When a show is named "The Voice," it's hard to imagine that there will ever be a winner that's not a country crooner, singer-songwriter, or pop diva. After all that's what singing reality TV competition shows are based on. If you look at Scotty McCreery from "American Idol," Michael Grimm from "America's Got Talent" and Melanie Amaro from "The X Factor," you'll see this is the case.
The Shields Brothers Aren't Typical Reality TV Singing Stars
So do the hard rocking Shields Brothers have any chance to take home the top prize on "The Voice"? Sadly, it seems unlikely. No matter how likeable Tristan and Rory are, they clearly have an uphill battle to wage on the show.
In a recent conference call interview, Rory admitted, "We really feel like it's pretty incredible that we got the chance to even be on the show. We feel like we're punks that have snuck through the back door somehow and broke into the show. It doesn't make any sense, normally this is not for our genre of music. It's just been incredible."
Part of the Shields Brothers' challenge is that they haven't been a band for very long. Five years ago Tristan and Rory moved back into their parents house after living away at school. Neither had been particularly musical while pursuing their studies. But back on the farm they decided that because they didn't want to get "real jobs" and were big fans of rock, they should become stars themselves.
The Shields Brothers Get Words of Encouragement from Their Idol, Bret Michaels
They've had success playing professional gigs, while working on the farm in their down time. And they've even been able to make a peripheral connection to their hero - Bret Michaels.
Tristan explained that they've worked with Michaels' guitarist Pete Evick. Their mentor has used them on demo tapes, adding vocals to songs. And through this connection they were able to get a little bit of encouragement from Michaels himself, who tweeted his support before their "Voice" debut.
The Brothers were admittedly excited about Michaels' message which read, "Proud that our friends @ShieldsBrothers auditioned for @NBCTheVoice. They are gonna ROCK IT!"
Even with that kind of star power on their side, the boys have been struggling to make the band work in Rixeyville, Virginia. When their professional appearances started to dry up, they knew they had to do something drastic - so they chose to go on "The Voice."
The Shields Brothers Believe That America Loves Rock and Roll
They might be the long shot but the Shields Brothers believe that the viewing audience is ready for them. Tristan remarked, "America really loves rock and roll which is why they loved getting punched in the face… by us. I think the fan base is there, they just didn't realize it."
Clearly their "Voice" mentor Cee Lo Green believes this is possible. He was the only judge to turn his chair around for the Shields Brothers and they were automatically put on his team. That was fine with them because they feel that Cee Lo has the "essence for rock."
Time will tell if America's ready for the unconventional reality TV stars. See what happens when the Battle Rounds begin on Monday night on "The Voice" at 8 p.m. EST/7 p.m. Central on NBC.
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