Ethan Eckenroad, a Northern Bedford graduate, received a four-chair turn on NBC’s “The Voice” during Monday night’s show. Courtesy photo

A local singer-songwriter who is a familiar face at the Clay Cup received a four-chair turn on NBC’s “The Voice” during Monday night’s show.

Heading into a watch party for Ethan Eckenroad, Sarah Garber, owner of the Clay Cup, said other than knowing Eckenroad took part in the show, very little is known about his time in California, where he ended up at the blind auditions before coaches John Legend, Michael Buble, Kelsea Ballerini and Adam Levine.

The blind auditions, which are now airing as the coaches fill their teams, were recorded last year, but due to contractual obligations, contestants are limited on what information they can share with family and friends.

Viewers at home and at the watch party found out at the same time that Eckenroad, a Roaring Spring resident, chose Adam Levine as his coach after a back-and-forth battle between the four stars.

Eckenroad performed Noah Kahan’s song “Northern Attitude” on vocals and acoustic guitar, earning praise from the judges.

Legend said he was impressed with Eckenroad’s poise and soulfulness, while Ballerini said she was already “a fan of you,” and Buble said “you’re good music.” Eckenroad, who laughed and put his face in his hands, took his time in picking a team, eventually slowly drawing out “I think I choose … Team Adam.”

That decision came after Levine good naturedly used “emotional blackmail” to get Eckenroad on his side.

“You have my favorite voice I’ve heard so far this entire blind audition,” Levine said. “It would be a tragedy if you weren’t on my team.”

“I’ve been waiting for you, my friend,” Levine said, noting Eckenroad’s performance was effortless, soulful and simple.

“No bells and whistles,” Levine said. “Just his voice … so pure.”

A Northern Bedford graduate, Eckenroad – who turns 27 on Wednesday – took part in filming for “The Voice” a few times throughout the last year, in the summer and fall, Garber said.

“He had to keep it a secret,” she said, noting he also had to be away from his family for a while.

Eckenroad and his wife Elizabeth welcomed their first child, a daughter named Josephine, in 2024. Both were at the filming for the blind auditions and were shown as Eckenroad performed.

Garber said she wasn’t surprised to learn Eckenroad had a four-chair turn.

“I know how incredibly talented he is,” she said. “His sound is unique.”

Not only is his voice “smooth and simple in a beautiful way, it is the heart and soul behind his voice, who he is, coming through” that makes him unique, she said.

Garber said Eckenroad was her first employee at the Clay Cup, approaching her for work before she even opened.

He’s been a barista, assistant manager for the cafe and is now the head roaster for Westfall Coffee Co., she said.

“One of the cool things,” she said, is “I got to see him become more and more involved in his music. … I’ve gotten to see him lean into that more.”

“He was always very talented,” she added.

Before the watch party, Garber said, “We’re all going to be on the edge of our seats. … We’re going to be teary-eyed and our hearts are going to be so full.”

While working at the coffee shop, Eckenroad also led worship at a church in Altoona, said music producer Brent Stewart, who worked with Eckenroad on an EP, the self-titled “Ethan Eckenroad.”

When the church closed, Eckenroad started to focus more on his music, according to his biography.

Stewart knew Eckenroad through “friends of friends” but “I don’t think I actually met him until he came to my house to record,” he said, admitting he was “kind of floored” when Eckenroad told him he was going to be on “The Voice.”

“You don’t hear about too many people from central Pa. specifically that make it on to the show, so it was cool to hear,” Stewart said.

The two worked on the EP for a few weeks and had “a lot of fun,” Stewart said.

Stewart said Eckenroad is a talented singer and songwriter, who came prepared with a list of songs he wanted to do and a lot of ideas.

“It didn’t take long to record,” he said. “I could tell his music is heartfelt, and it comes from a deep place.”

Stewart said Eckenroad’s music is unique, with an authentic, creative feel, and while he had never worked on folk music personally, the experience was fun.

“I think we’re both pretty happy with how the album turned out,” he said.

Talking about Eckenroad’s opportunity to be on “The Voice,” Stewart said, “I’m really happy for him, he deserves it. … I really hope this launches his career as an artist.”

“We’re a family at the coffee shop and we are all rooting for him,” Garber added.

Eckenroad released his first two songs in 2024, “Barabbas” and “Haunting me,” available on streaming sites.

He describes himself as “a modern folk singer-songwriter.” According to his Spotify biography, his songwriting is derived from life experiences.

“I believe that though life is a mess, it’s still worth living,” he said. “That though relationships are hard, they’re still worth fighting for. So I write songs about it in hopes to connect with other people like me simply trying their best to live the life they have and love the people important to them.”

New episodes of “The Voice,” now in its 27th season, will air at 8 p.m. Monday nights through the playoff rounds on NBC. There are five weeks of blind auditions before the next stage of the competition.