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It's not every day you open your email to find the producers of the TV singing competition "The Voice" extending an invitation to audition for the show.
Anyone who has auditioned for a reality talent show knows that the process can be painfully grueling: camping out in line at the crack of dawn to secure a spot, then waiting long hours before having a chance to sing in front of the first round of judges.
Utah-based singer-songwriter Michelle Gomez did not go seeking an audition. She only wanted to play music.
Gomez is the lead vocalist and singer/songwriter for Michelle Moonshine, a three-piece Americana band that features her soothing voice on vocals. Gomez is a self-taught musician who used to sneak into bars to see local blues rocker Tony Holiday perform. She began teaching herself how to play the guitar and eventually started crafting her own songs. Not long after, she was invited to go on tour with Holiday. That tour four years ago earned Gomez the invitation from "The Voice." The correspondence included an offer to fly out to a private audition in Colorado.
"It was really strange when I got the email because it was through an account for my music that was only on my old business cards," Gomez said in an interview with The Tribune. "I didn't have a website at that time. I didn't have anything. It had to have been an in-person thing that someone saw me play live."
Days after receiving the invitation, Gomez found out that she was pregnant. She auditioned anyway and made it through. It was then that she decided to turn the opportunity down.
"They asked me to go to L.A. for three months to be sequestered to a hotel," Gomez said. "I turned it down because I was pregnant — you don't want to be on TV pregnant. I still get emails, but I really believe in my band and what we're doing. It would mean more to me if I did it myself."
Instead of returning to television auditions, Gomez set out to take the traditional route to building a music career. She began performing solo shows and eventually connected with other musicians who would ultimately become Michelle Moonshine. Now, the band is entering its second year of being an official lineup. The three-piece features Gomez and John Davis (vocals, electric guitar and lap steel) often harmonizing with one another and taking turns both singing and writing songs. Bronk Onion plays upright bass.
Michelle Moonshine, which performs at The Urban Lounge on Wednesday, opening for Johnny Cash tribute band Cash'd Out, is a folk group that aims to stay true to the grit of Americana music. The band is currently working on their first full-length album, a live effort that has the trio using only one microphone and analog equipment.
"It's all stripped down and analog — the way music should sound — instead of glossy and tracking," Gomez said. "My first [solo] album, we did in the studio. It's so devoid of grit, because that's how people record these days and want to sound. It doesn't feel like a reflection of us at all. I don't want to sound perfect on an album because that's not how we sound in real life."
Gomez may not sound perfect in real life, but her hypnotic vocals feel close. She is often compared to country singer Allison Krauss, though Moonshine said she doesn't sound like her.
She suspects the comparison stems from what she refers to as a lush, comforting sound.
Talent scouts agree. Gomez continues to get invitations to audition for "The Voice," and has also heard from "America's Got Talent." But the vocalist believes in her band. She said that their different dynamics in a live setting is part of what makes them special.
"There's cool things that happen when you are actually singing with somebody," Gomez said. "It's completely different than in the studio. We don't feel too obligated to be up all the time and high-energy — I don't have a problem being vulnerable when I play live."
Gomez said that being vulnerable breaks down a metaphorical curtain between the band and the audience. Once that curtain is down, the energy exchange can happen. Looking to the future, Michelle Moonshine is excited to release their debut album and hope to schedule more national tours.
"My favorite is converting people," Gomez said. "We're not a religion or anything, but I get a kick out of seeing the kind of people that enjoy us because they're not in any one category. We're not so strong in one genre. We kind of touch everything so that tons of different people like us. I really like building relationships with people and venues." —
Opening for Cash'd Out
When • Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Where • The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $18, $20 day of show; Ticketfly