Cade Mower may have earned praise from The Voice coaches, but the Utah singer was far from happy with his latest performance. Despite Kelly Clarkson calling his vocals “insane,” the 35-year-old admitted he was deeply disappointed with his Battle round duet. However, his journey on the competition is far from over, and he still has a chance to become the Season 30 winner.

The Bluffdale, Utah, native opened up about his feelings during an interview on October 27, the morning after his Battle performance aired. Mower admitted that he had been extremely critical of the performance.

“I’m very critical of that performance,” he said. “I was very, very upset with it.”

Viewers might not have noticed his frustration while watching the show. After 15 years of performing at bars and playing thousands of live shows, Mower has learned how to stay composed onstage, even when things do not go as planned.

During the Battle round, he performed “Wondering Why” by the Red Clay Strays alongside fellow contestant Brayden Howell. Mower said singing with Howell felt more like working together than competing against each other.

However, several things went wrong from his perspective. Although “Wondering Why” was already part of his regular setlist, the arrangement for the show was lowered to accommodate both singers. Mower felt the new key did not highlight the strongest part of his vocal range.

He decided to make some last-minute changes to his sections, but later regretted taking that risk. The stop-and-go nature of filming also affected his adrenaline and concentration.

“I got in my head,” Mower explained. He said he entered slightly too early on his first note, which led to a series of moments he was unhappy with throughout the performance.

Despite his disappointment, coach Riley Green saw enough in Mower to send him through to the next round.

The singer has since survived Cut Week, which reduced the competition from 28 contestants to 12. A 13th artist will be added through America’s vote. Mower received an automatic spot in the Live Shows during the latest episode, meaning he did not have to perform again during Cut Week.

When he returns to the stage on Monday, November 9, he plans to treat the performance as a chance to make things right.

Staying True to Who He Is

Looking ahead to the Live Shows, Mower said he wants to remember what he has learned from more than 15 years in music. He understands his strengths and weaknesses and knows what kind of artist he wants to be.

During the Battle round, he felt he had moved away from his natural style by making last-minute changes in an attempt to show off his vocals.

“I know what I am, I know what I’m not,” he said. “I’m not the guy that’s gonna do vocal acrobatics. … I’m the guy that’s gonna just sing the song. I feel it and just sing it the way I sing it.”

Mower never saw himself as someone who would compete on a reality singing show. It took years of encouragement from a friend before he finally applied for The Voice. Still, he said the experience has felt genuine and has allowed viewers to see who he really is.

“All of it feels like it’s a good representation of who I am,” he explained. “I don’t feel like I’m faking anything. I feel really good so far about how I’ve been portrayed on the show, and I think that’s a result of staying true to who I am.”

His family has also played a major role in his journey. Mower is grateful for the support of his wife, Lindsey, but being away from her and their two young children, ages 2 and 1, has been one of the hardest parts of filming.

“I was heartbroken, to be honest,” he said. “I’ve spent two months out of the last five in LA away from my kids, 30 days at a time. And it is so hard. I can’t even articulate how hard it was to be away.”

Rather than letting the distance affect his time at home, Mower said he has learned to be more present with his family whenever he returns.

“It hurt so bad that I very solidly internalized that heartache and converted it into presence when I came home,” he continued. “So when I am home now, I try to be unadulterated, just purely present with my kids and my wife. I think that’s more important than the amount of time I’m with them. It’s been such a good shift for me as a dad, and that experience gave that to me.”

His Wife Supported His Move to Nashville

Mower met Lindsey after moving from Utah to Austin, Texas, where he was surrounded by the music that inspired him, including artists such as Willie Nelson, Gary Clark Jr. and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Lindsey was working as a server at a venue where he performed, and the two quickly fell in love.

Later, Mower began thinking about moving to Nashville to take his music career further and learn more about the business. He wanted Lindsey, who was his girlfriend at the time, to move with him, but he knew it was a major decision for her.

One night, when Lindsey returned home late from work, Mower was still awake and nervously shared his plans. Her response was one he would never forget.

“She was like, ‘Welcome to the party, you’re the last one to understand that. Let’s go,’” he recalled.

Mower had recently closed on a house, making the move a difficult financial decision. He eventually sold the property at a loss and spent a significant amount of money relocating to Nashville.

“I had just closed on a house, so it was like the stupidest thing ever financially,” he said. “So I just turned around and sold it and lost a bunch of money and spent loads of money getting out here. But I had to do it, and I don’t regret it at all.”

Today, Lindsey continues to support him as he balances The Voice, his music career, fatherhood and his job in finance.

The Voice Has Given His Music Career New Energy

Mower graduated from Riverton High School and Utah State University. His early experience as a performer began at his uncle’s bar, Club 48, in Murray, Utah. After turning 21, he started playing there on Monday nights.

He remains grateful that his uncle gave him a chance when he was still learning how to perform.

“He helped me out so much by letting me come there and play when I was terrible,” Mower said with a laugh. “I was so bad at the time. I think he paid me like $50 a night or something, which was super nice. He was helping me more than I was helping him for sure, so I’m definitely grateful for him. I’m grateful for Club 48. It’d be fun to go back there and play again.”

These days, Mower performs one or two shows each week. Interestingly, despite his frustration with the Battle round, “Wondering Why” remains part of his setlist.

His experience on The Voice has also brought new opportunities. His Blind Audition earned an immediate four-chair turn, and the performance has become one of the season’s most-watched videos, with more than 3 million views on YouTube.

The exposure has helped him connect with people in the music industry and opened doors he might not have reached otherwise. It has also given him fresh motivation to keep pursuing his dreams.

“The show already has opened a lot of doors as far as getting me in the right rooms and introductions to the right people and exposure,” he said. “It’s highly encouraging, and it reignites the passion that I’ve always had. It just adds fuel to the fire.”

Although Mower remains his own toughest critic, his strong Blind Audition, Riley Green’s support and growing fan attention have made him a serious contender. With the Live Shows approaching, he now has another opportunity to prove what he can do.