Katrina Parker

Truth be told, I’ve known Katrina Parker for over five years. We’re not besties or anything, but I became a fan of her luscious voice and flirtatious personality ever since I saw her perform in LA’s underground singer/songwriter scene. From there we became My Space buddies (remember My Space?) and from time to time we’d say a friendly hello. Then she disappeared. Vanished. And I used to say to myself... whatever happened to that amazing Katrina Parker?

Lo and behold a few years ago she rose like the phoenix when she appeared on the second season of "NBC’s The Voice" cementing her talent in front of the world. And thank God. Because much-deserved things are happening for her and many people are glad for that.

Katrina just released her first album since the show aired and it proves that not only should she have won the whole thing, but also that Ms. Parker is certainly on her way to future stardom.

We got the chance to talk recently about her new album, her time on the hit reality show, and her thoughts about issues she holds dear to her heart.

EDGE: You were a fixture on the LA music scene - which is where I first heard you sing - and then you vanished. I remember quite specifically wondering whatever happened to you. When you appeared on NBC’s ’The Voice’ you mentioned being sick for a few years as the result of mold...? What exactly happened?

Katrina Parker: I try not to talk about this (because I was mocked by recappers/bloggers when I mentioned it during ’The Voice’), but for you? I’ll share. Yes, I had some mystery health issues for over a year that forced me to stop singing (severe respiratory problems, chronic fatigue, facial nerve issues, among other things). After seeing a ridiculous amount of doctors with no solution, I finally discovered I had a severe allergy to mold (and unbeknownst to me there was hidden mold in the house I’d been living in). After figuring that out, I moved and started working hard on my recovery. A year (and lots of herbal and acupuncture treatments later), I finally started singing again. That was right before my audition for ’The Voice.’

EDGE: You ended up working at an insurance company. Did anyone know your talent and passion for singing?

Katrina Parker: My roommate also worked there, and she knew I was a singer, but no one else knew. It was my little secret. I started working there about the same time I started my recovery process, and I didn’t want anyone to know I was a singer until I knew my voice was back.

EDGE: Would you say ’The Voice’ changed everything for you? How did your participation on the show happen?

Katrina Parker: ’The Voice’ changed my life on multiple levels. First, it afforded me the opportunity to pursue music full time by opening doors that would never have opened for me before. It also garnered me a larger fan base than I’d previously had (which later helped me crowd-fund my album). It also changed the way I saw myself as an artist. I’d always imagined myself to be this tortured waif behind a piano, but ’The Voice’ showed me a different side of myself that’s a much better fit. I’ve got a big voice and belong at the top of the stage, singing music that’s accessible to a large group of people (not hiding behind my piano trying to be purposefully esoteric).

As for how I got on the show, a friend here in LA got me a private audition. I laughed when he asked me to do it, but I quickly stopped laughing once I made it onto Team Adam.

EDGE: What was the experience on ’The Voice’ like? How was Adam Levine to work with? The other judges?

Katrina Parker: ’The Voice’ experience was crazy, wonderful, stressful. Working with Adam was great. He was very specific in his critiques, which I appreciate. He also had a very open mind, which is an underrated personality trait. I wasn’t his favorite going in. He was very honest about that, but he still allowed his mind to be changed by my performances. That’s something I respect and admire.

I didn’t have a lot of experience with the other coaches beyond interacting with them onstage. Christina was very generous in her support of me at the end. Blake seemed genuinely sweet. I didn’t get much of a handle on Ceelo. I don’t think he was very fond of me, haaa.

EDGE: Please give us at least one piece of salacious gossip from the show! And make it good. You can change names to protect the innocent!

Katrina Parker: A lady doesn’t gossip, but I will say there were a couple of narcissists in that contestant pool that I was thrilled to leave behind. I’m not used to being around other singers, so I was unprepared for some of the egos and jostling for attention and mind games people tried to play. It was very disconcerting, because I am all about staying in my own lane.

EDGE: Adam Levine has a gay brother. You’ve been a big supporter of gay rights for as long as I have known of you. What drives your passion for the issue?

Katrina Parker: My passion for the issue is inna - Edge on the Net

Katrina Parker.

If you’re Aussie, you might not have heard that name – yet – but you’ll be a Parker convert after reading this. Why? Cos not only is she supremely talented, but she’s 100% genuine, which is as rare as all green lights on the drive to work.

Not only does she have ripper advice (wait til you get to the part about the diamond), but she’s fun (she has an annual pass to Disneyland) and she rates flamingos.

Katrina first came to our attention on the second US series of The Voice, where she reached the semifinals (see our fave clip from The Voice here) and now she’s just released an album, In and Out of the Dark. While it hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride for her (she fell really ill after mould in her LA apartment caused severe chronic fatigue and respiratory issues), things are looking up for Katrina now…

Congrats on the album! Did you throw a party when it was released?!

Yes, I did a CD release party at The Hotel Cafe here in LA with balloons and little handmade fans printed with album artwork that said “#1 fan”. We performed the entire album live for an amazing crowd of people, so there were lots of warm and fuzzy feelings.

You’ve described the album as ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of your life over the last few years, so what’s been:

The good: The good would be recovering from my health issues back in 2010, also appearing on The Voice and having my life changed dramatically by it.

The bad: The bad would be all the hard lessons I’ve learned since The Voice and navigating some murky professional waters. When you exit a reality singing competition, no one shows up at your door with a bag of money and a guidebook. I quickly had to learn to be scrappy, diversify and think like an entrepreneur, which is really more of a “good” thing I guess?

The ugly: The ugly would be the health issues I had prior to The Voice, the deep self-doubt and fear I had during the show, and some of the nastiness I’ve encountered being a plus size woman in this industry. I wouldn’t change a thing though. Whenever you deal with a difficult challenge, you come through it stronger, tougher. It takes fire to make a diamond.

Adam Levine was your coach on The Voice. What was working with him like?

Adam was great. He was, and still is, very driven, focused and really wants the best for his contestants. He is also very open to having his mind changed, and I can appreciate that. With me for example — I wasn’t initially a favourite, but he changed his mind about me as the competition went on, something I have to respect. Oh, and he smelled nice too. Let’s not forget that.



If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

I would probably die with a smile on my face if I could duet with Dolly Parton. She’s one of the greatest songwriters of the last few decades, a living icon who has somehow managed to retain her warmth and humor after all these years. Plus she makes plastic surgery jokes onstage! I adore her.

We know you love unicorns… what about flamingos?!

I’ve heard unicorns and flamingos have been spotted in the wild cavorting together…so I’m a flamingo fan all the way!

What do you like to do in your downtime?

Ohh, I’m a sucker for Disneyland. Someone gifted me an annual pass, and I try to sneak over there in my spare time, which isn’t often. I particularly enjoy the older, more creative rides like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. I don’t care that it’s carefully manufactured magic; it’s still magic, and I like to live the magic whenever I can!

What’s something you’re currently obsessed with?

Halloween is coming, and I’m currently obsessed with Pinup Girl Clothing’s seasonal designs. I can’t get enough of this kinky box skirt with a hand drawn monster print. I recently wore it on a red carpet, for the opening of Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights, and it was such a hit — definitely my most “fun” red carpet ensemble to date!

What’s your worst habit?

My worst habit is probably never picking up a phone call. Phone calls stress me out, so I always make people leave a voicemail so I know what it’s about first. It’s kind of pathetic. I think deep down I’m always worried a phone call, rather than a text, means bad news.

What’s your favourite snack?

My favorite snack is vegan cheesecake. Wait, is that a snack or dessert?? Who cares — it’s delicious!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

That would have to be “Toddlers & Tiaras.” I can’t stop watching the show and imitating the routines for friends. There are few things as disturbing as watching a grown woman (me) act out a pageant routine in public…my poor friends.

Best piece of advice you’ve been given and who by?

Well when I was a teenager, my dad lost his job briefly and we had to move from a big house in the suburbs to a trailer in the country. I was being very bratty and spoiled about it, and one day when I was complaining yet again my aunt pulled the car over and gave me a good dress - Flamingo Pink (Australia)

The season two ‘Voice’ finalist reflects on her unconventional journey thus far, and teases what’s coming up next!

After making a splash on the second season of The Voice, vocal powerhouse Katrina Parker is officially on the scene with a brand-new EP, In And Out Of The Dark – as well as an exciting new perspective on the music industry: It’s not a race.

“A lot of people think, ‘Oh God, if I don’t get something out before the next season, it’s over for me,’” she tells HollywoodLife.com. But what she learned is that “when you rush and put something out that you’re not 100 percent behind, you’re going to have an issue.”

So she waited. For months, actually. She hunted for a label and sought financial backing, all while honing her sound and pouring her heart into her music. Ultimately, she decided to go the Kickstarter route, asking fans to fund her project — and her dream.

“If I was going to ask people for money, I needed to make sure the album was good and ready, and that the songs were written,” Katrina recalls. “I didn’t want to be that jerk that makes them wait two years for it.”

‘In And Out Of The Dark,’ Explained
Katrina’s patience paid off in the form of an EP that’s not only fully funded, but also fully developed, and richly diverse.

“The theme [of the EP] for me is the good, the bad and the ugly of the last three to four years of my life,” Katrina explains. “You hear all of that on there. The Voice changed my life on so many levels and allowed me to sing full-time, which has always been my dream. But it was also a really terrifying experience. Some of my highest highs and my lowest lows have happened since the show ended.”

But don’t expect Katrina to stray too far from her reality roots; she says she still keeps up with the show, which just returned for its fifth season last month.

“I’m the biggest Voice fan,” she tells us. “It’s like the mob; once you’re part of the Voice family, you’re part of the Voice family. I still feel like I’m part of it.” (She even got a chance to see her mentor, Adam Levine, at Maroon 5‘s Grammys party last February!)

So what’s next for Katrina?

“There’s going to be a video [for the first single, 'In And Out Of The Dark']” she tells us. “It’s going to be a mixture of a storyline with a few performance shots, as well. I’m very excited about that.”

So are we, Katrina. So are we.
- Hollywood Life

Watching Katrina Parker perform live at the Hotel Café in Hollywood for the launch of her new album, In & Out of the Dark, it’s easy to see why she was the fan favorite on season 2 of NBC’s “The Voice.” Her upbeat, down-to-earth personality is impossible not to like, as she playfully banters with both her band and the audience.

“You look different,” she says of the crowd at Hotel Café near the beginning of her set. “Have you guys been working out?”

But the main thing to love about Katrina is, of course, her voice. Her powerful and mesmerizing notes fill the intimate venue as she begins with a slow, rhythmic version of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene.” It’s a fitting opening to the show, as Katrina credits Parton as one of her major idols and influences.

“I could listen to Dolly Parton’s Greatest Hits over and over again,” says Katrina. The two definitely have a similar vocal style. They’re also both surprisingly versatile and multi-talented.

Katrina modestly downplays her abilities on the piano as she gives her band a break and sits down to play a rather heartwarming special request/dedication. But not only is she quite proficient, she in fact used to play as a teenager for her Southern Baptist church in Holly Ridge, North Carolina. From there, she began singing in the church choir, which cemented her vocal background with classic hymns like, “I Come to the Garden Alone,” and of course, “Amazing Grace.”

After moving out to Los Angeles, Katrina auditioned for and got a spot on “The Voice,” in 2012. The show gets celebrity musicians to mentor up-and-coming singers in order to find and train the best voices in America. Under the guidance of Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Katrina went on to become a top 8 semi-finalist and win the hearts of viewers across the nation.

But “The Voice” was hardly the end of the road for Katrina. She knew she wanted to release an album—as did her friends and family members who would ask, “When are you going to release an album?” at every opportunity. So Katrina began writing and compiling the songs for this next stage in her life and career. And after nearly a year of working and planning, she had everything she needed to get started—except money.

Katrina looked into several methods of funding for the album. She couldn’t afford to finance the venture herself and be able to do it on the scale that she wanted, but at the same time, going through a major recording studio wouldn’t give her the creative freedom she wanted with the project. And so, like so many other artists without the means to make their dream projects come true on their own, she turned to Kickstarter. It was a risky venture, to be sure.

“Every day, I worried that we wouldn’t make the goal,” says Katrina. And it definitely came down to the wire. She campaigned hard to get the funding she needed and even put on a free 30-minute live web concert, wherein she previewed songs that would be on the album and answered viewer questions. But with only a few hours left, she was still short of her goal. And unlike some other crowd funding websites, with Kickstarter, if you miss your goal by even a dollar, you get nothing. Fortunately, a final burst at the very end was able to propel her not just to her goal, but well above it, earning close to $25,000 on her $19,500 project.

Reward levels on the project were representative of Katrina’s lovably quirky and fun personality… In addition to the standard rewards like digital downloads of the album and CDs, she offered bakery-delivered pie and the chance to have her call you up at bedtime and sing you a lullaby.

Receiving the funding in February, Katrina then faced the daunting task of actually creating the album. From recording sessions to photo shoots to publicity decisions and a thousand other little details, the process ended up taking rather longer than she expected.

But it paid off in the end, and all that hard work culminates here, at Hotel Café, with her album release party/concert. Even as she performs, the event feels less like a concert and more like a celebration. Katrina has a way of making everybody—whether they’ve known her for years or just came because they like her music—feel like her personal friends. She even offers to give everybody a hug as she signs their albums.

During the concert, Katrina performs a wide variety of songs, both covers and original compositions. Her original work in particular demonstrates her versatility, as they range from the rocking titular song and single from her album, “In & Out of the Dark,” to the sad and soulful “Dirty Girls,” which is not what it sounds like—much to the relief of Katrina’s mother.

In addition to her musical talent, Katrina also possesses a style that makes her stand out from the crowd even when she’s not the one performing, and gives her an undeniable air of class. She shuns casualwear, having not worn a pair of jeans since 1999, and instead prefers dresses—often - Life in LA

Katrina Parker from The Voice Season 2 is releasing her debut album funded via her fans on Kickstarter on September 10, 2013.

In and Out of the Dark is available now for pre-order (and preview) on iTunes!

I talked to Katrina last Thursday and it was a pleasant chat just as I had expected. Katrina is a wonderful vocalist and her down-to-earth personality really came across during her time on The Voice. It was very evident in our brief conversation.

I was very pleased that she started her Kickstarter campaign after she had all her material ready. Very smart! And fair to the fans. There are many projects out there that have been funded and are in limbo.

The album is a mix of radio-friendly pop tunes as well as songs in the mold of “Jar of Hearts”, one of her most memorable performances on The Voice.

Katrina’s album release party will be on September 10, 2013 at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles.

You can follow her on Twitter (like I do!) at @katrinapmusic.

(Go to the link for the audio interview). - Rickey

Katrina Parker is ready to spread her wings and fly. After making it to the semifinals of season two of The Voice, the soulful singer took the next year-plus to craft the perfect follow-up. Now that extra deliberation is on the verge of paying off, as she’s preparing for the release of her new album, In and Out of the Dark. Katrina recently took some time to sit down with BFTV to dish on the upcoming record, and what she’s learned about herself since she surprised America.

“I really took my time with this record. I spent months writing it, and then I spent months funding it, and picking out the right producers and the right kind of musical aesthetic,” she explained. “But I don’t feel pressure. More than anything I want it to be amazing. And I really do kind of want to step out from [the show]. As much as I love The Voice, this is the next part of my career.”

It’s been a long process from creating music to record release for Katrina, who launched a successful Kickstarter at the beginning of the year before heading into the studio. She called the whole experience “really surreal. We did the fan funding back in January; it got fully funded in mid February. We had a lot of pre-production. It was a lot of chasing schedules and coordinating. We spent a lot of time thinking about what we wanted to do on the songs. And then we crammed all the recording into like one or two months. But it’s been really incredible. It became clear to me that everything I wanted to communicate is on this record.”

What can fans expect from the album? “There’s going to be a lot of variety on it,” she revealed. “There’s going to be some radio-friendly singles. There’s going to be some ballads, of course. And there’s going to be a couple of indie rock tunes. But I think the thing that’s going to hold it all together is going to be the fact that it’s me, and my heart is in each and every song.”

“I think one thing that you maybe didn’t see on The Voice is that my music has a more powerful aesthetic,” she explained. “What you didn’t get to see is me being really powerful, and i think you get a lot of that on this record. i’m a tougher, stronger, more powerful person. I think it’s a natural next step.”

Part of that newfound strength comes from Katrina’s experience on The Voice, where she emerged as a surprise contender and made it through to the semifinals before coach Adam Levine opted to move forward with eventual third-place finisher Tony Lucca instead of her. While some fans are still up in arms about her dismissal, she reiterated that she has no hard feelings toward her coach or anyone else involved with the series.

“The show changed my life. It’s made it possible for me to do music as a career,” she reflected, adding that she doesn’t feel any need to return, as other artists have done in the past. “I don’t think I need to go back onto that stage. I love The Voice and I feel like they already did so much for me. My to-do list is more about moving forward.”

That includes taking responsibility for steering her career now that The Voice is well in the past. Katrina knows that reality TV doesn’t create overnight superstars, and there’s only so long you can ride the wave of national attention before you have to stand on your own. She told us, “You have to work hard, you have to be scrappy, and you have to get as much out of the experience as you can, whether you were Top 48 or Top 8.”

Now Katrina is focusing on the launch of her new album. This past weekend she joined fellow Team Adam alumnus Judith Hill for a concert at Universal CityWalk Hollywood’s 5 Towers. There’s a CD release party scheduled at the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, and she’s hoping to tour, provided that the logistics can be worked out. She knows that this is a big moment for her, one that can change the course of her career again, and she’s intent on not wasting it.

“I think the biggest goal for myself is to really get as much out of it as I can,” she said. “I really do want to pitch a lot of it to film and TV. The success will be if in six months I’ll still doing music full time and I’m still promoting this record because it has legs. Then I’ll know that for me it was a success.

“I have very high hopes for it. I am happy with it,” she continued. “This was clearly in my control. I worked with the people I wanted to work with. I did what I wanted to do.”

Katrina Parker’s album In and Out of the Dark releases on September 10; it can be pre-ordered through iTunes here. You can also keep up with Katrina by visiting her website (katrinaparker.com) or following her on Twitter (@katrinapmusic).
- Big Red Chairs

Katrina Parker first caught our attention on NBC’s ‘The Voice’, however she has kept our attention with her voice! Katrina recently chopped it up with Ground Sounds, revealing details about her new album and more, check out the interview below!

When did you decide to audition for The Voice and what was your experience like throughout the taping of the show?

A friend offered to schedule a private audition for me in September 2011. I thought he was crazy. I had JUST started singing again after two years off and felt completely unprepared to be back onstage. I also had no desire to be on TV or part of a reality singing competition, but I came around. I went into that first audition skeptically and gave it a shot. The rest is history.

My experience on The Voice was life-changing. Every night on that stage forced me out of my comfort zone in a transformative way that was both terrifying and exhilarating. Even our time offstage was intense. Every decision felt high stakes – from what shoes you’d wear, to the song key, to the staging, to what vocal trick you’d do at 0:30. How you handled the pressure really defined your experience. You could either fail miserably in front of millions or rise to the occasion. I tried to rise to the occasion.

You once worked a ‘normal’ job and were surrounded by cubicle walls…what was your job prior to achieving your dream as a singer?

My last job prior to The Voice was working as an Administrative Assistant at an insurance company. Most people there didn’t know I could sing, and those who knew had never heard me. I think they were all as surprised by The Voice as I was, but they were supportive throughout the entire process. It was a great place to work (and a pretty spacious cubicle).

How was it having Adam Levine as your coach? Based on your experience with him, would you enjoy working with Adam on any records in the future?

Working with Adam was great. He has this laser sharp focus and drive that’s really admirable. I also respect his ability to be flexible and adaptable as a coach. I wasn’t his favorite going into the competition…he was very honest about that, but he allowed his mind to be changed by my performances. Surprising him, and myself, every week definitely boosted my confidence.

Of course I’d love to work with Adam in the future. I think we’d sound great together. I don’t know that it will happen, but a girl can dream.

If you had to choose just one, what musician would you say has influenced you more than any other?

I think Billie Holiday influenced me more than any other singer. I mean, obviously her life was tragic, but her ability to translate a song still moves me to this day. Discovering her really changed my entire perception of singing to be less an act of technical perfection and more an act of rebirth and catharsis.

What has been the biggest moment in your career thus far?

I’d say making it to the Semi-Finals of The Voice was a pretty big moment in my career so far. Since the show I’ve had the opportunity to perform on some amazing stages like The Greek and The Gibson Amphitheatre here in Los Angeles. Those moments felt pretty surreal as well. I’d like to think the best is yet to come!

What was your favorite song that you sang on The Voice?

This would probably be a tie between “Jar of Hearts” and my last ‘Save Me’ song “Perfect.” Both were pivotal moments in the competition. “Jar of Hearts” was the first time I’d been able to do a song more in my wheelhouse, where I could just SING without a lot of staging or distractions. “Perfect” was special because of the song’s message and the timing. I was constantly having to fight my way out of a corner every week on The Voice, defying people’s preconceived notions and low expectations of me…that song seemed to illustrate how I was feeling beautifully.

Where did the concept for the “Bad Things” video come from?

I’m pretty obsessed with “True Blood” and have been a fan of their opening song “Bad Things” since Season 1 so I couldn’t resist covering it. In doing a video for the song, I wanted to pay homage to the origins of the vampire myth on film, so I went WAY back and chose scenes from the one and only “Nosferatu.” Obviously, vampires have gotten a lot sexier since then, but that’s where it all began.

As someone who writes her own songs, where do you draw your inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from everything – my own experiences, stories and articles I read on the internet, books, film, TV and of course the people in my life. I’m a little like a life sponge. It may take me some time to process a particular thing into a song, but I’m taking it all in. I may not use it in an obvious way, but I can guarantee it’ll end up somewhere.

You recently performed at Hotel Café and will be there again on March 16th. What are your plans after that?

My plan is to finish my record and release it this Summer. That’s my highest priority right now. I’d also like to - Groundsounds

Katrina Parker first caught our attention on NBC’s ‘The Voice’, however she has kept our attention with her voice! Katrina recently chopped it up with Ground Sounds, revealing details about her new album and more, check out the interview below!

When did you decide to audition for The Voice and what was your experience like throughout the taping of the show?

A friend offered to schedule a private audition for me in September 2011. I thought he was crazy. I had JUST started singing again after two years off and felt completely unprepared to be back onstage. I also had no desire to be on TV or part of a reality singing competition, but I came around. I went into that first audition skeptically and gave it a shot. The rest is history.

My experience on The Voice was life-changing. Every night on that stage forced me out of my comfort zone in a transformative way that was both terrifying and exhilarating. Even our time offstage was intense. Every decision felt high stakes – from what shoes you’d wear, to the song key, to the staging, to what vocal trick you’d do at 0:30. How you handled the pressure really defined your experience. You could either fail miserably in front of millions or rise to the occasion. I tried to rise to the occasion.

You once worked a ‘normal’ job and were surrounded by cubicle walls…what was your job prior to achieving your dream as a singer?

My last job prior to The Voice was working as an Administrative Assistant at an insurance company. Most people there didn’t know I could sing, and those who knew had never heard me. I think they were all as surprised by The Voice as I was, but they were supportive throughout the entire process. It was a great place to work (and a pretty spacious cubicle).

How was it having Adam Levine as your coach? Based on your experience with him, would you enjoy working with Adam on any records in the future?

Working with Adam was great. He has this laser sharp focus and drive that’s really admirable. I also respect his ability to be flexible and adaptable as a coach. I wasn’t his favorite going into the competition…he was very honest about that, but he allowed his mind to be changed by my performances. Surprising him, and myself, every week definitely boosted my confidence.

Of course I’d love to work with Adam in the future. I think we’d sound great together. I don’t know that it will happen, but a girl can dream.

If you had to choose just one, what musician would you say has influenced you more than any other?

I think Billie Holiday influenced me more than any other singer. I mean, obviously her life was tragic, but her ability to translate a song still moves me to this day. Discovering her really changed my entire perception of singing to be less an act of technical perfection and more an act of rebirth and catharsis.

What has been the biggest moment in your career thus far?

I’d say making it to the Semi-Finals of The Voice was a pretty big moment in my career so far. Since the show I’ve had the opportunity to perform on some amazing stages like The Greek and The Gibson Amphitheatre here in Los Angeles. Those moments felt pretty surreal as well. I’d like to think the best is yet to come!

What was your favorite song that you sang on The Voice?

This would probably be a tie between “Jar of Hearts” and my last ‘Save Me’ song “Perfect.” Both were pivotal moments in the competition. “Jar of Hearts” was the first time I’d been able to do a song more in my wheelhouse, where I could just SING without a lot of staging or distractions. “Perfect” was special because of the song’s message and the timing. I was constantly having to fight my way out of a corner every week on The Voice, defying people’s preconceived notions and low expectations of me…that song seemed to illustrate how I was feeling beautifully.

Where did the concept for the “Bad Things” video come from?

I’m pretty obsessed with “True Blood” and have been a fan of their opening song “Bad Things” since Season 1 so I couldn’t resist covering it. In doing a video for the song, I wanted to pay homage to the origins of the vampire myth on film, so I went WAY back and chose scenes from the one and only “Nosferatu.” Obviously, vampires have gotten a lot sexier since then, but that’s where it all began.

As someone who writes her own songs, where do you draw your inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from everything – my own experiences, stories and articles I read on the internet, books, film, TV and of course the people in my life. I’m a little like a life sponge. It may take me some time to process a particular thing into a song, but I’m taking it all in. I may not use it in an obvious way, but I can guarantee it’ll end up somewhere.

You recently performed at Hotel Café and will be there again on March 16th. What are your plans after that?

My plan is to finish my record and release it this Summer. That’s my highest priority right now. I’d also like to - Groundsounds

Since Season 2 of The Voice ended in May 2012, Team Adam semi-finalist Katrina Parker has been hard at work. She’s currently working on her first post-Voice album, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that exceeded her goal of $19,500 and brought in $24,638.

Now she’s ready for fans to hear her signature sound. She recently spoke with Wetpaint Entertainment about life after the cameras stop rolling.

Wetpaint Entertainment: How's life been since The Voice?

Katrina Parker: It's been very productive. After the show, I took a few months off to write and figure out where I wanted to go musically. A lot of people came into the show with a really clear musical aesthetic and idea of who they were as an artist. I took two years off before the show, and I was a little bit of a blank slate in some ways. So I took a few months, and I just wrote and co-wrote.

Who did you end up figuring out you were as an artist?

I call [the music on my album] indie-pop for grown-ups. And I don't mean it's just for grown-ups. I think it's all ages, but I do think I have a very specific voice...I'm a grown woman, and I've been through a lot. And I think that’s reflected in the music...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

So like, Adele type stuff? Romantic and heartbreaking?

It's a combination of things. The single is unexpected. It's a little P!nk, a little Kelly Clarkson, and a little bit of Goldfrapp's Supernature. And that's the part of me I didn't really show on The Voice. I feel like I did a lot of really big ballads and things like that..but beyond the song I did, “Perfect," I don't think you heard that part of me. So that's the single...I feel like there's already an Adele. She's hugely popular, but that's not where my heart is...

So, you come off the show where someone's held your hand through the process for a certain number of months. As soon as it’s over, are you on your own? Is it like, “Goodbye, good luck?”

Honestly, unless you get a record deal, I feel like it's kind of like being ejected from the warm womb. They're very kind, and everyone gives you their contact information. But once you're off the show, it's hard to figure out what you want to do next. No one shows at your door. There’s no reality star unicorn that shows up with vats of money and a record deal. Lucky for me, I have some really great friends who are in the industry who have given me beautiful advice and connected me to some great people, producers and other writers. And I'm very lucky. I can't imagine being somebody maybe from the Midwest who comes out here to do the show and it’s over, and they're like, “OK. I've got it made. I'm going to do this,” and they have no contacts outside of the show. It's got to be really difficult because you really are kind of adrift...

Did you find that there was an advantage to having those months of sort of exposure?

Oh, absolutely. I mean anyone who doesn't consider that an advantage is someone who maybe just doesn't want an audience. We all do music to be heard. I'm so lucky I got to be on so long. I can't imagine being on for one or two episodes because you put so much work into it. Having fans now that are excited about you, and are saying to you, “I want to hear your original music,” it's beautiful.

What's the reality of the mentorship after the show? I assume you have Adam Levine's contact information, but as far as how much you're in touch, what happens?

We honestly weren't really in touch a lot after the show. I know every contestant and every coach is different, but what happens is they get busy, and you get busy. It is very hard to stay in touch. I did get very lucky though in that I went to the Maroon 5 Grammy party on Grammy night. It was the first time I saw Adam since the show, and it was really beautiful. It was like I had just seen him. And he was as gracious as ever and as encouraging as ever, and told me to keep doing it. I don't expect that the coaches are going to stay in touch with all of the semifinalists or all of their top 12. I mean, they're busy, and they do so much..

What did you learn from Adam?

Adam is so focused and so driven. I think that he showed me that I can be a lot stronger than I ever thought I was. He threw a lot of challenges my way that were really hard for me. He also was very open to having his mind changed about me from the very beginning, and that opened my eyes. It was like, if I can surprise him, I can surprise myself. That became my goal in the competition, to step out of my comfort zone and do things that are scary...It's just going to make you grow, and I think Adam's a big example of someone who does everything...I think that kind of rubbed off on me a little bit.

Katrina Parker will be performing at The Hotel Café in Los Angeles on March 16, 2013. To keep up - Wetpaint

Viewers of The Voice's second season remember Katrina Parker, the North Carolina-bred songstress whose soulful covers of "One of Us" and "Jar of Hearts" earned her comparisons to Adele and made her an early audience favorite. Her elimination in the semi-finals caused some serious indignation, but thankfully she's preparing to make her way back into the spotlight with a brand new album, tentatively titled In and Out of the Dark.

"I've been calling my music 'indie pop for grown-ups,'" Parker explains in a phone call from her Los Angeles home. "I'd like to think all ages can enjoy it, but at the same time it's definitely coming from the perspective of a grown woman who's been through a lot the last couple of years."

After her run on The Voice came to an end, Parker was offered paid gigs at private and corporate events, but didn't land a record deal as she'd hoped. By the year's end, however, she had written the songs that would become her debut album, and turned to her fans to help with its release. In January, Parker launched a $19,000 Kickstarter pledge campaign, offering digital downloads, limited edition merch, and handwritten thank you notes on scented unicorn stationary, among other things. The project successfully raised its funding goal on February 16, with over $24,000 pledged.

"I had so many people working with me, friends and fans that were kind of evangelists, who were selling me really hard to their friends and family," Parker says. "It's a beautiful thing to know that you have enough people who love your music that they're actually going to pay for your album before you even make it ... And they came through."

The album consists primarily of original material written and co-written by Katrina, which she calls a "good reflection" of her past few years.

"It's so hard to describe the things I've been through, because I feel like I've had the most amazing experiences of my life in the last two years, but I've also had some of the deepest disappointment as well," Katrina explains. "And not just The Voice but things outside of The Voice as well. I feel like the record encapsulates that pretty nicely."

"I'm proud of that, and I'm very proud of the fact that I was able to get up and get back on my feet after The Voice, and say, 'You know what, this was an amazing thing that happened to me, it opened so many doors for me, but I'm in control of my destiny now,'" she asserts. She cites influences ranging from Pink and Kelly Clarkson to Florence + the Machine and Bat for Lashes, and assures fans there will be ballads as well ("I never met a sad song I didn't like"). And there are will be two covers, as well — one of them Dolly Parton's "Jolene." Parker is a very dedicated Parton fan.

"She played at the Hollywood Bowl the summer before last summer, and it was amazing. She played, like, every instrument. I was shocked, I didn't know she played piano, I didn't know she played electric guitar or saxophone, and then she pulled out, I think like, a recorder or something — It was just like, 'You play all of these instruments, and with ridiculously long nails?'" Parker laughs.

Below, check out Parker's reflections on the current season of The Voice (which she's recapping with signature charm for Celebuzz), her first musical loves, and what Adam Levine smells like.

(Click the review URL for more)... - Zimbio

...Playing a packed house on Saturday night at Hollywood’s Hotel Café, Parker walked onstage to immediate applause...Playing a handful of original songs that will appear on the album that she fan-funded through Kickstarter, it is clearly evident that Parker is not only an incredible singer, but also an exceptional songwriter...While she didn’t win the NBC reality show’s coveted highest honor (shockingly so), Parker has proven herself to be an artist to watch -- if not THE artist to watch. While comparisons to Adele might be inevitable, I would argue that Parker’s voice is actually better than the British chanteuse... - Edge On The Net