WHEN reality TV singing show The Voice returns on Easter Monday, first-time competitor Danny Phegan will be scaling different heights.
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The Walla farmer and singer-songwriter is taking his clan to ride the mountain huts in the High Country over the long weekend.
Together with high school sweetheart and wife Caroline, Phegan has a passionate band of horse lovers in their offspring Jess, 17, Tilly, 16, Bill, 15, Emily, 13, Adelaide, 11, and Patty, 4.
He is keen to lay down some memories with the eldest nudging adulthood.
Salt of the earth and ever-humble, Phegan said he didn't really rate his singing but he had followed The Voice for years.
He said singing had allowed him to pay the bills when farming didn't during the past three decades.
"I haven't felt nervous singing for a long time so it's nice to put yourself out there to be judged," he said.
"I'm not a great singer but I'm okay; going on The Voice was validation of what I've been doing for 30 years."
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A country artist, Phegan, 46, took a risk performing a song outside his musical genre by one of the world's biggest boy bands, more than half his age.
For luck, he took a guitar he made himself with timbers from his three favourite hotels and opals from his Lightning Ridge property.
"It's become a bit of a mate that guitar that I built seven or eight years ago," Phegan said.
"I'd have a beer in the shed at night and whittle away at it; I used 100 per cent opals in the neck as fret markers."
Phegan was hesitant at first when he was invited to audition for The Voice.
He said the initial process was done via Zoom.
"I thought I may have been setting myself up to fail," he said.
"I'm very fortunate to live a lifestyle that a lot of country artists can only sing about.
"It was a really cool part of my life; the judges and the contestants were genuinely really warm and encouraging throughout the whole process.
"I'd encourage anyone to give it a crack!"
Phegan launched his first solo album in early 2017 and he has two singles coming out soon.
The Voice coaches Keith Urban, Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy will reclaim their iconic red chairs when the show returns to Channel 7 and 7Plus.
With 60 aspiring artists set to take the The Voice stage, the stakes are even higher this season with the addition of the world-first, game-changing Battle Pass, allowing coaches to fast-track artists straight through to the Battle Rounds.
Hosted by Sonia Kruger, The Voice airs on Easter Monday from 7pm.
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