When Christchurch songstress Nyree Huyser stood on the stage of The Voice Australia for the final time, eliminated after a dramatic do-or-die rendition of Forever Young, she felt strangely at peace.
The Scottish-born mum-of-three had auditioned for the show as a last-ditch effort to make her dream of a musical career come true, but being ousted before the semi-finals didn’t feel like failure – in fact, she walked away with more than she could imagine.
“The win for me is that it’s given me my confidence back – I now know I do have what it takes,” tells Nyree, 37. “I’m more driven than I’ve ever been.”
She’s also been blown away by what the experience has meant for her children, Hayden, seven, Charlotte, five, and baby Ollie, 18 months.
“While I would’ve loved this experience when I was younger, I’m so happy I’ve done it now, with kids. Seeing the pride in Hayden’s face was something I’ll never forget and little Charlotte now wants to be like me when she grows up. If she can see me doing it, it’ll make her think she can do it.”
After her “nerve-wracking” blind audition with Demi Lovato’s Stone Cold, Nyree chose Rita Ora as her coach. She explains, “I’ve been a fan of hers for a while. The spark and fire she has reminds me of myself before I had kids. She was down-to-earth, quite bubbly and lots of fun.”
But it was Guy Sebastian who really made an impact on Nyree. “He was my absolute fave. He was just so encouraging and had a real warmth about him. They were all lovely and encouraging, though.”
Now back home, Nyree has released her original song By The River, which has been picked up by radio after “literally 20 years of trying”, as well as a Christmas EP. “I’ve been writing my little butt off,” she smiles. “I had writer’s block when the kids were young, but now the creative juices are flowing. I’ll keep plugging away and see what doors open.”
