'The Voice' winners Girl Named Tom bring holiday harmony to Phoenix

The singing competition reality show “The Voice” has crowned many independent artists over the years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that a group took the prize.

Meet Girl Named Tom, the sibling trio who gave the other solo contestants of season 21 a run for their money. The literal triple threat won judges over with their renditions of “Dust in the Wind,” “Baby, Now That I Found You” and “Viva la Vida.”

The band consists of siblings Caleb, 28, Joshua, 26, and Bekah Liechty, who just turned 24. They are currently on the road with their Joy of Christmas tour, landing in Phoenix on Saturday at the Orpheum Theatre.

“The band name comes from an old childhood nickname,” says Bekah, adding that her parents love telling the story to this day. “We have a lot of nicknames for each other and because I'm the youngest, my first nickname that Joshua gave me was Thomas.”

Their parents probably have another story to tell. Bekah says they have been to Arizona before and it was a memorable time.

“Before ‘The Voice’ we went around in our parents' minivan,” Bekah says. “We took a gap year from school, so we went to Arizona; we went to Tucson and performed at an art studio.”

If you look through their catalog, you’ll find a lot of Christmas tunes, even an entire album called “One More Christmas.” However, they aren’t just limited to the songs of the season. Some of their best songs come from doing covers of '60s folk and ‘70s mellow country. They do a rendition of Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” that might be second only to the original. And their “Wichita Lineman” cover would make Glen Campbell proud.

That talent may be due, in part, to the tutelage of Kelly Clarkson on “The Voice”; each week, Girl Named Tom rose to the top thanks to Clarkson's advice.

“Kelly is an amazing human,” says Joshua, praising her energy and kindness toward them. “She's taught us a lot of things, in that, in order to be in the music industry, you have to work constantly regardless of what level you're at. And kindness is as big a part of any career as the work itself.”

Joshua is a believer in the adage that the people you see on the way up might be the same ones you see on the way down. That philosophy was pertinent on the show, as the trio just kept moving on to the next round, surpassing other great singers who were eventually eliminated.

Not everyone was confident; Caleb was fearful that a show so focused on single artists might not appreciate a trio. He was wrong, and Girl Named Tom won the competition.“To me personally, it is a big deal,” he says humbly, not taking all the credit. “It's a wonderful honor and it makes me very amazed to be a part of this group.”

Since the judges weren’t singling anyone out, their harmonizing felt like one voice, spiritually keeping with the concept and name of the show.

“It's a lesson for me,” Caleb adds, “if voices are unified and the voices are working together in harmony, there's nothing better than that. We had no expectations going in of winning. We thought it was actually the opposite. We thought we had no chance because we were a group. But week after week, it just felt natural and it felt right and, yeah, I'm very honored to be able to sing with my siblings.”

It helps that their parents are music lovers and introduced them to all kinds of genres in their childhood. They enrolled them in piano lessons individually. Both Josh and Caleb studied music in college and all three were in choir. Harmonizing would come later, Bekah says.

“We did not grow up a trio,” she admits. “So that day when we did sing together we were like, ‘Oh, this blend is a little bit easier than the people I'm standing next to in choir.’ It's just a very natural harmony.”

That collective voice is perfect for their recent cover of “O Holy Night.” It’s not an easy song to do on its own. It fluctuates in octaves, which can intimidate a singer, making them vulnerable to overestimating their range. But with Bekah’s control of the high notes and the men staying at low to mid-levels, it makes for a stirring experience.

Even though they love Christmas music, Girl Named Tom don't limit themselves to it. They have a 2021 album called “Hits From the Road” which showcases their art in the mainstream, most notably Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” and a “Country Roads/Mrs. Robinson” mashup that is Grammy-worthy.

They are branching out next year with a contemporary album, and their 2023 song “What a View” showcases their transition out of folk and into something with a harder edge.

"(We’re) getting a little more risky, getting more into the rock world” says Caleb. “We're over the moon about the new music that we're creating in the studio in Nashville right now and we're really looking forward to 2025.”

Girl Named Tom is hoping that people will come out and see them in Phoenix this weekend, not only for their Christmas music but a few other songs on their playlist.

“We have a bunch of classic Christmas songs,” says Joshua, “and then a bunch of originals as well that we'll sing. It's a great show for all ages, and we can't wait to see (Phoenix) soon.”

Girl Named Tom, The Joy of Christmas Tour, Saturday, December 21, The Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams Street. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $47 - $57. Visit the Orpheum Theatre's website to purchase tickets.