For the first time in The Voice history, there is no record deal with Universal Music Australia as part of the winner’s prize.
Over its 12 seasons winners have always won cash and a contract with Universal.
While the $100,000 cash prize remains, instead the winner receives an artist development package with recording studio, Studios 301 in Alexandria.
Yet according to coach Kate Miller-Heidke it’s a better outcome, giving emerging artists time to grow without being shackled to a contract.
“In the past some of these artists have ended up locked into contracts with major labels, before they’ve even really figured out who they are as artists,” Miller-Heidke told TV Tonight.
“You do need time as an artist to be able to hone your craft. I think the risk when you when you’re so young or inexperienced, to go out there and be shackled to a major label straight right off the bat, is too early.
“It would have been my total wet dream”
“We need to give these artists a chance to play lots of shows, to figure out what they want to say as an artist. I think that’s why this year, the prize is awesome. I mean, it would have been my total wet dream as a young artist to be given this prize from Studios 301, which is just an incredible studio.”
So this means young singers won’t have the burden of having to recoup the investment attached to a record deal?
“Absolutely. Or they feel pressure to make a certain kind of music, pressure to make a covers record. This way it’s completely up to the artist….I mean, it’s what I would prefer.”
Language
Kate Miller-Heidke admits she was surprised to be approached for the show.
She’s not alone on that front given that in 2005 she performed an ode to Australian Idol on RocKwiz with lyrics referring to auditionees having their dreams crushed, two d***head hosts, and “watching a really short guy singing sing annoying song by Craig David.”
“I’m 20 years older, and perhaps see the world with a bit more nuance than I did back then”
But Miller-Heidke concedes she has matured since then while Reality TV has also shifted.
“I’m 20 years older, and perhaps see the world with a bit more nuance than I did back then,” she admits.
“But also, there’s a difference with The Voice. It’s not about making fun of anyone -although that sort of thing is really fun to watch- but The Voice is about nurturing talent, coaching people, mentoring people and helping them be the best they can be. It’s all about the voice which is my lifelong passion. I’ve always been obsessed with singing, and I still am.
“I was surprised when they asked me. It sort of came out of left field, but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded tantalising.
“They were basically auditioning me”
“They got me in to do a couple of mock blind auditions. I was listening to auditions, but they were basically auditioning me to see how I functioned under that kind of pressure. I had so much fun doing those, it was like playing a game -doing an acting workshop, but all about singing. And I also realised that I’ve learned a lot in my 22 plus years having a career in music. I’ve genuinely felt like I had something to offer so that excited me too.”
Coaching alongside Guy Sebastian, Adam Lambert and Leann Rimes, she was nonetheless in no doubt about the level of talent the show has uncovered.
“That was a big shock for me actually. Not just the the amount of talent we had, but the breadth and diversity of the voices. We had, singers in every kind of genre and it’s just so delightful and surprising to hear such an eclectic lineup of talents. I really loved that about it.
“There were songwriters, people who came on to reinvent songs. It was the opposite of karaoke. It was people who really had something to say.
“Television is a totally new world for me, and I was really nervous at first”
“Television is a totally new world for me, and I was really nervous at first. But everyone helped me feel comfortable. Guy Sebastian was really generous and encouraging. If I ever had any questions or needed any advice, I knew I could go to him, and he was lovely. But it’s a really beautiful team of people and was a steep learning curve for me. It was a challenge.”
As she builds her team through Blind Auditions, Milleer-Heidke is tight-lipped about who joins her team, but excited for the end result.
“I’m just so proud of them all. You can’t help but feel a little bit maternal, a bit of a mother hen to all these lovely young people. They’re all so different. I just hope I was able to help them in some way. I think some of them are incredibly talented and potentially have long careers ahead of them.”
The Voice screens 7:30pm Monday – Wednesday on Seven.
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