Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Dane and Stephanie perform during their blind audition on The Voice Season 17. (NBC Photo)

Dane and Stephanie are just the second set of twins to earn a spot on The Voice in the show’s 17 seasons.

And Dane Mautone — who was born Dana — is just the second transgender singer to do so.

But it was their vocals, specifically their wonderful harmonies, and not their unique background that had chairs turning on The Voice last week.

Dane and Stephanie covered “Angela” by The Lumineers. And before they finished singing, Blake Shelton and John Legend were facing in their direction.

They opted to join Team Legend, giving John his first duo ever in his second season as coach.

Here’s what Dane and Stephanie, both 21 and from Bloomfield, N.J., has to say about their blind audition experience.

Voice Views: How did you wind up auditioning for The Voice Season 17 and what prompted you to do it?

Stephanie: After being reached out to by The Voice to audition, we realized what a great opportunity this could be. It was a huge chance to get our voices and story out there. We excitedly auditioned and are so grateful to get the opportunity to be a part of something so special.

Voice Views: Why did you choose “Angela” for your audition song?

Dane: It’s a beautiful song and really hits home for us.

Stephanie: The second we heard Angela for the first time, we were like ‘Wow. This is so beautiful.’ And I think we both knew the harmonies would be too.

Voice Views: Did you have a coaching preference heading into the blind audition? Why did you decide to join Team Legend?

Dane: Either John or Kelly were my preference. I think both of them have such soulful voices that Stephanie and I are both drawn too. We would’ve been lucky to get to work with any of the coaches though.

Stephanie: Honestly, Blake is so talented and he’s won the show a bunch of times, but I think our minds were both set on John when we realized he turned for us. I know for me my mind was racing when I saw the chair turn like, ‘Oh my god, John Legend just turned for us.’ It’s a surreal feeling especially when we’re big fans of his.

Voice Views: Your Youtube channel is quite popular? Do the two of you perform together beyond that? If so, can you tell me more about that?

Stephanie: We’re so happy that our YouTube channel continues to grow! I think The Voice has really opened our eyes to how much we love being in front of a crowd. We’re used to mostly being in front of a camera, but I think this experience has motivated us to want to start to do live shows and gigs.

Voice Views: Have the two of you tried / recorded original music? And what type of music do you gravitate toward?

Stephanie: When it comes to music we gravitate towards a more laid back, soulful, jazzy/pop type of style. We are actually working on our first single now!

Voice Views: Musically, where are you hoping The Voice experience leads?

Dane: I hope our experience on The Voice opens up more doors for us and allows us to gain more opportunities doing what we love.

Voice Views: Stephanie is attending Montclair State U., with a focus on communications and media arts, correct? Is Dane involved in post-high school studies?

See also …
Meet Dane and Stephanie