Dallas," Taylor confirms. "I grew up all over the city. I lived in Duncanville, Oak Cliff, Lancaster, Cedar Hill when I was growing up. We moved to Sherman my freshman year of high school."

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Being from a church going clan, he took a job in church music in Aurora, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It did not take long to figure out that musically he was headed in a different direction.

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"I tried my hand at becoming a church rock star for a while," he says. "I grew up around church. I've got a bunch of music directors [in the family]. I did that for a year and a half or so, and I realized that I'm just nor wired for church staff work."

Phelan moved to Chicago proper and formed an indie band called the Canes. "I love Chicago culture," Phelan says. "I love the music scene, I love the bars, I love the restaurants, I love living downtown. Probably a lot of the reason I left the church was my dream to move downtown -- to actually be in Chicago and start a band there."

However, when Phelan and his wife Nikki had a baby, the music business took a back seat. The new family moved back home to be near family. "Culturally there are some things that are really valuable here," he explains, "especially raising a family. My daughter's a year and a half. There are so many things about Dallas that are just as good as Chicago; they're just different."

Back in Dallas, Taylor tried to put the music business behind him. It was Nikki who would not let him quit. He made any argument he could to convince himself that he was done with music, and while he was trying to come to terms with family life, she was still encouraging him to follow his dreams. It was that determination that got him on The Voice.

"I think I was getting to the point where I was starting to give up, and just be okay with it," he admits. "I think that Nikki had run out of ways to encourage me. Her last push was, 'Why don't you try out for this?'"

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The couple had long been fans of the show, and auditioning seemed a risk-free way to take one last shot at it. A dedicated family man might not have time for long nights with the band, but an audition couldn't hurt. The experience was everything they could have dreamed it would be.

"I liked the overall vibe and feel and tone of the show," Phelan says. "Now being a part of it, it's the same: That humble, fair, all-inclusive vibe that the show has. They're not poking fun at anyone. The producers are great; everybody is encouraging and super supportive. It's been a really amazing experience behind the scene."

"I've made some really amazing friends," Phelan adds, referring to his fellow contestants. "I'm excited to support the other artists on the show, and to just be a part of The Voice family."

Now, just a few weeks after the first airing of the show, things are already starting to change. Nikki has been recognized in public and treated like a celebrity at the local pharmacy, and Taylor is starting to have those rock 'n' roll dreams once again.

"I think the thing that I'm really after is to share my story, share my life," Phelan says. "I think that my wife and I have had a really interesting, redemptive story. I hope for this to turn into a music career, I hope that I can write songs, and play and connect with people and travel, and share my gift of music with people. All of the things I was trying to do before. "

Despite his love for his old band and bandmates, Phelan is working on a new project, and a new band is in the works. Like before, it will be indie music.

"I'm just an indie rock guy at heart," says Taylor. "I think that that's what I'll put out. I want to write and produce for other people. But for me, personally, the type of record that I'd be putting out would be an indie rock record." - Dallas Observer

IAMWE and Taylor Phelan are on this tour together, and they’re a great pairing that keeps things fun and lighthearted, but make such a strong impact while on stage. Shelley Segal was an opening act just for this show, and it was lovely having her in attendance because she provided something extra beautiful to this lineup.

Shelley Segal is an Australian singer-songwriter who just moved to California a few months ago. She was accompanied by guitarist Rob, who has only been in the states for a couple of weeks.

She eloquently told the stories behind each song, and I highly respect when performers do that. Because, as a fan and appreciator of music, it helps me gain a deeper understanding of the track. Shelley was a ray of light from the moment she entered the venue. It was nice talking to her and getting to see how she influenced the audience with her words and vocals.

Next up was IAMWE, and I was stoked to not only hear them live for the first time, but to watch the reaction of the room when they heard how brilliant Nate, Josh and Ryan are. I had the chance to watch setup and sound check before the show. It was a mixture of fun and professionalism (as it should be), and I found it fascinating to see how it all worked and what the process is like.

I’ve been to a lot of shows, but I have never experienced something like what IAMWE did. Nate’s vocals seemed almost effortless while singing with such passion and spirit. He owned the stage from the higher energy dance tracks that got us all hyped, to the powerful performance given while sitting at the keyboard. I have to point out the incredibly insane solo instrumental moments Ryan and Josh had throughout the set. Ryan absolutely killed his guitar solos while Josh’s drum equivalent left everyone impressed. I can still hear them and it was honestly one of the best parts of the whole show. The trio showcased their talents astonishingly well.

You might know headliner Taylor Phelan as a contestant from NBC’s The Voice. His band consists of Conner Biles (bass), Rains Wall (drums), Micah Garman and Josh Svorvinic (guitar). What I observed about Taylor is that he has a strong stage presence and is able to effectively engage and communicate with the crowd. At one point Taylor’s cables got tangled and his commentary during the ordeal had us all laughing. They conquered a variety of songs off of Phelan’s album Where The Ocean Shallows with ease. They actually gave out free copies of the album to people at the show and in the bar because there will be a newly released version soon. Awesome to have an original copy though!

From the moment I met them, Taylor, his band, and team were sweet and inviting guys with a positive vibe who took the time to talk to me even though they had no idea who I was. They made me feel like a new friend, and I think that says a lot about them.

The hospitality shown by everyone is indescribable, and I know for a fact that when any of these artists come back to The Bay, I’ll be going to see them again. They’re phenomenal people who put on a stunning show. I hope that you’ll go see them if they play near you. - Untold Music

The newest season premieres Feb. 29 and this is exciting for your mom, if no one else. She's got that crush on coaches Blake Shelton and Adam Levine, and sometimes even Pharrell when she’s feeling naughty. Yeah, the show seems pretty focused on the celebrity coaches – what they’re saying and if they’re dating one another – but when you scale everything back, quite a few good musicians have come through the singing competition show to have their shot at stardom. Here are some of our favorites hailing from DFW.


No. 10 Jeff Lewis
Season 4
From the beginning, Dallas native Jeff Lewis made an impression by singing coach Usher’s song “U Got It Bad” for his blind audition. Three coaches turned around, but Lewis ultimately chose to be on Usher’s team, making it all the way to the battle rounds and losing to another white guy contestant who could have been his twin.


No. 9 Taylor Beckham
Season 4
First on team Usher, then stolen by Shelton, Taylor Beckham made it only to the knockout rounds, but damn, if her version of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Going Down” didn’t completely slay us, then nothing did.


No. 8 Amber Carrington
Season 4
There are a lot of reasons to love Amber Carrington. From Rockwall, she pulled on everyone’s heartstrings with her story about her mother passing. Each song she sang on the show seemed to be dedicated to her mother. On Levine’s team, Carrington made it all the way to fourth place belting out songs from some of the greatest voices, like Patsy Cline and Adele.


No. 7 Darius Scott
Season 9
Darius Scott’s version of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown” should have earned him a spot higher than just the live playoffs, but here we are. From Dallas, Scott was on Pharrell’s team and sang a variety of songs, including “Lean On Me” and “On Broadway.” We’re still mad he didn’t win the entire show.



No. 6 Hannah Kirby
Season 8
From the beginning of her blind auditions, Sulphur Springs native Hannah Kirby was a unique force. While all the other coaches already had full teams by the time of her blind audition, coach Shelton finally turned around and filled his last spot with Kirby. She made it all the way to seventh place with her renditions of songs like “Higher Love,” “Edge of Seventeen” and “I Feel The Earth Move.”


No. 5 Madi Davis
Season 9
The longest lasting member on Team Pharrell during Season 9, the McKinney native made it all the way to fifth place by performing songs like “Love Is Blindness” and “It’s Too Late.” But to really make us proud, her rendition of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” earned a place on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 chart, proving Davis has what it takes to make a name for herself outside of the singing competition show.



No. 4 Taylor Phelan
Season 7
From Sherman, he wowed us and the coaches with his blind audition of “Sweater Weather” where he flawlessly danced, played the guitar and sang. He jumped from coach Pharrell to coach Adam Levine and then was kicked off during the live playoffs. We are still recovering from the emotional distress.


No. 3 Reagan James
Season 7
Season 7 was a good season for Voice contestants from DFW. But how Reagan James didn’t win the entire thing – or just place higher than ninth – is beyond us because from her blind auditions, she had the coaches and audience hooked on every word and note she sang. The 15-year-old at the time chose Shelton as her coach and made it all the way to ninth place singing everything from pop and soul to Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.”



No. 2 Luke Wade
Season 7
Charming and soulful, Luke Wade has been a kind of hometown hero as far as Voice alums go. He had all four coaches begging for him during his blind audition and then continued to be successful by surviving the battle and knockout rounds and making it all the way to the quarter-finals on Pharrell’s team. Not a lot of jazz musicians come through a singing competition show on NBC, so when Wade showed his face, it was a pleasant surprise.


No. 1 Craig Wayne Boyd
Season 7
Once again, another DFW contestant from Season 7 stood out to us. We really couldn’t have this list without mentioning Mesquite native Craig Wayne Boyd, who won the entire show only after being booted off by coach Shelton, being saved by coach Gwen Stefani (where she gave him a bit of a Hollywood makeover), then booted by her, and then ultimately saved by Shelton who took him all the way to the end. He sang a variety of country songs, including Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line” and Randy Houser’s “Boots On,” a duet with coach Shelton. - Dallas Observer

Wednesday night, on a Very Special Episode of The Voice, the top 12 semifinalists were revealed, during the first live results show of Season 7. Three contestants from each team — two voted through by America, one saved by that team's respective coach — advanced, and with the exception of Team Gwen, all of the coaches' picks were jaw-droppers.

Is the suspense killing you? Some of the eliminations are killing me. Here's what went down…

TEAM BLAKE

America's Picks: Reagan James, Craig Wayne Boyd

I'm 100 percent on board with these choices… so thanks, America, for getting it so right! These two easily gave the best Team Blake performances of Monday night. Reagan, despite being the youngest contestant of the season, wowed with her sophisticated and gorgeous number, and Southern-rock showman Craig was such a pro, he practically made everyone else on the stage look like rank amateurs. Either of these contestants could win Blake his fourth Voice trophy.

Blake Shelton's Pick: Jessie Pitts

OK, this was a shocker. It wasn't necessarily a bad choice, just a very unexpected one. I assumed that Blake would show loyalty to his fellow country good ole boy and save James David Carter. My hope was that sassy food-truck filly Taylor Brashears would get a reprieve. But instead Blake went with his one non-country option, because he thought Jessie could "thrive the most in this environment." I think maybe he just didn't want to give Craig any serious competition. But regardless of his real reasoning, Blake has ended up with a strong and diverse team.

TEAM PHARRELL

America's Picks: Luke Wade, DaNica Shirey

Luke was no surprise. His sex-ay rendition of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" heated up millions of living rooms on Tuesday night; in nine months' time, a bunch of babies named Luke will likely be born, just in time for next fall's Voice Season 9 premiere. As for DaNica, I knew she had a fanbase (and talent), but I'd feared that her semi-obscure Joni Mitchell cover would hurt her chances. Apparently it did not.

Pharrell Williams's Pick: Sugar Joans

Oh. This was my first big heartbreak of the night. I knew Pharrell has a sweet spot for Sugar and might save her if she didn't get through via the public vote… but I never thought he'd save her over the stupendous Elyjuh René, whose tour de force "Latch" cover was one of the finest performances of the entire week. I like Sugar, but I think Pharrell made a major, major mistake here. It's difficult for me to imagine this season's top 12 without Elyjuh, and I think in one fell swoop, Pharrell gutted his team and damaged his chances.

TEAM GWEN

America's Picks: Taylor John Williams, Anita Antoinette

Taylor's "Stuck in the Middle" this week was a breakout performance that established him as a true artist, not just some cute, coffeehouse-dwelling WGWG with an impressive hat collection. And Anita's "All About That Bass," while a bit corny, established her as one of the most fun and likable performers of the season. America got it right here, too.

Gwen Stefani's Pick: Ryan Sill

Meh. I don't have much of an opinion about this one. I'll save all my rage for the Team Adam results coming up in a couple paragraphs. All three of the Team Gwen also-rans (Ricky Manning, Bryana Salaz, and Ryan) delivered largely underwhelming performances on Tuesday night. I probably would have gone with Ricky, but if Gwen was looking for more girly-baiting heartthrob material to round out her team, I suppose the boy-band-ish Ryan was the best choice.

TEAM ADAM

America's Picks: Damien, Matt McAndrew

OK. Deep breaths, deep breaths. First, the good news. Matt McAndrew rules and totally needs to win this show and then release a track-by-track remake of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds as his first album for Republic Records. So thank you, America, for recognizing his awesomeness and voting him through. As for Damien, that's another solid pick, and he'll add some diversity to Adam's team.

Adam Levine's Pick: Chris Jamison

Annnnnd here's when I get angry. I have nothing against Chris, of course; he's talented, plus he's incredibly marketable. And it was sort of a done deal for Mia Pfirrman; I don't think anyone expected her to get through, not even Mia herself. But I am absolutely gob-smacked to even be typing these words: Taylor Phelan did not advance to the top 12. I repeat, TAYLOR PHELAN DID NOT ADVANCE TO THE TOP 12. - Yahoo Music

Back in August we invited you to get stoked about Texas indie rocker, Taylor Phelan. Hopefully, we accomplished our mission because today we’d like to invite you to a bigger party. On April 1, the singer finally released his long-awaited debut album, Where The Ocean Shallows, and to say this is your next favorite indie-rock record would be an understatement.

Where The Ocean Shallows was produced by Joshua D. Niles who, as Phelan explains, got the idea right away and perfectly understood what he wanted and envisioned to do. He also counted with the help of the band Colony House’s drummer and bassist to record their parts on the album, giving the songs a new vibe and dynamic.

“If you’re out tonight, I’ll search through the darkness to find you…” is the strong line with which the album opens along with a killer guitar riff during “Monsters.” Then comes “Harvest The Moon” – a song that was released as a single back in July last year. While the song may sound the same, its tone structure speaks different, giving a whole new vibe to it.

The pace slows down a little with “Forever You” – while it isn’t exactly a ballad, the acoustic guitar functions as the main star in this one, along with Phelan’s soft voice and lyrics directed to someone that come straight from the heart. After, comes what I’d personally describe as a highlight on the album; “Mojave” is a little bit more dark rhythmically speaking while it also shows a more experimental side which, to be honest, I’m absolutely loving.

After the fuzz featured on “Help” comes a real good instrumental titled “Time” opening up the way to the title track “Ocean Shallows” – this one being the first track written and one that Taylor described to be the one to set the tone. As in Taylor Phelan’s words – “it’s about disparity. It’s not about the ocean… it’s about where the ocean ends. There exists the contrast between an overwhelming amount of something and an enormous absence of the very same thing.”

Near to its end, “Backstabber” is another highlight, a moody track featuring an amazingly executed climbing synth before the chorus hits. Finally, “Bad News” it’s the perfect closure with its slowly paced vibe.

I think it’s safe to say that Taylor has come a long way since the beginning of his music career, to the leap he took while being a contestant on The Voice to releasing his debut album this year. One thing’s for sure, he keeps getting better and better with time and this record is the proof of it all, both growth and hard work. We wish nothing but the very best for him with this release and the future of his career. - The Daily Listening

The final showdown of Tuesday's Voice Battle Rounds featured a certain famous and much-loved Hall & Oates hit with the following chorus: "Whoa-oh, here she comes/Watch out, boy, she'll chew you up!" And you know, the "she" in the song might as well have been referring to The Voice itself. (Hey, bear with me, now; if hurricanes and houseboats can be called "she," then so can singing shows, right?)

Why do I say this? Because so far this season, many contestants have unfortunately gotten the chewed-up/spat-out treatment, in short order. To loosely quote "Maneater" again, if you're ready for love (or a record deal, or a decent amount of screentime), you ain't gonna get too far on The Voice.

Monday's Battle Rounds episode included the shockingly early exits of a couple former frontrunners, and the same was true on Tuesday. But Tuesday's episode, which was only an hour long, also featured several dreaded blink-and-you'll-miss-'em montages… meaning that even some of the talented Battle winners' performances ended up on NBC's cutting-room floor. There may still be hope for those singers — after all, Cassadee Pope's Battle, in Season 3, wasn't shown in full, and she went on to become the series' most successful winner so far. But montages still pretty much suck for everyone involved, including The Voice's viewers.

OK, enough with the griping and dubious Hall & Oates analogies. Time for the recapping!

TEAM PHARRELL: Taylor Phelan vs. Jordy Searcy
Spoiler alert: Taylor won this Battle, and I'm totally fine with that. I would be totally fine with it if he actually won this whole show, since he's one of my favorites of Season 7. The man's a star. But still, I do want to say that Jordy got a totally raw deal this season. The poor guy's original Blind Audition was montaged, but I remember thinking even then that he showed promise during his measly 14 or so seconds of airtime. Getting to see more of Jordy this week, in a full duet performance, I was even more impressed: He was a surprisingly even match for Taylor, vocally, on the Script's "Breakeven." (Really, it was only Taylor's more intense and engaging stage presence that gave Taylor the edge.) Since no one stole Jordy, I'd like to see him come back in Season 8, when he can hopefully get the screentime he deserves. Until then, though, I can't wait to see more of Taylor this season.
WINNER: Taylor Phelan



TEAM ADAM: Alessandra Castronovo vs. Joe Kirk
Alessandra was another Blind Auditions montage victim earlier this season, so the odds were against her as well — especially going up against an early favorite like Joe. But she entered the Battle Rounds ring this Tuesday ready for her close-up and ready to fight. Her voice sounded so sumptuous and warm and glorious on this duet of Rihanna's "Stay." However, I loved the crispness and sharpness of Joe's voice; it just cut straight through the song, and it had so much character. Joe seemed more emotionally invested, too. Blake Shelton even called Joe's performance "one of the most perfect vocals I've ever heard." When Adam Levine somewhat shockingly chose underdog Alessandra, I was happy about her redemption, and I totally assumed that at least one coach would steal Joe. BUT NO ONE DID… not even the fawning Blake! Damn. I would've never predicted that Joe wouldn't make it past the top 48.
WINNER: Alessandra Castronov




TEAM ADAM: Rebekah Samarin vs. Clara Hong
TEAM BLAKE: Grant Ganzer vs. John Martin
TEAM BLAKE: Tanner Linford vs. Justin Johnes
Poor Rebekah and Grant. First their Blind Auditions got montaged, and now they ended up with the same harsh edits for their Battles. Well, at least they bucked the odds and surprisingly won their respective sing-offs, so maybe later this season we'll finally get to hear them for more than eight seconds. As for how all three of these Battles panned out, we didn't get witness what actually went down in the ring, so I can only form my opinions based on the contestants' previous performances. So, with that being said, I am perfectly pleased that the overrated Clara lost to Rebekah. But I'm shocked that the charismatic John "Sweet Pea" Martin lost out to also-ran Grant, and I'm especially dismayed that the polished and poised Justin lost to awkward Season 6 reject Tanner. Maybe if we'd seen these Battles, we'd know why Blake made such bizarre decisions. But since we didn't, I'll just blame it on whatever judgment-clouding mystery liquid was in Blake's ever-present "Starbucks" cup.
WINNERS: Rebekah Samarin, Grant Ganzer, and Tanner Linford, respectively - Yahoo Music

The next phase of The Voice’s seventh season began Monday night with the first of three “knockout” episodes, in which each contestant picks a song, performs it and vies for a slot in the live “playoffs,” which get underway Nov. 10.

Closing out the first night of competition was Luke Wade and Taylor Phelan, each competing for a spot on Team Pharrell. Joining Pharrell Williams in a mentor capacity was superstar Taylor Swift ( who maybe you’ve heard has a new album out this week).

Wade, who chose to sing Hall & Oates’ Rich Girl, was up first, and Swift didn’t skimp on the praise: “His tone is perfect,” she said. “Luke is the one I want to hear on the radio. Luke is the one whose album I want to buy.”

Wade wasn’t shy about returning the favor: “The quality of her songwriting and its ability to connect with people is amazing.”

The trio worked through Wade’s presentation, with Swift offering the suggestion of pausing a bit before working the stage, to help draw in the audience. (“Taylor’s advice is something invaluable to me,” Wade noted.)

For his part, Williams felt Wade would be fine: “Luke is such an anomaly, a unique spirit and a unique voice.”

Phelan, who elected to tackle Rather Be by Clean Bandit, enjoyed a meet-cute with Swift — “You can call me Tay,” she said, “and I’ll call you Taylor.” — and the multi-platinum singer-songwriter even encouraged Phelan to perform without a guitar.

“Taylor improved so drastically when he put the guitar down,” Swift observed.

Although Phelan admitted the move was “outside my comfort zone,” he seemed well prepared for what Williams described as “a knockout round to be reckoned with.”





Each performance was solid, and the coaches’ comments reflected as much.

“You guys are both really good, seriously good,” offered Gwen Stefani as Williams deliberated. “Luke, I thought that was just incredible. Taylor, I could picture that performance in a festival setting.”

“You guys are the two major, major, major losses [for me] in the blinds,” grumbled Adam Levine. “I don’t think there’s a winner because it’s apples and oranges, but it’s the best apples and best oranges this show has.”

Blake Shelton was the only coach who didn’t wholly embrace Wade’s performance — “I feel like you left the door open,” he said — and said Phelan, in his opinion, did a better job.

As the decision came down to Williams, he had positive comments for each: “Taylor, you really let the world in. ... Luke, you went with a feeling.”

Williams selected Wade, meaning the Dublin native will move on the live “playoffs” (aka when viewers can begin voting for their favorites).

“There’s something a little more unique about what he does,” Williams said of Wade. “I think he can win this.”

But Phelan’s not finished.

All three coaches opted to use their one remaining “steal” and coax the Sherman resident to their team, with Levine ultimately prevailing.

“Adam, you’ve been fighting for me every round, so I’m going to put my trust in your coaching ability,” Phelan said.

That leaves two of the four remaining North Texas talents — Burleson’s Reagan James and Mesquite native Craig Wayne Boyd — fighting for slots on the live shows. The “knockout” rounds continue this week and next.

In Voice- and Luke Wade-related news, the latter will perform at a concert whose line-up is full of contestants from the former. - DFW.com

‘The Voice’ Season 7 has finally has revealed their top 12 singers! While the contestants moving on to next week’s live shows are all extremely talented, there were a few individuals who were sent home that should have definitely made it into the Top 12!
The result show for the live Playoff Rounds on ‘The Voice’ was totally shocking! Two of the best singers in the competition were sent home — so sad! Taylor Phelan and Jean Kelley were amazing — here is why they should have made it into the Top 12!


‘The Voice’ Taylor Phelan Eliminated: Why He And Jean Kelley Should Have Made It Into Top 12
All in all, I can’t complain about this season Top 12. Every singer that made it through to next week’s live shows deserve their spot!

On Team Adam, Damien and Matt Mcandrew were chosen by America to advance in the competition. They are both extremely talented and I understand why they were saved! Here is where I have an issue: Adam was promoted to chose one more singer to save.


He had to choose between Chris Jamison, Mia Pfirman, and Taylor Phelan. Ummm, obviously Taylor! It’s a no-brainer! But Adam didn’t choose him! He went with Chris instead! If you don’t understand why Taylor deserved a spot in the Top 12, please click HERE to view his audition. It has over 1 million views!

The singers who were automatically saved from Team Pharrell were Luke Wade and Danica Shirey. It was up to Pharrell to choose the third artist for the Top 12. Sugar Jones, Jean Kelley, and Elyjah Rene were on the chopping block — all amazing singers!

I thought Jean Kelley had the full package! Not only did she have a killer voice, she had amazing style and a great personality to match! Unfortunately, Pharrell chose Sugar, leaving Jean to leave the competition. Such a bummer!

Top 12 Singers From Team Gwen & Team Blake
From Team Blake, Reagan James, Craig Wade Boyd, and Jessie Pitts made it through leaving Taylor Brashears and James David Carter eliminated. All five artists were talented but I totally agree with these turn of events!

Taylor John Williams, Anita Antoinette and Ryan Sill all made it through from Team Gwen. Again, I totally agree with these results!

All of the singers in the Top 12 are amazing and will kill it in next weeks Live Show’s — I just wish there was Top 14 so that Jean and Taylor could have stayed in the competition!

HollywoodLifers, do you agree with me? Do you think Taylor and Jean should have made it through to the Top 12? Comment below!

— Shira Benozilio - Hollywood Life

His audition: Taylor Phelan, 25, of Sherman, Texas, auditioned with The Neighbourhood’s “Sweater Weather.” His unique delivery prompted Adam Levine to turn his chair early in the performance. Before long, he was followed by Blake Shelton, Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani in rapid succession. Pharrell complimented Taylor on being “melodically meticulate.” And despite voicing a pre-audition preference for Adam, Taylor opted to join Team Pharrell.

His background: He started performing at age 16 in his church youth group, then formed an indie-rock band called The Canes in 2011. He says the band enjoyed a lot of success in a short period of time; then his daughter was born in March 2013. “I decided I couldn’t be in the band and be the kind of father I wanted to be, so we had to hang it up.” He and his wife started an event design business that has done well. Now Taylor and his wife Nikki have decided it’s time for Taylor to give music another chance.

What the show didn’t show: The Canes were a Chicago-based band and released a six-track EP, “Cupid and the Atomic Bomb,” in 2012. You can check out a couple of tracks below and more of their music on this YouTube channel. You’ll also find a 16-minute band documentary there. In his Voice video interview, he says he moved to Chicago to take a staff position at a church. “I went from being potentially a Christian artist to a singer-songwriter to playing in a secular indie-rock band, touring the country and having a really good time doing that. Everyone of those stages have shaped who I am as an artist.” Oh, and that family design business: It’s called “Blooming House Collective” and you can head here to learn more.

On iTunes: “Sweater Weather,” his audition song, and that six-track EP with the Canes. - Idol Chattery

Are you blown away by the best singing talent ever on this seventh season of The Voice? Last night, there were two contestants who hands down, had ‘it’ – Maiya Sykes and Taylor Phelan.
The red buttons were getting beeped fast and furiously on last night’s, Sept 22nd, episode of The Voice, but the biggest judge battles were over Maiya Sykes, 31, and Taylor Phelan, 25.


The Voice: Maiya Sykes And Taylor Phelan Will Be Tough To Beat
Both were just bursting with musical talent, memorable voices and the kind of big stage presence, that makes for star power.

Judges Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell couldn’t believe their lucky ears – there were so many memorable voices.

But, and this is a big but – there were two voices that stood out from the strong batch of contestants – Maiya and Taylor.


Jennifer Lopez & Iggy Azalea Twerk Covered In Oil For 'Booty'
Hollywood Life
Taylor, looked deceptively quiet when he first walked out on stage. He’s not a big guy but he is adorable with a short blonde pompadour and a guitar that he played just part of the time.

It turned out that he has great experience as a performer under his belt. At 16, he began playing in a band with his friends but ended up quitting music when he married and had a daughter and felt that he needed to do what was best to support his family.

He and his equally adorable wife started a successful events company together, but his Voice audition was the fulfillment of his dream to return to his first love – music.

Man – was he compelling, singing “Sweater Weather,” by The Neighbourhood. Taylor was spellbinding on stage. His voice was strong, much stronger than you’d ever expected, coming from a guy who isn’t big in stature.

He confidently took charge of his debut, moving across the stage, only playing his guitar when it added to his performance. Taylor’s charisma hit a ten. He’s an adorable combo of a young Elvis Costello and yes, Adam Levine.

In fact, Adam pointed out that he had awesome “Elvisy” “happy” feet, though I think he was actually referencing Elvis Presley moves.

Adam’s charms were no match however for Pharrell who gave him a standing recognition and called him “melodically articulate.” And that was actually so true.

He NEVER missed a single note – his singing was perfection but it was also sooo intelligent.

Who should win The Voice?
Maiya Sykes
Taylor Phelan
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Maiya Sykes Is A Big, Big Talent
Equally intelligent was Yale grad, Maiya Sykes, who triple majored and THEN decided to return to her true love – singing.

She loves it so much she’s done whatever she’s had to do to support herself and her mother through her vocal chords, even singing as part of a wedding band.

“If you’ve been to an Armenian wedding in California in the past few years, I probably sang there,” she laughed.

Well those were awfully lucky wedding guests. Maiya’s big, expressive voice was so striking that all four judges hit their buttons within ten seconds of her first notes.

She blew them and the audience away with her soulful rendition of Sam Smith‘s, “Stay With Me.” To say that she “owned” the stage, room and TV screen, is an understatement.

She was mesmerizing. You simply couldn’t take your eyes off her beautiful expressive face, or your ears off her voice which Pharrell described as a little “Aretha,” a little “Gladys,” as in Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

She’s a big, big talent and presence. And you could listen to her sing all day and night. She has that kind of range and appeal.

In the end, Pharrell, wooed both Taylor and Maiya onto his team. He is the judge to beat, because right now he has two huge winners in his pocket.

Do you agree HollywoodLifers? Do you think Maiya Sykes or Taylor Phelan should win The Voice? Let me know!

— Bonnie Fuller - Hollywood Life

It’s been a good week for North Texans on The Voice. Monday night saw both Luke Wade (Fort Worth) and Craig Wayne Boyd (formerly of Mesquite) sing their way to the next round. And in the competition’s second battle round episode on Tuesday, Taylor Phelan of Sherman continued the streak. Coach Pharrell Williams paired Phelan against teammate Jordy Searcy of Alabama, having them perform Breakeven by The Script. Quote of the night came during this rehearsal, when Pharrell and his guest adviser, Alicia Keys, werecoaching Phelan on how to hit certain notes. Said Keys: “Push your belly out, like if you’re gonna go take a poop.” We’re not sure if Phelan took that note to heart (perhaps he’ll let us know?), but after the performance, two other coaches gave the win to Phelan: Adam Levine said his stage presence gave him the edge. And, said Blake Shelton: “There’s something about the way Taylor attacks the vocal when he’s singing. I’d pick Taylor.” Pharrell agreed, and elected to advance Phelan. Both he and Luke Wade remain on Team Pharrell, leaving open the agonizing possibility of a DFW face-off between the two. The battles continue next week, with performances from two North Texas females, Reagan James of Burleson and Kelli Douglas of DeSoto. We’ll keep you posted.

Original story:

This week’s episodes of The Voice kicks off the second phase of the competition, known as the “battle rounds,” where vocalists are pitted against one another in an effort to move ahead to the next round of competition.

A gob-smacking total of five North Texas artists are still competing on The Voice: Luke Wade, Taylor Phelan, Reagan James, Kelli Douglas and Craig Wayne Boyd. (Douglas and Boyd were unavailable for interviews, but look look for a story on Reagan James later this week on DFW.com.)

We recently tracked down Wade and Phelan for a joint chat just outside the Scat Jazz Lounge in downtown Fort Worth. We’ll present those conversations separately (here’s a link to Wade’s Q&A), along with a brief video showcasing each musician in action.

Sherman-based singer-songwriter Taylor Phelan just moved back to Texas last year from a stint living in Chicago with his wife and infant daughter, so while he isn’t deeply involved in the DFW music scene, he’s enjoyed a lengthy career making music. (Phelan was a member of the Canes in Chicago) His first battle-round performance on Team Pharrell is set to air Tuesday.

What was the audition process like?

You work so long on it to where, for me, I’ve always had a little bit of stage fright, it manifests itself differently now that I’ve learned how to train it. I know how to hone it and turn that nervousness into energy. This is a really unique situation. You work so long on this tiny little cut — I’ve never gotten an entire month to prepare for an entire show, let alone 90 seconds. It becomes muscle memory — I did have this overwhelming rush of nerves, [but] I knew what to do, you just go through the motions and deal with the consequences.



Being on the inside of a show like The Voice, what do you feel like the value of this show is?

I think this is better training and in such a condensed amount of time, I don’t know where else you would receive something like this, where you’re thrown into a situation and have to be better than you’ve been before. I can’t think of another situation where that would be the case. The amount I’ve improved — being behind the scenes, I feel like I’ve always had an innate sense of how a production like this is built, or how an artist becomes one of ‘those people’ who can perform and excel in that sort of environment. I think that, for me, it’s kind of affirmed and confirmed a lot of the ideas I had about growth and how to grow. Being a part of it confirms how I thought it would go.

What has the reaction been like?

I’m from Sherman, which is a lot smaller town. It’s been really awesome to see a rallying of hometown support, and even towns surrounding there have been supportive and it’s been great. There’s been a few awkward situations with people ... that’s the thing that’s been really interesting and great for me. A few years ago, I’d been playing regularly for years at that time, and I had a pretty consistent, current following. But since my daughter was born in the last year and a half, I haven’t been as active. It’s been really awesome to see all these people gathering back together, the support growing again. Honestly, it’s almost like they forgot I ever stopped doing it, which is really encouraging to me.

What were your expectations going in?

I went into it open-minded. I didn’t have too many expectations and I tried to prepare for it that way. Being on a show like this, there’s not very many shows like this. A lot of the reality shows like this, we all know their reputation. I was a fan of the show before being on it; I’d watched a few seasons. I’d wanted it to be different than some of the other ones. I went into with no expectations, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised. It’s a great crew, the producers are awesome, everyone involved has been very gracious and supportive. ... [Luke and I are] friends — we’re actually really good friends, not just show friends. I have these new friends all across the country — really great people, really great artists, all on the same path to better ourselves. I didn’t expect to meet people I’d genuinely like. That’s probably a big part of something I didn’t expect. All these people are “against each other,” but we’re hanging out and cheering each other on.


What did you think of Luke Wade’s audition?

Luke is intimidatingly professional at what you do. The way he approaches music, you’re like ‘Oh, right!’ His level of experience — personally, I think his performance is exactly that, you watch and think “This is 100 percent professional.” He’s not in the same category as a lot of people on the show. I think that [experience] transfers when you watch it: “That’s how you do it.” I felt that when I watched it. - DFW.com

The Voice is pretty heartbreaking. After weeks of getting to know a contestant, just in an instant, like that, eight are sent home. It's OK to cry if you're hurt - Gwen Stefani did. On Wednesday night (Nov. 12), the first live results show for The Voice season seven aired, leaving two shocking eliminations and this reviewer lamenting the team structure.

It's becoming more and more obvious that Pharrell Williams and Adam Levine's teams are the ones to beat this year. Despite their best efforts, Stefani and Blake Shelton just couldn't form as solid of a pack of five as their fellow coaches.

The result of the team structure is simply that the best 12 singers/performers on this season of The Voice simply did not make it from the top 20 to the top 12. And it led to some shocking eliminations. While so-so performers such as Ryan Sill and DaNica Shirey get to move on in the competition, powerhouses that had winning potential such as Elyjuh Rene and Taylor Phelan were sent packing.


So, let's mourn the loss together and relive how the top 12 of The Voice came to be...

Team Blake:
From the very first few notes of Team Blake's song, the '80s anthem "Life in a Northern Town," it was fairly clear who the favorites on Shelton's team were. The ethereal The Dream Academy song was perfectly fitting for the cool tones of Reagan James and Jessie Pitts, the first of whom got the first fan vote on the team and the latter of whom got Shelton's personal save.

The real wild card was then going to be between Shelton's three country singers: Craig Wayne Boyd, Taylor Brashears and James David Carter. Brashears, unfortunately, had her worst performance of the season on Monday night (Nov. 10) with The Dixie Chicks' "Long Time Gone," so it was fairly clear she was a goner. And, in most people's books, Boyd and Carter are fairly interchangeable with a 50/50 blend of country and rock in both of their voices and performance styles. In the end, Boyd's gritty take on the classic rock track "Some Kind of Wonderful" won out.

In the end, it was hard to see the more classically rooted country artists Brashears and Carter go, especially considering the fact that they had been so strong in the past - but Shelton doesn't have three The Voice trophies for nothing. In choosing Pitts to remain on his team over Brashears especially (who has far more artistry and attitude in her), Shelton is appealing to America and not his own personal taste. It's a smart move - Pitts is a far more versatile artist than the pigeon holed Brashears and Carter, and she may need The Voice to succeed while the other two will be just fine.

Team Pharrell:
Team Pharrell should be the strongest team, right? He's the superhero producer behind "Blurred Lines," "Happy" and Miley Cyrus's Bangerz, so why could his team not crack their joint song? Their take on Sam Smith's "Money on My Mind" (which is the fourth track of his this week, by the way) was full of flubbed high notes and missed beats, and woo boy, was that oddly painful.

The elimination rounds for Team Pharrell were similarly painful. Besides Jean Kelley, all four of Pharrell's performers were in mint condition on Tuesday night (Nov. 11). Luke Wade made everyone a little too swoon-y with his "Let's Get it On," Sugar Joans nailed the crap out of "I Say A Little Prayer," Elyjuh Rene was flexible and strong on "Latch" and DaNica Shirey shined through the simplicity on "Help Me." So, what to do? At least one strong contestant was going to go home.

And it was Rene. Obviously, Kelley was a goner with her overdramatic and bordering on cheesy "Piano in the Dark." But Rene was the first shocking elimination of the night. He was a Pharrell favorite, a crowd favorite, with a beautiful story and a stunning voice to match. And it's not like he had a bad performance by any means... it's just that he didn't get the votes. It's the curse of being on the best team on The Voice... your level of competition is just so much higher.

All that being said, it feels like Pharrell made the right choice by saving Joans; he praised her so much on Tuesday that it would be weird if he hadn't saved her. In the end, though, it feels like America made the wrong choice in voting up Shirey so much. Yes, she has a beautiful voice, and yes, her daughter is adorable... but she seems to be missing something from the performance element. Maybe she's more captivating in the audience than on TV or something... but she lacks the punch of Rene... so maybe she still needs this competition. Rene will be fine on his own.

Team Gwen:
The biggest mixed bag on this season of The Voice is clearly Team Gwen. What do you do with a reggae singer, a pop chick and dude, an indie guy and a diva? Give 'em Vance Joy's "Riptide," I guess. The resulting performance was solid enough, though all the movements felt, like, really, really rehearsed and calculated. You don't just act all cool before sitting down on multi-level staircases. ::eye roll::

Listen, it was always going to be Taylor John Williams and Anita Antoinette on Team Gwen who would get the public vote. After stunning performances of "Stuck in the Middle with You" and "All About That Bass" (respectively), they were just miles and miles ahead of Ryan Sill, Ricky Manning and Bryana Salaz. So, it should have been no surprise when Williams and Antoinette were the ones passing through on the public vote. End of paragraph.

The wild card, or save, from Gwen Stefani was going to be more of a shocker. Salaz absolutely butchered her performance of 5 Seconds of Summer's "Amnesia." It's not a song that was supposed to be hard to sing, but boy, did she manage to make it sound strained beyond belief. Manning and Sills, then, are fairly evenly matched. They're both male tenors with pop leanings who can sort of transcend. Neither are particularly good nor bad, nor more importantly, are they particularly exciting. It's a shame that one of them gets to stick around while Elyjuh Rene has to go home. He's far more talented than both of them combined.

Whatever. In the end, Ryan Sills gets to move on to the top 12.

Team Adam:
Like Team Gwen, Team Adam Levine is a pretty mixed bag. There's the rocker in Matt McAndrew, the soul/gospel guy Damien, the indie pop guy Taylor Phelan, the diva Mia Pfirrman and the singer-songwriter type Chris Jamison. A good genre choice for their collaborative song would have been Nico & Vinz's "Am I Wrong," which they really sold. Their collaborative vocals sounded a little too much like a high school choir, but there was no great and natural way to blend these wildly different voices.

The differences in Team Adam also made making a prediction on who would reach the top 12 totally and completely unpredictable. Like, how do you even compare these guys? It's all just a matter of taste. Like Team Pharrell, besides Pfirrman's cringeworthy and nasally performance of Lana Del Rey's "Young & Beautiful," everyone was solid.

America frickin' loves McAndrew. His cover of The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" went to No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Charts, for goodness' sakes. So, he was an easy in, with his mop top and smile and singsong performance. There ya go. Damien was also a star on Monday night, with a soulful and heartfelt performance of "I'm Not The Only One" by Sam Smith. Every word he sang was dripped in truth and gospel, and it was truly gripping.

Once again, the difficulty came in the save. The real choice here was Chris Jamison, who nailed Ed Sheeran's "Don't" and the consistent Taylor Phelan, who gave a rousing performance of "Cool Kids." Neither were truly able to show off the full breadth of their talent during the live performance, so it just really came down to who Levine preferred - these guys were fairly evenly matched. In the end, despite his consistency and solid performances, it was the second shock of the night when Phelan was sent home over Jamison, though the show ended before we could really process it all. - Music Times

About two or three years ago I discovered Taylor Phelan on a little show called The Voice. I swear to this day that he should have won but let’s not get into the politics. For awhile there I had to listen to covers from The Voice and the album Taylor Phelan and The Canes (Cupid and the Atomic Bomb). Don’t get me wrong those are all amazing but deep in my soul I was praying for an album where it showcased his own sort of artistic balance. The music god’s must have been listening very attentively because April 1st 2016 Mr. Phelan released his own record.

Where the Ocean Shallows can not really be put into words how amazing it sounds. From the smooth guitar, drums, and bass to the lyrics to of course the vocals each song sounds like a page from a diary. The audience can tell that each song was carefully placed in order and was carefully crafted to bring this electrifying feeling to the listener. There is non-stop rocking out to each song and chills are roaming all long arms as certain songs play. So far I am obsessed with Monsters, Harvest the Moon, Mojave, and Backstabber but I flirt a little with songs like Long Way Down and Help. Let me just say that these specific songs have been on constant repeat. The lyrics, the way the instrumentals play, just everything about the way they leak out the headphones is very mesmerizing. They have such an effect on my soul that inspiration comes pouring out of me, just by playing this album.

I can say for certain that this album is going to be a piece of art that will guide me through tough times. So thank you Taylor Phelan for taking the time to make such an amazing expression of art. If you haven’t yet checked it out please do so, it will change your life. - I Am The Foxes