Joshua Davis talks life after 'The Voice'

The past few months have been like a dream for Joshua Davis.

From February through May, the Michigan singer-songwriter, best known in Lansing as a member of Steppin' In It, lived between Traverse City and Los Angeles, appearing each week on NBC's "The Voice."

He bonded with Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, his coach on the show. He performed with Sheryl Crow. He also made it all the way to the show's finale, landing at No. 3 overall.

Davis is back in Michigan now, but life will never be the same.

"I'm really thankful for the experience, and I'm excited for the next few months and years," said Davis, chatting by phone from his Traverse City home.

Friday, Davis returns to Lansing. He'll headline a show at the Wharton Center with special guests Steppin' In It, Laura Bates and Jen Sygit.

Davis spoke with the LSJ about what's next on his fantastically wild journey.

Q: When you first did "The Voice," did you ever think you would make it to the finale?

A: No way. It's a shocker. I exist outside the mainstream, and it's really gratifying to know there's a wider audience for what I do and that it resonated with so many people. I'm grateful for the experience, and it was really a huge group effort to see all the support for me. People shared it so much and got relatives, friends and coworkers to vote. There was this huge support system that just popped up and came together around me being on a TV show. It was amazing.

Q: What's the next step for you?

A: I'm going to do what I've done, but hopefully it will be bigger platforms. I love playing music festivals and concerts, and that's something I'm going to continue to do. I'm going to continue to make albums, so hopefully I'm going to be writing and probably do some writing inspired by this experience. I've put together a team that I trust with a booking agency and management to kind of take a little of the weight off. I'm hoping to use this exposure to shine the light on the great things we have going on in Michigan and the grassroots community movement.

Q: You really championed Michigan on "The Voice."

A: Always. I'm really proud of what we have going on here because I think it's unique and different from a lot of other places. I've played with a lot of different people all over the country and world, and what we have going is really special. I think we're going to see a lot more coming out of Michigan in the national scene.

Q: Are you going to stay in touch with your coach Adam Levine and the other contestants?

A: Definitely. Adam's a busy guy, but we really bonded and really got close. It was really fun to work with him, and we got to the point where we had a really good working relationship and understood each other. I respect him as a person and artist, and I'm excited to bounce ideas off of him. The other contestants are some of my best friends now, so we'll definitely keep in touch, and hopefully I'll be working on stuff with them.

Q: What was "The Voice" like behind the scenes?

A: It was super busy, nonstop, especially toward the end of the finale. We were doing 18 hour days. It was madness, but I was so impressed with everyone involved with the show. There's so much that goes into this show and so many moving parts. Everybody does their job so well and with such respect for each other. I think that's why the show is so successful: because it's a positive culture.

Q: What was the Traverse City homecoming like, when "The Voice" arranged a hometown show during the series?

A: Oh, man, that was crazy. I was working on two hours of sleep. I came into Traverse City and had this incredible day. It was mind-blowing. To have friends and family and people from the community that I've been inspired by come out and support me meant so much. Steppin' In It are my brothers, so to be able to perform with them in that setting was amazing. I got two hours of sleep and then headed back to L.A. and did a 26-hour day. That whole period of time seems like this weird dream to me, but it was so much fun.

Q: I must ask: What's your best memory from "The Voice?"

A: I think one of the best things from the show was being able to play some of my original tunes. I had to push for it and fight for it really hard. The network was kind of against it, and finally they caved, and I was allowed to do it, and it charted on iTunes, so I feel grateful that they took a chance and that it worked out. Hopefully that'll be something that's really good for the show. I know it's a signing completion, but there's a lot of people I met on the show that are songwriters, and I think they're important to highlight.

Find Joshua Davis online at www.joshuadavismusic.com.

How to go: Joshua Davis, season eight 'The Voice' finalist, with Steppin' In It, Laura Bates and Jen Sygit, 8 p.m. June 26, Wharton Center's Cobb Great Hall on the campus of MSU, tickets $25 ($50 for a VIP meet and greet) via whartoncenter.com, 432-2000 or 1-800-WHARTON. Tickets on sale 10 a.m. June 3.

Anne Erickson is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact her at aerickson@lsj.com.