We all know Kristen Merlin here in Boston as the South Shore girl who made it to the top five singers on The Voice, but she wants you to know she is more than that. The Hanson, Massachusetts native has just released a five-song EP Boomerang, which is her debut as a solo artist. Boomerang was produced by Corey Britz, engineered by Paul Fig and recorded at Southland Records in Los Angeles.
Merlin got her start in the first grade when she made her solo debut with “Never Never Land” in her elementary school’s rendition of Peter Pan. In high school, the self-taught guitarist started writing her own material. From there, she studied music and sound recording at the University of New Haven in Connecticut.
She graduated in 2007, moved back to Mass. and began playing locally, quickly named the South Shore’s Best Acoustic Solo Act by the Boston Nightlife Awards. When Merlin heard auditions for NBC’s Emmy Award-winning show The Voice would be held in New York City, she knew it would be a unique opportunity to take her talents to the national level.
“It was actually a last minute decision that I decided to try out for the show,” she said. “I decided to drive to New York and auditioned. It really was a once in a lifetime experience. That experience alone has turned things inside out and upside down for me. Now I travel and people recognize me. It is great to be able to continue to work with my fan base that has grown even more since the show.”
As for what the future holds for her, Merlin said she would like to be able to put a together a tour and continue to travel. “I think music is so healing and am blessed to be able to be a part of that,” she said.
For more information on Kristen Merlin visit www.KristenMerlin.com.
