Oklahoma-based Native American singer AJ Harvey competes in 'The Voice' battles: How he did

Oklahoma-based Native American crooner AJ Harvey faced off against teenage singer Anya True on Tuesday night's final battle rounds of "The Voice" Season 25.

Harvey, 25, who is based in Norman, and True, 17, of Encinitas, California, performed a competitive duet of John Mayer's 2009 hit “Half of My Heart," originally released as a duet with his superstar ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift.

The battle featured both competitors strumming guitars and showing off their distinctive voices, with both contenders earning praise from their coaches, country music duo Dan + Shay.

"I just love both of you guys. Anya, you're only 17 years old, and I feel like from the blind auditions to now, you're growing up on us," Shay Mooney said at the end of the performance, which was abbreviated for television.

"AJ, you know what you want to sound like; you know who you want to be. And I think you really stepped up and made it your own. And it was really, really good, man," Dan Smyers added.

After huddling up and talking it over, Dan + Shay declared True the winner of the battle, eliminating Harvey from the competition.

Who is Norman-based performer AJ Harvey?

With the blind auditions winding down and spots on the four coaches' teams getting scarce, Harvey played acoustic guitar and showed off his smooth baritone with a serene rendition of Bob Dylan's "Girl from the North Country" on the March 11 episode of "The Voice." He got two of the Season 25 coaches — Chance the Rapper and first-time coaches Dan + Shay — to turn their chairs, opting to join Team Dan + Shay for the competition.

Harvey's "The Voice" introduction spotlighted his multi-tribal background. He hails from the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and the Northern Hidatsa people. About a month ago, he started a job as a guest services associate at OKC's First Americans Museum,

Although he is not Osage by blood, Harvey told The Oklahoman he has been adopted by family into that tribe, which made it all the more meaningful when he landed a small part in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated Oklahoma-made movie "Killers of the Flower Moon"

Filmed in and around Osage County in 2021, Scorsese's historical drama is about the 1920s "Reign of Terror," a series of brutal murders of Osage Nation citizens by white people scheming to steal their oil wealth. Harvey played Charlie Whitehorn, an early victim of the Reign of Terror, in the movie.

Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Harvey said he moved to Norman in 2021, using his COVID-19 stimulus money, so he could be part of the central Oklahoma music scene.

After seeking out open mics and jams at OKC spots like Mojo's and Katt's Cove, he crossed paths with local musician Alex Reardon, who invited him to play with his band Biscuits and Groovy. The group plays a regular Thursday night residency at The Deli, a Norman live music staple.

Harvey told The Oklahoman that he has learned a lot about vocal techniques and stage presence on "The Voice."

"The fabulous vocal coaches and teachers and musicians that are a part of this show (taught me), 'The way you look at a guitar and treat it and take care of it, take care of your voice. That's important,'" Harvey said.

"Music has always been a second job for me, because at the end of the day, I have a 9-to-5 (job). I have bills to pay. So, getting to put that first, this was really the first time I've gotten to do that. So, I really did take that home with me."

What's next on Season 25 of 'The Voice?'

The battle rounds were tough on the Oklahoma contenders: Last week, the Oklahoma City-based trio OK3 also was eliminated from the competition.

"The Voice" moves on next week to the knockout rounds, with country music superstar Keith Urban as the Season 25 Mega Mentor.

"The Voice" airs at 7 p.m. Mondays and 8 p.m. Tuesdays on NBC. Episodes stream the next day on Peacock, and the streaming service offers full episodes from the show's previous 24 seasons, too.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma-based Native American singer AJ Harvey battles on 'The Voice'