-BIO-
Audra McLaughlin is the Country Soul Singer/Songwriter from Glenolden, PA, who gained international recognition as a member of Team Blake on season 6 of NBC’s, The Voice. She received the infamous four-chair turn from the celebrity coaches and charmed industry veterans and fans alike with her powerhouse vocals and signature rasp, taking her to the finals. Shortly after the voice wrapped, Audra made her way to Nashville. In 2020, she signed a publishing deal with Jimmy Mattingly and Johnny Garcia and is a spokesperson for renowned vocal coach Kati Henricks’ new masterclass series. She has also sold out Bluebird Cafe and The Listening Room 4 times each.
Those who know Audra best were not surprised by her seemingly overnight success. As a young girl, she would routinely put on performances for her family and friends, belting out the classics from Mariah Carey and Celine Dion to Christina Aguilera and LeAnn Womack. Through some encouragement, her parents signed her up for vocal lessons. She soon started performing all around her hometown, including a local singing competition at Barnstormers Theatre, where she placed 1st.
Audra was a choir member up through high school, and at 15, she joined her first rock band. It was then that she took an interest in songwriting and wanting to perform her original material. The following year she picked up the guitar. As a young child who struggled to fit in and dealt with bullying from her peers due to a learning disability, music became her go-to outlet.
“I struggled with finding friends and just fitting in. It just took me longer to comprehend certain material than the other kids. I felt really alone in that part of my life, and music was what got me through so many of those difficult times. I am so thankful that the good Lord blessed me with music.”
After a few years in the rock band, Audra decided she wanted to go in a different direction, musically. She joined a cover band in college, and in 2013, the opportunity to audition for The Voice presented itself. The local music school she was attending sent her performance videos to the casting director, and she received an invitation to fly to New York City for a private audition. After passing the 2nd audition and moving on to the final round, she received the four-chair turn and ultimately chose Blake Shelton as her mentor to guide her in her career as a country music artist.
“AUDRA IS ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE COUNTRY SINGERS” -BLAKE SHELTON
Once her time on The Voice came to an end, Audra performed at several NFL games and toured with a NASCAR band for two years before deciding to move to Nashville to continue her career. In 2017, as she was preparing for the move, she received news that she had a cyst on her vocal chord and would require vocal surgery. She spent the next year attending speech and voice therapy and eventually met Kati Hendricks, whom she credits with much of her healing process.
After recovering from her vocal surgery, Audra moved to Nashville and began writing and networking. She released two independent singles, “Boomerang” and “Leaving the Light On.” In 2019, she met industry veteran Jimmy Mattingly through her vocal coach. Soon after, Jimmy introduced her to Johnny Garcia, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the years, Audra has lent her talent to many charities whose missions are dear to her heart, including anti-bullying & veterans organizations and diabetes & breast cancer awareness campaigns.
Audra is hard at work writing and recording new material for her upcoming album and is releasing new music quarterly. You can follow her on Facebook and Youtube, where she regularly posts new videos, add her music to your playlists on Spotify, and track her upcoming shows on BandsInTown.
