“The Kind of Love We Make,” a love song from country star Luke Combs, was a go-to karaoke pick for Austin Gilbert, an aspiring country singer from Eugene.

Gilbert took that song from karaoke to national television: It was his choice for his blind audition on “The Voice,” NBC’s reality singing competition now in its 28th season.

“It’s got highs, it’s got lows, it’s got energy and it’s got passion,” Gilbert told Lookout Eugene-Springfield. “It’s just kind of an all-around song. So I figured, ‘Why not? I think this would be a perfect song to get the crowd rolling and get the coaches hyped up.’ It seemed to work.”

Gilbert, 25, said he’s been singing since he was able to talk, with early memories of singing “Tonight I Wanna Cry” by Keith Urban and “The Reason” by Hoobastank. He’s been pursuing music independently, playing at Lane County spots like Springfield’s The Sweet Market on Main and Veneta’s Long Tom Bar & Grill.

Friends and family had urged him for years to audition for a show like “The Voice,” but he said he wanted to try and build his own platform. But this time, enough friends and family doubled down on their recommendation to audition for “The Voice” that he took it seriously.

“I said, you know what, ‘What the heck?’” he said. “Why not? What do I got to lose? Why not give it a shot? So I gave it a shot and look, here we are.”

Much of the show is pre-taped outside of the live season finale, which meant Gilbert was able to watch his own audition when it aired, alongside his friends, family and girlfriend, Brittni Davis, who will soon give birth to the couple’s first child.

They weren’t the only hometown watchers: Until recently, Gilbert worked at Eugene True Value Hardware’s distribution center warehouse in Springfield. His previous manager watched the audition and loved it, Gilbert said.

Canadian crooner Michael Bublé and One Direction alumnus Niall Horan both turned their chairs for Gilbert, inviting him to be on the team of singers they each would coach throughout the competition. He decided to join Bublé’s team. Gilbert said he wanted to join Team Bublé from the start, as he’s a huge fan.

“Not only that, he’s a back-to-back champion,” Gilbert said. “He’s won the last two seasons in a row. I was like, maybe [he] and I can be a country-crooner duo, and we can win the whole thing.”

(No spoilers on what working with Bublé has meant for Gilbert’s singing, or on Gilbert’s ultimate performance in the season.)

Gilbert connected with a different judge after his audition. Gilbert told Snoop Dogg that he grew up in Forest Grove, 25 miles west of Portland. As a child, he would visit Reo’s Ribs, a barbecue spot that was owned and operated by Reo Varnado until his death in 2022.

Varnado was the rapper’s uncle, a fun fact that Gilbert had shared with friends who hadn’t believed him. Connecting with the rapper was vindication.

“I wanted to bring it up because so many people are like, ‘No, it’s not really Snoop Dogg’s uncle,’” he said. “But I’m like, ‘Yeah, it really was.’ I just kind of had to kind of prove to myself and everybody else.”

Snoop, Gilbert said, is an “amazing” hugger. “I loved it,” he said.

Where to see Austin Gilbert

• Gilbert is a contestant on season 28 of “The Voice,” currently airing at 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesday on KMTR, Eugene’s NBC affiliate.
• On Friday, Gilbert will be performing at Long Tom Bar & Grill in Veneta.