Western Plains local talent have sung their way to the big smoke, as Coonamble-based family band The Castlereagh Connection takes their talent to the nation this Monday night. 

The band will feature on Channel 7’s The Voice Generations, which showcases inter-generational singers performing in a range of combinations from family bands, to teacher/student matchups. 

After years of performances as a band around the region, the Jones family - who make up Castlereagh Connection - received an invite to apply for The Voice, a challenge that father David Jones, sons David Junior (14 years) and Travis (11) and nephew Braydon (12) conquered their nerves to meet. 

Intrigued by the family’s story and impressed with their musical track record, the show’s producers selected Castlereagh Connection from more than a thousand ambitious applicants. 

A few months of top secret video conference interviews, performances and a Voice workshop followed before the final performance in December that was filmed for a national television audience. 

David Snr said that the decision wasn’t an easy one to make, despite years of performing in front of audiences. 

“The kids were always for it, but anyone who knows me knows I’m shy and I didn’t want to do it initially…It took about two weeks for me to come to my senses,” David Snr said. 

Once on board, David said the family ” just enjoyed every minute of it.” 

“We sent our whole set list to them and they picked out a song,” he said. 

“The producers were great; they got to know us and our personal style.” 

“Kudos to the show for understanding that, to find out if you’re an actual artist and take you out of your comfort zone.” 

Being in front of the cameras, the crowd and the judges as well as the backstage preparations was an eye-opener for the rural-based boys. 

“The experience was really great. The performance was different to how we usually play. We had to knock our song down to one minute and thirty seconds,” said David. 

“We’d never put on make-up before and we had to sit in a chair while they worked on us. While we were waiting to perform, the wardrobe girl followed us around making sure we didn’t wrinkle our clothes.” 

“It made you feel like an actual star,” he laughed. 

Despite already having a few years of public performances under their belt, including at Tamworth Country Music Festival venues, David says he had never been more nervous. 

“You don’t see the crowd till you’re out there on the stage – but you can hear them,” he said. 

“It was pretty daunting to walk out that door to go on stage. I think I was more nervous than the boys.” 

“We’ve played in many communities but The Voice is obviously the whole nation, well and truly,” he said. “The music is the easy part, the interviews were the hard part.” 

“But while I was up on stage I was thinking about the three or four generations of guitar players and singers back through our family.”

“They are who really brought us here and I thought of all the community members and the support they’ve given us to get us here,” he said. “Hopefully we make everyone proud.” 

While the band are staying silent so as not to let slip any “spoilers” about their appearance on The Voice Generation next Monday night 31 January, David says the experience “lit a firecracker under them” and the boys came home with renewed energy, ready to rehearse and perform . 

For Australia Day they performed at Bourke’s award ceremony at the town pool. With their EP still receiving plenty of attention online, 2022 is bound to be a busy year for the Castlereagh Connection.