On Monday, St. Louisans tuning into reality-singing competition The Voice might have recognized a familiar face. Local singer-songwriter Neil Salsich opened the show’s 23rd season with his rendition of Hank Williams’ “Honky Tonk Blues”—and passed the audition stage with flying colors. He’ll be joining country star Blake Shelton’s team for the show’s upcoming rounds.
Salsich, who is also the frontman of St. Louis roots-rock band The Mighty Pines, remembers watching fellow local singer Joanna Serenko audition for season 18 of the show. The performance left him feeling “totally inspired,” he says. Later, the trio Girl Named Tom showed Salsich that artists with a “vintage flavor” could find success on The Voice with their victory in season 21.
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“They had auditioned with a Crosby, Stills & Nash song, and I was like, ‘Okay, this is completely my musical language,’” Salsich says. “I made up my mind after seeing their performances that I was going to audition.”
In The Voice’s initial blind audition stage, the judges—Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, and Niall Horan—can’t see the competitors. Rotating chairs allow them to press a button and turn around if they’d like to add a musician to their team for the rest of the season. If a singer receives no turns, they’re eliminated. Salsich didn’t have to worry about that possibility for too long, though: All four judges turned to see his performance.
“I was definitely relieved,” Salsich says. “I remember thinking, ‘Okay, you’ve got this now. Just finish it out.’ When the chairs kept coming, that’s actually when I had to hang on for dear life. It was hard to stay focused, but somehow, I did.”
Shelton was the first judge to turn around, which Salsich says wasn’t surprising given the country song that he auditioned with. However, the stakes rose moments later, when Shelton used his one “block” button to prevent Clarkson from adding Salsich to her team. While all four judges complimented Salsich’s style, with Clarkson lauding his “old-school country” vibe, Salsich and Shelton found common ground on their musical interests.
“I sing blues, folk, and rock and roll. Country is very special to me, but I like to say that’s just one of the musical wells that I drink from,” Salsich told the judges, to which Shelton quipped, “I drink from a lot of wells too, man!”
Salsich says Clarkson was a top contender for his favor, but the strategic block meant that her team wasn’t an option. Ultimately, he chose Shelton for his versatility as a coach and openness to letting artists explore various genres. The decision was especially important to Salsich given that this season will be Shelton’s last on the show.
Moving forward in the competition, Salsich is excited to learn from the coaches and sing for a national audience. He’s also spending time sorting through his inboxes on social media, which are flooded with messages of support from fans and friends. The local response has been bigger than he ever expected.
“I just really love St. Louis,” Salsich says. “I’m so proud to represent it.”
