A Colorado Musician Just Joined Gwen Stefani’s Team on The Voice

Lain Roy, a singer from Larkspur, has earned a coveted spot on NBC’s The Voice.

The young singer has been working hard for success. He grew up in a small town where, he says, you couldn’t hear more than “a train or a dog bark in the background.” Then he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston and, later, Belmont University in Nashville, where he studied music business. While in school, he released singles and his first EP, Nobody but You. Still, he was eager to pursue something bigger.

Producers from The Voice reached out to him on social media and asked him to audition. “I actually wanted to audition earlier, but decided not to because I was still in college,” Roy says. He waited and kept working on his music, perfecting his craft.

He finally took the leap this past summer, auditioning with Lewis Capaldi‘s heart-wrenching hit, “Someone You Loved,” which Roy had covered in a track. “I thought it would be the best to emotionally showcase my voice,” he says.

He was anxious about auditioning. Not even a few seconds after he started singing, both John Legend and Gwen Stefani turned around to watch. Having two music legends staring at him and listening to his voice for the first time made him even more nervous — so nervous he can’t remember a thing that happened after he sang the first line of the song.

The tear-jerker performance earned him critical praise in Billboard magazine.

When he went into the audition, he had been hoping to be on Kelly Clarkson’s or John Legend’s team, but after hearing what Gwen Stefani had to say, he said he knew God was pulling him toward her team.

“I know that I have something to offer,” she told him. “There’s more to this than just your singing, you know. There’s a lot to be said about stage presence, about style and being able to connect with the audience.”

Roy, who says he struggles with nerves and being comfortable on stage, thought Stefani was the best pick to help him as a performer. His parents, who know he is a huge Legend fan, were shocked by his decision.

“I know she has so much life experience, especially as a musician,” Roy says about Stefani. He is confident that she will help him grow as a singer and performer.

For now, while waiting for the season to continue, Roy is prepping songs, working on new music and sometimes baking his famous chocolate-chip cookies. According to him, “The best ingredient is patience.”

Though the prize for winning the show is a record deal and a rocket toward stardom, there’s more to Roy’s dream than that.

“[Music is about] doing your part in the world and trying to make it a better place in any capacity you can,” he says. “That might mean a new song that brings a smile to someone’s face.”

The Voice airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 7 p.m.