Local indie-pop singer-songwriter Colin Bracewell is stepping into the national spotlight. On Monday, Oct. 6, he made his debut on NBC’s national performance competition The Voice.

Update (Tuesday, Oct. 7): Watch video of Bracewell’s performance on Monday below.

Bracewell spent the first half of this past summer taping the show in Burbank, California, according to an interview published in the Pioneer Press.

After spending his early years in Windsor, Ontario, and California after that, Bracewell moved to Stillwater, Minnesota, at age 13. He eventually enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where he got involved at Radio K, a cappella, and drama before graduating in 2024. He is currently recording his debut studio album at RiverRock Studios in Minneapolis.

Back in 2022, Bracewell released his debut EP, St. Paul, 2022. In 2024, the Cozy EP arrived. Both collections feature the sure-of-voice Bracewell delivering infectious romantic songs loaded with harmonies and a variety of radio-friendly rock. Case in point: “Making Me Crazy” was inducted into The Current’s Chart Show Hall of Fame after it stayed in the weekly countdown for 10 weeks.

Bracewell has graced stages across the region, including First Avenue, Varsity Theater, and the MPR Day Stage at Dan Patch Park during the 2025 Minnesota State Fair. He will perform at the Minnesota Wild’s home opener on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Grand Casino Arena (formerly Xcel Energy Center) in downtown St. Paul.

On Monday, Bracewell spoke with midday host Zach McCormick about his upcoming appearance on The Voice.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Zach McCormick: Colin Bracewell, thank you so much for joining me on the air here on The Current. We are talking to you today because you have a really cool thing going on in your life that unfortunately, due to the way that the rules around this stuff works, you haven't really been able to talk about. But I'm excited that you get to talk about it today. You're going to be on TV tonight, right?

Colin Bracewell: That's right. I will be on NBC's The Voice tonight at 7 p.m. Central. I think the local channel is KARE 11, but it's also going to be on Peacock as well. And, yeah, I've been holding this secret for about a year now, so it's exciting to finally share it. 

Zach McCormick: I was going to say, so for people who don't know, the process for this type of thing is, I imagine, super involved. There's auditions, and then you got to kind of keep your trap shut about it for a while now. Could you talk about you talk about the road that it took for you to get here tonight, where you're going to be appearing on The Voice?

Colin Bracewell: Absolutely. So I actually found out about auditioning from playing a show at the Fine Line, which is in Minneapolis. And I played with this artist, Gina Miles, and she had actually won season 23 of The Voice. I was opening with her, and I asked her about her experience. She said that she had a great experience, and highly recommended that I audition. And so the next day, I sent in a video. And that's kind of how the process began, and that was back in September of 2024. And then, yeah, just had to send a couple other videos. Had to do a psych test to make sure that, you know, I was normal, and so, you know, I passed, thankfully.

Zach McCormick: "He's a very nice young man."

Colin Bracewell: And then, I flew out there at the beginning of June, and we filmed for a couple months. Yeah, now it's going to be aired tonight, which is so surreal to think about. I'm really excited.

Zach McCormick: That's fantastic. And this is really cool, as somebody who has followed your music, both here on The Current, as well as the shows that you played locally. You're a really a grassroots guy who has really built this thing slowly, brick by brick, bringing in more and more people every year. You use the internet in a way that is really innovative and that connects a lot of folks to your work. What does it mean to you to get this sort of big national platform for your music?

Colin Bracewell: It's an opportunity that I've never had before. I grew up in Stillwater, so, raised in Minneapolis. Having that Minnesota music scene has been so important for being creative and having a community that supports you. And so I'm so grateful to have grown up in the Minneapolis music scene. With the album coming out in the spring, this is the next step. And hopefully the platform for me to start to play out in the Midwest, and hopefully West Coast, East Coast, and start doing some more national stuff. And just get bigger and bigger and play more shows and have people listen to my music. And that's the plan. I'm really excited and happy that I got this opportunity to share my music and my voice with a national audience.

Zach McCormick: In addition to that awesome album that you got coming out next year, you're also going to be playing a show this Saturday in the Twin Cities, and it's tied up with another sort of a big stage, which is the, I guess it's called Grand Casino Arena now, formerly Xcel. It's the big arena right here in downtown St. Paul. You're playing when the Wild play versus the Blue Jackets. How'd you get linked up with this show? Are you excited to play around some hockey? 

Colin Bracewell: Oh, man, I am so excited. They asked us to do it last year around Christmastime. We played the Wild game last year and got these really cool, retro Wild jerseys as well. They asked us to come back and do the home opening game. And I couldn't be more excited.

Zach McCormick: This is awesome. Are you a person who has any sort of connection? You played any hockey at any point in your life? I personally, as a Minnesotan, am kind of bad about this, because, despite living here my whole life, I've, like, never — I can't skate. I'm terrible. So are you like a real hockey guy? Are you somebody who maybe is more, sits in the stands and watches?

Colin Bracewell: Well, you'd think being from Canada, you'd think that I'd have a little bit more ice experience, but I'm a little rusty on the skates. But I'm glad to have a little piece of the hockey experience with performing. So that's where I'll stand, and I'm totally OK with that.

Zach McCormick: Thank you, Colin Bracewell. Congratulations on this big opportunity. We're rooting for you here back home. We're going to be like, "We know that guy!"

Colin Bracewell: Thank you so much.

The Voice airs at 7 p.m. Central on NBC (KARE 11 in Minnesota) and streams on Peacock. Details

Update: On Monday night, Bracewell performed the Bee Gees’ “More Than a Woman,” brought his brother Chad up on stage with some merch, and showed his opera chops during the episode. Although he didn’t turn any of the judges’ chairs, he received encouraging words from Snoop Dogg and the rest of the group.

Minnesota on The Voice

Colin Bracewell follows several talented Minnesotans who have appeared on the program, including Nicholas “The Feelin” David, who finished in the top three. Another Minnesota talent on Season 28 is Cori Kennedy, a Kasson-Mantorville native now based in Tennessee.

Before Season 28, there were 13 previous The Voice contestants with Minnesota ties.

Season 1: Tim Mahoney from Minneapolis (Battle Rounds)

Season 3: Nicholas David from St. Paul (3rd Place)

Season 4: Mark Andrew from Eden Prairie (Battle Rounds)

Season 5: Ashley DuBose from St. Paul (Knockout Rounds)

Season 5: Holly Henry from Minneapolis (Knockout Rounds)

Season 6: Kat Perkins from Minneapolis (4th/5th Place)

Season 12: Jesse Larson from Minneapolis (4th Place)

Season 13: Esera Tuaolo from Minneapolis (Playoffs)

Season 21: Libianca from Minneapolis (Live Playoffs)

Season 24: Joslynn Rose from Lake Benton (Battle Rounds)

Season 26: Cameron Wright from Minneapolis (Playoffs)

Season 26: Frankie Torres from Minnetonka (Knockout Rounds)

Season 26: Adam Bohanan from Minneapolis/Long Island (6th/7th/8th Place)