by Gina Scarpa

 

The Voice refers to a single performer so you can imagine the coaches' surprise when they heard two voices coming from the stage on last week's season premiere. Blake Shelton and Cee-Lo Green turned around to see married couple Josh and Nicole Johnson perform "Falling Slowly". Cee-Lo thought he could take the couple in a different direction but Blake's Nashville roots and argument that he could help them put their marriage first was enough to sell them. Today, we spoke to Josh and Nicole, better known as Elenowen, in an exclusive interview about their experiences on The Voice.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How long have the two of you been singing together?
A. Nicole: Well, we've been singing together for about two years, shortly after we got married. We started pursuing music together and it's been wonderful.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What made the two of you decide to try out for The Voice?
A. Josh: I think basically, it was just an opportunity to give our career some wings. It was one of the very few shows, if not the only show, that allowed duos to sing together. We thought, "Why not?"

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: The panel was so confused when they heard you both singing - how did a duo end up getting on the show?
A. Nicole: I guess they just liked what they heard. I think they purposely didn't tell the coaches, hoping to get that exact reaction. It was fun! It was kind of a leg up that there weren't a whole lot of us. It made it easier for them to be intrigued.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What was your reaction when Blake turned around?
A. Josh: It was an amazing feeling because of the talent that we're singing for. They liked us and wanted to work with us. It was an incredible feeling. We were excited and overwhelmed!
A. Nicole: We would've been thrilled no matter who turned around but to see Blake Shelton was really exciting. He was one of our top choices to turn around. When Cee-Lo turned around, it was like, "What?!" We weren't expecting that.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Was it tough decision between choosing Blake or Cee-Lo as your coach?
A. Josh: It was! Nicole totally put me on the spot to choose a coach. We had talked about it beforehand and had an idea of who we were going to go wit. Both Blake and Cee-Lo gave good arguments. Blake was the first to turn around, he's from Nashville, and he wanted to keep our marriage before our music. We really identified with that.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: How are you handling the pressure of the competition?
A. Nicole: Pretty good! I haven't felt a whole lot of pressure - more just excitement!
A. Josh: I think it's a huge deal that we have each other. Other people didn't have anyone to vent to or comfort you.
A. Nicole: It's definitely a huge help that we have each other. To have someone to lean on is great!

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What would winning The Voice mean to the two of you?
A. Josh: Well personally, the fact that we'd be able to do music full-time as our job is something we both dream about. We've been struggling from job to job. We live in a basement so we're obviously not making any money. To have that sense of accomplishment would be an incredible thing that I've always wanted. The fact that it's within reach is amazing.
A. Nicole: For me, it would mean a great sense of accomplishment, like Josh said. Not coming from a pride sense but coming from... "Wow, look what just happened. Look what I achieved." As far as our career goes, we're hoping that whether we win or not, that we're building a foundation.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Is there anything you want to say to your fans or fans of The Voice to keep you in the competition?
A. Nicole: Our first thing we want to say is thank you! We are blown away by the response from people. I honestly had no clue that people could be that genuine about a complete stranger. I love it because I feel like I know some of these people. People have been emailing me and I love that. It's rbeen

 

The Voice airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC.

 

(Image courtesy of NBC)

 

Follow Elenowen @elenowen and Gina @ginascarpa