Milton Keynes based duo Off Colour issue their debut single tomorrow (Aug 24). Touchdown has been described by one as 'a fusion of Ed Sheeran and Rudimental'.
Their Indie-pop meets urban spillage is certainly making them plenty of musical friends – even Emeli Sande and the aforementioned Mr Sheeran have given the boys their thumbs up.
It means that Antonio and James have a few surreal memories lurking.
“For me the most surreal moment was sitting in Emeli's house while she was singing to us on the piano, looking around me and just seeing Brit Awards, MOBOs and plaques adorning the walls...” remembers James.
Antonio has his own: ...when we were in Nando's with Ed and he took a call from his mum and told her the label had 'doubled their offer overnight.'
"That was pretty rad.”
But when the boys aren't surrounding themselves with A-list muso's, what music do their choose to tickle their ears with?!
James and Antonio went On Track with Total MK and spilled the beans...
The song that first awakened your musical senses?
Antonio: For me, it has to be Girlfriend by N-Sync. I was always in love as a kid, so I found I could relate to the lyrics so much! That, plus I loved the guitar loop they used.
James: I'd say mine was Don't Sleep in The Subway by Petula Clark. I remember listening to it on my Mum and Dad's old hi-fi player with a massive pair of headphones that were way too big for me.
I remember it was the first song I knew the words to, and even now if I hear the tune I start welling up!
Physical or digital – how do you take your music?
James: I'd love to say physical, but it's gotta be digital for me, well for both of us actually.
It's just so much easier now than the days of having to convince my mum to buy me the explicit version of Limp Bizkit's album in the weekly shop at Safeway.
The first time you thought 'Music – this is the job for me'
Antonio: I think it was pretty much as soon as James and I first started making music together. I'd never seen an all-male duo before, which motivated me.
I just genuinely remember thinking that we could smash it, and we both had a passion which was the underlying driving force
James: I'd probably agree as well. I mean we both took a huge leap of faith in deciding not to go to Uni from school, not to go straight into the working world, and to pursue music full time instead.
Let's just hope it continues to pay off!
Tell us about your best onstage memory?
Antonio: Our best onstage memory would have to be at a small bar called the Lucky Pig in Fitzrovia. We'd recently released a free song on Soundcloud called Found You, which is a really catchy, upbeat number.
At the end of the song, we have a singalong part, by which time everyone should know the words, but it can be a bit hit and miss.
Anyway, at this particular show, everyone was shouting the lyrics back to us, and there isn't really a much greater feeling.
And the worst gig you've ever done?
James: Just a couple of weeks ago at a venue just outside Shoreditch. It was on the day that there were all the tube strikes so pretty much nobody turned up! Complete nightmare...
Which one song by another artist do you wish you had written?
Antonio: Ah, I wish I'd written Adorn by Miguel. I just love the movement of the melodies in the song, and the fluidity of the track. It's so intense as well. Man, I REALLY wish I'd written it
James: I'd have to say The Girl by City and Colour. Such a beautiful song, so relatable and so much fun to sing and play
And one- by yourself – which holds special significance
James: Definitely I Wanna Live. It's the track I was talking about before, the one where I cried on the train!
I think what makes it so much more significant is that fact that my Mum and Dad love it as well.
Although they're not industry experts, they will tell me honestly what they think of a song, so if they like one, it means so much more
Antonio: Yeah, it's the same for me. Such an emotional song for us both really, and we love performing it. It's just so simple.
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
Antonio: It's gotta be Elvis! I'd just love to be him at one of his shows. Just dancing around stage with all his energy and have all those women fainting at those iconic hip thrusts!
James: I reckon I'd be John Mayer, just because he's such an awesome guitarist and I love his voice. I'd just love to play a show to a huge crowd and know they all know all my songs and have fun with it.
Are there any current musical influences you might look to?
James: A big influence for me is Ben Howard. I love the way he reinvents the way he plays the guitar, all the different tunings he uses and the way his vocals are so simple yet so effective.
It just goes to show that you don't have to be the best technical singer to be a successful musician.
Antonio: I'd say Ben Howard, as well as someone like Coldplay. Also artists like Disclosure from the electronic side of things
And any genre of music that you simply can't stand?
James: It's strange, because growing up I used to love heavy metal, but now I just can't listen to it! I don't know what changed, but if any heavy rock comes on the radio, I have to change it straight away. Even stuff like Fallout Boy is enough to make me turn the radio off!
Antonio: Same here. Heavy metal and rock is just not my bag at all.
Keep up to speed with all things Off Colour on Twitter: @Off_Colour
