Exclusive Q and A: Juliet Simms Takes Us Behind The Scenes of 'The Voice'

posted in: Exclusive Interviews • Pop • Rock

OurStage Exclusive InterviewsUp until Superbowl Sunday, Juliet Simms was known solely in the underground modern rock scene as the vocal powerhouse of  pop punk band Automatic Loveletter. On stage, she was a charismatic performer, earning her stripes on the Warped Tour circuit and on club tours with bands like Secondhand Serenade and Cute Is What We Aim For. But behind the scenes, Simms struggled to find a label to call home and was constantly battling those who believed a woman simply couldn’t hang in the male-centric world of rock music. Simms’ tight-knit fan community were by her side, but she couldn’t seem to break into the mainstream the way she wanted to.
In 2011, she took to The Voice‘s stage in hopes of impressing one of the four judges: Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and Cee-Lo Green. Her rendition of The Beatles’ “Oh! Darling” in the blind auditions was good enough to make all but Shelton fight for her to join their team. After joining Team Cee-Lo, Simms continued to blow the competition out of the water with her covers of “Roxanne,” “Cryin’,” “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” and more. She finished in second place on The Voice, but is undoubtedly the contestant that the world is waiting on. We caught up with Juliet to find out more about her experience on the show and what we can expect from her career in the future.

OS: What was your audition process for The Voice? What made you decide to sing “Oh! Darling” for your audition?

JS: I’ve never really been one for covering songs. I’ve always just done originals. However I grew up singing The Beatles and just felt if I was going to do this show, I was going to do it my way and represent the music I so much believe in.

OS: Before you auditioned, did you have a first choice for which coach you’d want to work with? How did it feel when three out of four coaches turned their chairs around for you?

JS: I walked onto the blind audition stage just hoping one would turn around for me. When I saw that three had turned for me I was dumbfounded. Cee- Lo spoke from his heart and I could hear the loyalty in his words. I knew he was the right coach to go with!

OS:  What has life been like for you since the show ended? Do you have any immediate plans of things you’d like to start working on?

JS: Life has been drunk…[laughs] no, just kidding. Being out in the wilderness again is taking some getting used to. I’m pretty much just resting…I was and still am pretty sick so I’m trying to get better. My plans are to take immediate action in making an album.

OS: What were some of the most important things that you’ve learned from your coach, Cee-Lo Green?

JS: That having a pet sidekick is mandatory when devising plans for world domination. Also, he taught me some key ingredients/secrets as to being a good performer. It’s supposed to be a selfless act. Yes, people are coming to see you but it’s for something that only you can give them. Give the people all of you. Cee-Lo also helped me show the world who I was as an artist..something that I wasn’t accepted for, for so long.

OS: Who were some of your favorite fellow contestants? Are there any you would like to collaborate with in the future?

JS: Truthfully, there wasn’t one contestant I didn’t love or get along with…but if we’re playing that game, I’d say some of my faves were Erin Willet, Rae Lynn, Jamar, Cheesa, Lindsey, Chris Mann, Sarah Golden, Pip, Jordis…okay, I could keep going. I’d gladly work with any of them!

OS: How did you engage your community of Automatic Loveletter fans [who call themselves “Snakes”] for support on The Voice? How have they responded to your success?

JS: A.LL. Snakes are the definition of loyalty. They had my back from the start. My snakes have been with me from the beginning and I feel I share with them this long journey. My success is just as much theirs and for them as it is for me. I’d be nowhere without them.
OS: If you could do the whole show over again from the beginning, is there anything you’d do differently?

JS: Not a single thing.

OS: You mentioned before singing “It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World” that you’ve struggled with being a woman in rock scene for a few years. What did it mean to you to be the only female vocalist in the finals?

JS: It meant I was repping the women for the season. Girl power to its fullest. I felt the song and the circumstances were very ironic.

OS: After everything you’ve learned on the show, what do you envision your next record sounding like? Will you be taking a more “classic rock” approach to your sound rather than the familiar sound of Automatic Loveletter?

JS: There will be a difference between my band’s sound and me as a solo artist. I imagine there will more of an organic sound to it. Far less pop punk and more of what inspired me on the show!

Be on the lookout for more from Juliet Simms coming soon! In the meantime, let’s look back on one of her best performances of the season, “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”: