Adam Wakefield on Life After ‘The Voice’

Season 10 of The Voice on Team Blake Shelton is where we first met country singer Adam Wakefield. Although he wasn’t crowned winner of the singing competition, he is doing just fine on his own trying to make a name for himself in the country music scene.

His own path to Music City and from there to The Voice is one he forged on his own, but is still similar to other musicians around town. In 2013, he left his home in Baltimore chasing a dream to Nashville where he went on to play at a variety of bars in local talent’s bands.

He didn’t necessarily plan a career in contemporary country music, but when he was approached by a The Voice producer and asked to try out for the show, he figured if the boot fit, he might as well wear it.

“I couldn’t walk into the audition and do bluegrass, but I figured I can do country that was more geared toward old school stuff. Not the bro-y stuff,” Wakefield tells Sounds Like Nashville of his audition process. “I like that music too, but it’s not what I do, I’m not good at that. If I was, Lord knows I would be doing it because I would be making millions of dollars. So I went out and bought a Stetson and bought some boots and walked in and did country, and well, it worked out.”

He went on to make it all the way to the finals, ending as the season’s runner up. His time on the show may have ended but his career certainly hasn’t. Following his time on reality television, he is determined not to fall in the pit of obsolete singing competition contestants.

“I think I kind of innately stand out in a good way just because it’s a singing show. It’s not ‘The Artist,’ it’s ‘The Voice,’” Wakefield continues. “Before I went on the show I spent a lot of time writing songs in town and really figuring out the parts of the country music that I like and I don’t like. I think my brand is pretty clear and my songwriting has its own stamp, so I think those are the elements you need to be successful and step out of the pack from the rest of the singers who went on ‘The Voice.’ Plus, having people helping you doesn’t hurt either.”

So what’s next for the genre hopeful?

He has recently independently released his single, “When You’re Sober,” a track he penned in L.A. while filming for the show. It’s a ballad that examines a broken relationship and how a drunk call in the middle of the night won’t fix anything.

“Wait ’til the morning comes and call me when you’re sober,” he shares the tune’s hook. “It’s one of those moments everybody has, it’s late, you’ve been drinking so your will power is lower and you’re lonely so you try to reach out and find somebody and the guy choosing to do the right thing.”

“It’s not really based around me, I wouldn’t do that. I would just be like ‘You wanna come over? Come on over.’ What else would I be doing?” Wakefield admits with a sly smile, showing off a bit of his country outlaw persona. “I mean I’m sure I’ve done the right thing at one point.”

There are no immediate plans for an album, although he hopes one day someone believes in his music enough to support a record. He trust his music would stand out on country radio and hopes that his talent can make a difference one day. And that’s all he needs to be happy.

“Just the fact that I’m playing my music and making a living out of it, if I can just keep doing that, I’m happy,” he concludes. “I guess once the whole ‘The Voice’ thing happened, that voice in the back of my head kept saying maybe I can make a difference and have a staple in country music, that would make me a happy camper.”

Watch Wakefield’s “When You’re Sober” music video below.