Soon after taking her first vocal lesson at five years-old, Blaire Elbert knew that music was her path. Eventually, the Texas native went viral as a member of The Cactus Cuties, and the wheels were in motion.
2023 saw the release of her debut single, “Too Soon to Tell,” which she followed with a handful of high-streaming singles that showed she had the talent to fulfill her dreams.
Elbert made her way on stage at The Voice, where she delivered a fantastic rendition of Rosalie Allen’s “Wide Rolling Plains,” which earned her a chair turn from coach Kelly Clarkson.
With a studio version of “Wild Rolling Plains” recently released, we chatted with Elbert about her musical journey, her time on The Voice, new music on the way and more!
Pro Country: You’ve listed various influences in past interviews, ranging from The Chicks and Shania Twain to Cody Johnson and Kelsea Ballerini. What has it been about their ways of presenting country songs that has struck a chord with you?
Blaire Elbert: Shania has always been one of my favorites. When I first started listening to country music, a Shania CD was one of the first that I remember having. I always loved the 90s and early 2000s style; especially Shania, because she brings in pop elements as well. Up! is one of my all-time favorite albums. I love the way that she and The Chicks blend styles without feeling like they have to stick in one lane. For similar reasons, Kelsea Ballerini has been a big influence. She has her own lane, which I love.
Vocally, Cody Johnson is one of my favorites. He can sing anything; he’s incredible!
PC: You began taking vocal lessons at just five years-old, and eventually landed with The Cactus Cuties for several years, playing several major events. What was it about performing that connected with you so early in your life, and how crucial was that early stage experience?
BE: Oh, gosh, I’m beyond thankful for those experiences. I was put into vocal lessons when I was five, and at the time, my mom didn’t know that singing was something I’d be interested in. My friend was taking lessons at a studio, and her mom happened to mention it to my mom. When I was younger, I liked to try just about everything [laughs]. She took me in for a lesson, and it turned out that I fell in love with music.
Over the years, I got put into The Cactus Cuties. We grew up singing, initially, at a local theater in my hometown. They’d have shows every weekend, so I grew up around incredible musicians and artists. Because of the Cuties, my childhood was very different. Still very down-to-earth, but on the weekends, I was hopping on planes to play gigs. It was a wild ride, but I’m so thankful for that experience.
PC: Though you’d been involved in music for so long, when did you begin to realize that music was something you wanted to, and feasibly could, pursue as a career?
BE: I realized pretty quickly that music was going to be a part of my life forever. Especially with the Cuties; we had our “National Anthem” go viral on YouTube, and at the time, we didn’t even know what YouTube was [laughs]. The first call we got was to sing at a San Antonio Spurs game. The doors that were opened through that video, and touring with the girls, showed me it was something I could do long term. Eventually, that brought me to Nashville, and I knew that there was no plan B.
PC: To that point, you moved from Texas to Nashville to attend Belmont University. Can you talk about the emotions that came with your move and what it was like to be surrounded by the collective talent at Belmont?
BE: Belmont was an incredible experience. Not only is it a great school, but there’s so many talented people there. There’s a great network that you’re able to make. I met some of my best friends at orientation. A lot of my peers are working their way up in the industry. It’s been really cool to watch everyone take their own path, but at the same time, still be on the rise together. When I was starting to look at colleges, I looked at Belmont because my vocal coach had gone for a semester or two. I pretty much had my mind set on coming to Nashville. Of course, my parents had me apply to other colleges, but in the back of my mind, there was no other option.
I’d been to Nashville a few times with the Cuties, but I knew when I visited the campus, it was a done deal for me.
PC: Though you’d been involved in music for so long, you didn’t release your debut single, “Too Soon to Tell,” until 2023. What emotions were you feeling as you were finally releasing music into the world for the first time?
BE: I knew that I wanted to pursue solo artistry after my time with the group; it was just a matter of when I was going to put out my first single. I’m very particular with everything I put out; I want there to be meaning behind it and something I’m really proud of. Working my way up to that first single was a lot of work, but I finally got to a place where, as soon as we wrote that song, I felt it was a good starting point for my solo career.
There were a lot of emotions! I was excited, but it was also a little scary. At the end of the day, I’d been doing this for most of my life, so it was exciting to take that leap of faith to get my first song out there.
PC: Your third single, “Whiskey Proof,” has earned nearly 250,000 streams on Spotify alone. What was it like to see a song take off like that for the first time?
BE: Seeing the success “Whiskey Proof” has had has been absolutely incredible. I wrote that song with one of my really good friends, Claire Carruthers. The two of us were sitting on my back porch when we wrote the song. Seeing how much love it’s gotten and seeing people relate to it has been mind-blowing. As an independent artist, knowing that people are listening to my music is incredible.
PC: Your two subsequent singles, “Easy Going” and “Howdy,” each earned over 300,000 streams on Spotify. What was it like to see that momentum over the course of those songs, and what does that do for the confidence of an artist that was still relatively new with releasing music?
BE: It feels amazing knowing that there’s people supporting me and have my back. Every message I get about my songs is an incredible feeling. “Easy Going” was written after a breakup, and it was really hard, but it was also a healing moment. I’ve had so many people that have said it’s helped them through their own relationship struggles.
“Howdy” is one of my favorite songs I’ve released. When my friends first heard the song, they were begging me to put it out.
Hearing the stories of people listening to my music is crazy, because I was living those stories. It’s nice to know that people can relate to what I’m also going through.
PC: You released a great cover of Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton’s “When I Get Where I’m Going” last September. Can you talk about the significance of the song and what it means to you?
BE: “When I Get Where I’m Going” is, by far, the most special song I’ve released. I lost my best friend last year, which has been the hardest loss I’ve ever gone through. His family asked if I could perform the song during his funeral. That’s a very heavy thing to do, so I asked them if I could record a quick demo to play it with everyone after.
That was one of his favorite songs. I remember listening to it with him. Eventually, I knew I wanted to release it as a single. It’s been really special to keep his legacy alive through that song.
The one-year anniversary was a couple weeks ago. There were a few people that reached out saying it got them through loss of their own.
PC: How did the opportunity to audition for The Voice come to you?
BE: The Voice reached out to me. I’d gotten casting call emails over the years, but I wasn’t sure if it was the right time. Eventually, I got an email from someone on the casting team asking if I’d be interested in applying for the show, and I just thought, “hey, why not?” It felt like a good time. The door presented itself, and I was ready to walk through it. It was unexpected, but in the best way. I’m really happy that I went through with it, because it’s been one of the best experiences that I’ve had yet.
PC: What emotions were you feeling as you walked out on stage to perform, and hopefully get chair turns from, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Adam Levine?
BE: That is probably the most nervous situation I’ve been in. It’s very exciting, but there’s definitely a lot of pressure, because you want to get a chair turn and work with one of the incredible coaches. There were cameras everywhere! I have experience being in front of cameras, but that’s a whole different ballpark. My legs were literally shaking because I was so nervous.
At the same time, I was very excited. Up until I finally got the chair turn, I was freaking out! [laughs].
PC: When did your audition take place, and how hard of a secret was it to keep that you’d auditioned?
BE: It’s one of the hardest secrets I’ve ever had to keep! We filmed last summer. I was out in California for a good chunk of time. It started airing in February, so I was getting antsy to announce it to everyone!
PC: What was the biggest thing you took away from your experience on The Voice?
BE: It gave a boost of confidence for some parts of my voice that I’ve been a little bit insecure about. The coaches talked about how they loved the rasp in my voice, and for some reason, that’s was something I was nervous about. They gave me the confidence to dig into that part of my voice.
I also took away leaning into the emotion of telling stories in songs. When I got to work with Jennifer Hudson, she mentioned that it wasn’t a competition of perfect notes, it was a competition of portraying songs the best you can. I can be a perfectionist at times, so hearing that was eye-opening.
Also, being able to work with my incredible castmates on the show. We’ve all had so much to learn from each other. That was very inspiring.
PC: You just released the studio version of “Wide Rolling Plains,” the song you performed on your blind audition on The Voice. You’ve said the song is one of the first songs you learned how to yodel to when you were about six years-old. How special is it to have a recorded version of the song out into the world?
BE: It’s absolutely crazy! I’ve done a couple yodeling songs over the years, but this one has been a huge part of me as an artist. I’ve probably sang it the most of any song I’ve ever sang. It was a full-circle moment getting to perform the song for my blind audition. I know it came as a bit of a surprise, but I knew I wanted to come out with a bang and showcase my yodeling. Now, having my own studio version out is so exciting. It’s been a lifelong process, and I’m proud of how it turned out.
PC: Your bio mentions several songs slated for release this year. What information, if any, can you give about what will follow “Wide Rolling Plains”? What can people expect to hear?
BE: I’ve been in the studio! I just finished vocals on a new song the other day. There will be a lot of new music coming. I have four or five songs lined up right now that we’re putting the finishing touches on. I’m excited about what will be coming out! I really feel like I’m starting to lock into my sound as an artist.
PC: You’re set to open for Sara Evans this week in Georgia. How much are you looking forward to sharing her stage and having the opportunity to play for her fans?
BE: I’m beyond excited! I got the call asking me to open the show on the day that my blind audition aired. That was a very crazy day; I was so excited that I started crying [laughs]. I’ve been a big fan of hers since I was young. She’s been a staple woman in country music where you hear her songs and know exactly who it is. I can’t wait to meet her, too!
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