It's "Time" for the prom -- and for the Burned, featuring Katie Gray -- on "Make It or Break It."

You heard it in the episode "Save the Last Dance." If only all proms had such cool tunes.

"I can hear music in the stars/I can paint pictures with my voice."

That's a line from "Music in the Stars," and it hints at the signature style of the Burned, aka Kurt Baumann.

"People have described my music as kind of spooky and dark," says Kurt, whose musical inspiration is rooted in his home state of Texas, a melting pot of country, blues, soul, rock, R&B, and psychedelic sounds.

Born in San Antonio and raised in rural east Texas, Kurt's been a vocalist from the time he could walk. He would sing country songs for his elementary school show and tell. Even back then, he had serious stage presence.

As a teen, Kurt lived in places like Saudi Arabia and Germany with his sister and dad, who was an airline pilot. Living abroad didn't stop him from deepening his love of American music. His favorite singers included country music icons like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. His sister turned him on to rock 'n' roll visionaries like John Lennon, Jim Morrison, and David Bowie. Never one to limit himself to just a few musical styles, Kurt went on to play in a grunge-style punk band and then in the popular jam band Kan'Nal.

But it wasn't until Kurt gave up music and traveled to Mexico that he found something to sing about.

"I wanted to find a deeper thing within myself to present to the world," he says.

Living in an abandoned mining town tucked in the Mexican mountains, he had a number of explorative journeys and mystical experiences that inspired him. From country music to grunge to mysticism, Kurt also counts Native American traditions as a major influence.

"I'm fascinated with the desert visions of Native Americans, the whole makeup of that subconscious realm," he says. "It's like those ceremonies that are thousands of years old and tap into the underlying grid of what's real. I'm trying to put that mystery and magic into the music without having people judge it. Mainly, I want it to be good music to listen to, but to also trigger something a little deeper inside."

Speaking of the subconscious (or maybe we were just thinking about it), one of Kurt's favorite authors is Carl Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, and it's no surprise that Jung's teachings find their way into Kurt's music.

"I've always dipped into elements of the subconscious as a writer. Some of the sounds I choose trigger those feelings of something underneath the surface, hidden from view."

There's an apocalyptic, end-of-days feel to the Burned's music, but Kurt insists he's a glass-half-full kind of guy.

"It's not like I feel I can change the world, but I really want to put stuff out there that can help people, make them feel better," says Kurt. "Give them the seeds they can plant and grow something beautiful with. I want people to discover things within themselves through the music."

We think we've discovered a favorite new artist.

What's your favorite discovery about the Burned?

Find " The Burned (featuring Katie Gray)" on iTunes!