LEXINGTON — The biggest secret of the Heichel sisters’ lives has finally been revealed.
The singing sister trio of Madi, Ana and Bella have made it through four rounds of competition on The Voice and will advance to the next stage: The live shows, where viewer voting determines who stays and who goes.
It was a secret 11 weeks in the making; the episode of The Voice that aired on May 1, where the sisters were chosen to advance, was actually filmed on Valentine’s Day.
“It’s like a weight lifted off our shoulders,” said 22-year-old Madi Heichel. “After the episode aired we screamed, ‘We’re on the live show!’ It’s been a long time since we were able to say that, so it felt very relieving to be able to finally tell everybody.”
Performing together as “Sorelle,” the sisters were chosen by their coach Chance the Rapper to be one of only eight acts remaining in the competition — and the only group act.
They said the moment Chance picked them to advance was surreal.
“I was pinching myself like, am I dreaming right now? What is going on? I didn’t think that we would even get a chair turn,” said 15-year-old Bella Heichel.
“I mean, you can see the shock on our faces,” added Madi. “We were against four other talented musicians, everybody came on that stage and rocked it. and it was a hard decision for Chance but thankfully he went the route he did.”
It was a moment that had been two months (and their entire lives) in the making.
“Hearing our name already felt life-changing,” said 20-year-old Ana Heichel.
Lexington’s singing sister trio ‘Sorelle’ shine on ‘The Voice’ stage
Since first appearing on The Voice premiere on March 6, so much about the Heichel’s lives has changed already. They have acquired thousands of Instagram followers from across the globe since the start of the show, including artists, producers and other musicians in the industry.
Some of their new followers includes winners from past seasons of The Voice, like Girl Named Tom — another sibling trio known for their harmonies, also from Ohio, whose hometown of Pettisville is just a two-hour drive from Lexington.
After 21 seasons of The Voice, Girl Named Tom was the first trio to win the show in 2021. As only the third trio in 23 seasons to make it to the live shows, Sorelle hopes to become the second trio to win.
The sister say it is special to be the only group left on the show, but it also amps up the pressure.
“We have a different element to what we do on stage. Some people say it’s a little bit easier having three people, but in our opinion, it’s a little bit harder,” Madi said.
“You really have to be together; if one person’s harmony is off, the whole performance is off and you’re done,” she added. “You’re not relying on just yourself, you’re relying on other people as well.”
This skill was showcased during the Playoff round on May 1. Country music singer and fellow coach Blake Shelton described them as “too perfect” after their performance of “Something’s Got a Hold On Me.”
“We have studied our craft for so many years that we are perfectionists. We want to do the best that we possibly can, and that’s how we have done it our entire lives,” Ana said. “I feel like we’re almost a little bit more confident and excited to go to the live shows because we want to get up on that stage and show them what we can do.”
The trio flew back to Los Angeles on Friday to start preparing for the live shows, the next of which airs on May 15. Whether they appear for the show’s finale at the end of the month is up to the viewers.
In the end, only one artist will be named “The Voice” and win the grand prize of a recording contract. Win or lose on the show, the Heichel sisters hope to find that elusive prize.
“We want to be signed, or we want to be given another chance like Chance gave us,” Ana said.
“We want him to continue to see that passion and love we have for music, and we really hope that as soon as this ends Chance will be interested in maybe helping us out or doing something with us, because he just seems so inspired to help other artists that I really hope that’s the case at the end of this.”
With so much on the horizon, one thing that will never change for Sorelle is the bond between sisters.
“This process has made us grow closer,” Madi said. “It’s something really special that not a lot of people get to experience, so to be able to do it together is something that we really cherish and we hope that never ever changes.”
Audiences can vote for their favorite performers using the official The Voice app, or going to nbc.com/VoiceVote during the vote window of the broadcast — to vote online, you’ll need to create a free NBCUniversal Profile.
“Voting is so important, and we would love for our hometown to support us,” Madi said. “It’s fun to watch the show and to be voting as you’re watching, and then to hear the results and knowing you had a part in making that happen.”
