The Traverse City singer-songwriter who finished third on the NBC show last year has been following the Ann Arbor blues guitarist’s run and calls his national exposure ‘incredible.’
‘An Endurance Game’: Former contestant Joshua Davis says Laith Al-Saadi’s run on “The Voice” has been impressive but likely taxing.
Traverse City singer-songwriter Joshua Davis, who finished third on “The Voice” last year, has some advice for fellow Michigan musician Laith Al-Saadi who performs tonight with the NBC show’s Top 8 finalists.
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Lots of Michigan Talent: Joshua Davis says “The Voice” has put Mitten State musicians in the spotlight. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
Get “lots of rest,” take care of your health and enjoy the exposure, Davis told Local Spins.
“Laith and I have known of each other for quite a while and I’ve admired his playing for a good long time,” said Davis. “He contacted me when he was in the beginning phases of auditioning for the show and we’ve been keeping in pretty close touch since.”
Davis said when it gets to the last eight contestants, it becomes “an endurance game,” which means “lots of rest, good health and vocal health are so important when you’re pulling 18-hour days and learning lots of new tunes every week. Honestly, this exposure will be incredible for his career whether he continues to the finals or not. As long as he doesn’t win the thing, he’s golden.”
Davis last year said he was relieved to finish third, noting he “got a lot of experience” by making it that far, but was “not tied to any contract” – something required of “The Voice” winner.
REMARKABLE PARALLELS BETWEEN DAVIS AND AL-SAADI ON ‘THE VOICE’
There are plenty of parallels between the successful runs by Davis and Al-Saadi on “The Voice.”
Davis was 37 when he appeared on the show; Al-Saadi is 38. Both are raspy-voiced, established Michigan artists with careers in music who perform regularly and who have cultivated a devoted regional fan base for their music. Both chose judge Adam Levine as their coach on “The Voice” and both were, by far, the oldest competitors among the Top 10 contestants.
An Incredible Talent: Al-Saadi
Al-Saadi has consistently impressed judges and fans with his bluesy singing and top-notch guitar-playing while appearing on the show the past few months. He even earned praise when he took to the piano earlier this month to perform a song, “We’ve Got Tonite,” by another well-known Michigan artist, Bob Seger. (Check out his rendition of B.B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone” below, a performance that had at least one national critic calling it the No. 1 performance of the season.)
Davis said Al-Saadi’s success speaks to Michigan’s enormous talent pool.
“I’ve said it before and will say it again: I’ve played from coast to coast and haven’t seen anything like the music scene in Michigan,” he said. “I can think of many, many other artists from
The Mitten that would kill it on ‘The Voice’ or any other national spotlight given the opportunity and desire.
“I’ve got to hand it to ‘The Voice’ for breaking out of the pop, country, R&B box and supporting some more unique artists.”
The Traverse City singer, who recently released a new seven-inch record featuring the songs, “Always Going to Be Here” and “Let Me In,” conceded that being on the California-based NBC show for an extended period of time was difficult as well as rewarding.
The toughest part was “being away from home and not being able to see my family when I wanted to and also being in control of my career,” Davis said. “It was an incredible experience and I’m so grateful for the show and all of the amazing support here in Michigan and around the world. But I’m also very grateful it’s done.”
VIDEO: Laith Al-Saadi, “The Thrill is Gone”
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