Audra & The Antidote

Every time I think I'm out... they keep pulling me back in...

After the birth of my son, Quinn, on May 12 of this year, I left Nashville for Maryland's coast to be closer to the Grandparents. After years of struggle on the independent music scene I was badly burned out. I packed up my guitar for what I thought was the last time and put thoughts of Rockstardom out of my mind. It was time to move on. In fact, it had been a couple years since Audra & The Antidote last performed.

A couple months ago I got my very first royalty check. It wasn't for much, but it was a royalty check! "How ironic", I thought - at least in an Alanis Morissette kind of way. Admitedly it sent me into a round of "what ifs" which my partner Mike was displeased to see.

A couple days ago I got an email. It was from a producer at CBS. They are making a series based around INXS's search for a new lead singer. One of the auditions will be in Nashville and he'd gotten a couple recommendations for me so he thought he'd invite me to audition.

At first I blew it off. I had actually read about this whole event on CNN.com. I thought it sounded bizaar. Why would INXS want to do this in this way? Won't it end up as goofy as American Idol? After all, I would have to fly to Nashville and I couldn't possibly put together a band in time.

Still curious I went to the site and read about it. They were only letting you perform with one instrument (no bands) and you were encouraged to perform your own songs since they are looking for a singer/songwriter/front person. It started sounding better...

I imagined myself going to this audition waiting in line, seeing all the other hopefuls. I started to get a bad feeling about it. The date the producer listed as the Nashville date was different from what was on the website. I asked him about it. He said the one listed on the website was for the "cattle call". The one he listed is for appointments only and he'd be happy to set me up one - any time between 8:00am - 4:00pm.

Wow. An invitation and appointment. How could I refuse? What was there to lose? I do have to close a Nashville bank account anyway...

So, I told Jenn (of Jenny's Got A Boyfriend fame), she begged to go, so I bought 2 tickets and we're heading to Nashville for a day and a half in January!

If nothing else I can say I followed all opportunities presented to me and I can look back without regret.