Karise in second live show

Former Woy Woy resident Karise Eden has made it through the first live round of the Voice Australia competition and will perform her second live show on Monday, May 28, from 7:30pm.

Ms Eden said she felt "pretty cool" about the whole thing and, despite being slightly overwhelmed, she maintained that she was still "grounded and relaxed at the same time".

She said getting through the first round was a "shock for the good and the bad" and saying goodbye to two of her teammates was hard.

Ms Eden said she has built a few friendships within the group but said she felt a special bond with fellow contestant Emma Louise Birdsall.

"It would be really hard if Emma was eliminated, I would be really devastated, but I know nothings going to stop her.

"We've already agreed to keep in contact after the show,' said Ms Eden.

With the numbers getting smaller in each group, Karise said she is getting to spend more one-on-one time with coach Seal.

"I feel the show has helped me with my confidence and self esteem more than anything but I do have a lot of different tones in my voice so I just feel like the show has given me a chance for every colour in my voice to show," she said.

Karise said that the support she has had from her home town on the Peninsula had been phenomenal.

"I get mobbed, in a good way, every time I go back home.

"When I walk down the street and people know me, it's a pretty cool feeling.

Ms Eden said she wanted young people who were wanting a career in music to know that if music is what they want to do they should just "keep playing, and if it's what you want to do, it's who you are, it's not just a hobby".

Kaitlin Watts, 25 May 2012

Interviewee: Karise Eden

Photo: Ken Gordon