‘The Voice’ Coaches on the Show’s Return & ‘Comforting’ Virtual Audience (VIDEO)

They may be sitting a bit farther apart, but The Voice coaches are back and surrounded by what they love: music.

Blake Shelton, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, and returning coach Gwen Stefani open up about how they still performed in quarantine and returning to the NBC singing competition show in TV Insider’s exclusive preview.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, concerts and touring were paused, and some, like Legend, held virtual concerts. “We haven’t been able to just sit and enjoy another singer in so long,” he notes.

Meanwhile, Stefani and her boyfriend Shelton found “a really cool way for people to come out and be able to see music” with their performances that were filmed and then shown in drive-in theaters across the country, she says. Shelton continues that it’s “the strangest thing to date” that he’s done.

Watch the video above to see to see the coaches discussing The Voice‘s return, why the virtual audience is “comforting” for singers, and more.

The coaches are back in their swiveling red chairs in studio (and socially distanced) to hear live music, alongside host Carson Daly.

The Voice, Season 19 Premiere, Monday, October 19, 8/7c, NBC