Jason Wilkes, going by his artist name Wilkes, turned two chairs last night during his blind audition on NBC's hit TV show The Voice.

Although both pop hitmaker Adam Levine (Maroon 5) and country icon Blake Shelton turned, ultimately Wilkes chose Blake as his coach--a choice that fit naturally with the past few years, which Wilkes has spent as a staff writer for country songwriting firm Dan Hodges Music.

"My experience so far on The Voice has been amazing! All the people involved are truly incredible. From Blake to the producers to the camera operators... all amazing," Wilkes shared exclusively with NewReleaseToday. "The Voice seems to only employ MVPs across the board!"

The singer/songwriter also shared some insight on his choice of coach. "I chose Blake mainly because of our personal connection. We are cut from a very similar cloth, and I knew we would instantly 'get' each other. If I'm going to work closely with someone for weeks or months, it is very important to me that we get along well."

"I understand Blake, and I think he understands me," Wilkes continued. "We have a southern guy bond that only other southerners would understand. I have a ton in common with Adam as well, especially musically, but Blake speaks my language. Literally... people in LA have trouble understanding the words I say. Blake is fluent in 'twang!' Seriously though, I'm super stoked about what's to come. It is a real honor to be a part of Team Blake, and I can't wait for people to experience the WILKES SHELTON magic!"   

You can watch Wilkes' performance, a cover of "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers, below. You can also purchase the cover on iTunes here, or stream the full episode featuring his audition via NBC.com by clicking here.  
 
"Your voice is so sneaky. The longer the song went on, the more you kept turning the dial, getting it closer and closer to 10," coach Blake Shelton said to Wilkes after hearing the performance. "I'm a fan."

Wilkes will now be moving on to the battle rounds, where he will be pitted against other members of Blake's team. You can continue to follow his journey by finding him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can also see what The Voice has to say about Wilkes (and catch some exclusive behind-the-scenes content) on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The world first heard Jason Wilkes's voice through High Flight Society, a Christian rock band that rose to popularity with their 2007 self-titled album. After several projects with High Flight Society and a stint playing with country artist Sam Hunt, Wilkes transitioned to a bass player and background vocal role for hard rock band Disciple from 2013 - 2015. He has spent the years since leaving his role with Disciple writing for Dan Hodges Music and his own personal solo ventures while staying home with his wife, Chelsea, and their daughter, Linley. 

 

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