It’s been exactly one year since Fredericksburg-based blues rocker Huntley won first place on Season 24 of The Voice.
Since then, Huntley has hit the ground running. He’s made appearances at music festivals, sang the national anthem at NFL games, and released two songs, including his most recent single, “Skyline Drive,” which he wrote as a love letter to Virginia and performed during the Season 2025 finale of The Voice.
Huntley spoke with Northern Virginia Magazine about what life has been like for him since his big win, his relationship with coach Niall Horan, meeting new The Voice coaches Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé, and his plans for 2025.
Congrats on winning The Voice last year. December 19 marks exactly one year since you won. What has the last year been like for you?
I wasn’t expecting to win, so when I got that opportunity, I just wanted to make the most of it. When I did win, I was a little shocked. There were the pros and cons that came with winning. Before, I wasn’t really set on what happens when you win in terms of what you’re given or the prize money or anything like that. I just wanted to make sure that I created experiences.
Walking into this, I felt like the best thing to do was put a team around me and not really think that I would have this Kelly Clarkson moment where everything was going to be handed to me. Kelly deserved that moment, because I think she’s one of the best singers on this planet. She was one of the first winners on those kinds of shows.
I found the right manager with Edward [Crowe] and his whole team and all he’s done for me. You can only control what you can control. I just felt like it was right for me to release and produce the kind of music I wanted to if I stepped away from the label. Coming into that the first two months was my decision, and I feel like it jump-started me being able to release two songs before the end of the year. A lot of The Voice winners release covers, or they’re bound by contract what they can or can’t release. I feel like the reason I won the show was because I stayed genuine.
You performed your new single, “Skyline Drive,” on The Voice finale. What inspired you to write about Virginia, where you’re from?
Honestly, I was born in Florida but moved to Virginia when I was 14. That’s also when I was honing in on my love for music in a whole different way. I was starting to write a lot and got my first guitar around that time. It was the first time I really experienced the seasons in Virginia.
I fell in love with the Blue Ridge Mountains. I grew up around Lake Anna and from afar, you can see the Blue Ridge Mountains. I was always intrigued because right around fall, you can see through the tree lines. I always loved going in the springtime out to the mountains, and that was what inspired me in my writing, the beauty of Virginia. I feel like it’s America’s hidden gem.
After winning the show, I think it was the right time to pay homage to the state I love so dearly. It sounds like I’m singing about a girl, but it’s really my love for Virginia.
What are your plans for 2025? Is “Skyline Drive” a single off a full upcoming album?
I’m old school, so if I’m going to release an album, I want it to be a real album where all the songs correlate with each other. Right now, I just feel like I’m giving a lot of different pieces of Huntley, and it just gives me free roam to set apart a little bit and show different parts of myself rather than putting myself into one box.
As far as next year, I can’t say too much, but I have so much exciting stuff that I can’t wait to really celebrate with everybody in 2025. I’m doing some things that no Voice winner or contestants have ever done before, so I’m excited.
What do you like most about Virginia? Do you have any favorite places to visit?
I think that Virginia has a lot to offer. When I see beautiful communities come together, like when I visited the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, it’s just really cool. I felt like I was transported 20 years in the past when people cared. It’s just the moxie that I love and I feel like “Skyline Drive” is the song that can help remind people of that.
What was your experience on The Voice like? Do you still keep in touch with your coach Niall Horan or any of the other coaches or finalists from your season?
I think that being 34, I try to respect people’s boundaries. I got to meet [Season 26 coach] Snoop Dogg this past week, which is insane, and [Season 26 coach] Michael Bublé, who’s been one of my idols. They just show me that they’re regular people, so I try not to be annoying. It’s a cordial relationship, with some messages here and there, but nothing too crazy.
I think Niall is one of the steadiest working people in the industry right now. He’s traveling all around the world.
Coming back to The Voice and getting such a welcome from all the staff was insane, I wasn’t expecting that. Remembering what it was like to be on that stage and be out there singing for my family and kids, it’s been crazy. 2025 will be even more insane.
Feature image courtesy Huntley
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