Darling Brando have amassed a huge fanbase despite largely flying under the radar.
Comprised of former Australian Idol finalist Tom Jay Williams, 27, X Factor‘s Vlado Saric, 21, and young rugby star, Alex Mather, 22, the group are starting to take flight on the charts.
The Sydney pop group told Daily Mail Australia that it’s been a whirlwind for them after they performed 80 shows in 30 days before the coronavirus outbreak struck.
Watch out 5SOS! Boy band Darling Brando are climbing the charts. Pictured: Alex Mather (left), Vlado Saric (center) and Tom Williams (right)
Vlado said: ‘It’s just crazy to us because, you know, we only see ourselves as three idiots, that just sing in a band together so when we see our song climb the chart it’s like, ”oh my God, where we’re actually there.”’
It comes as their debut single, Beat Up Guitar, recently entered Spotify’s Viral 50 chart, where it currently sits at number 36. It’s has since hit #2 on Shazam Discovery.
The group have been working behind-the-scenes for the past two years on crafting their unique sound and image.
Three mates! And it appears Tom, Vlado and Alex are using their good looks and impressive talent to win over the fangirl market, clocking up over a million followers
And it appears Tom, Vlado and Alex are using their good looks and impressive talent to quickly win over the fangirl market, clocking up over a million followers.
Prior to the lockdowns, the trio travelled around Australia, performing a series of regional and metro pop ups – which dubbed them the ‘hardest working boyband’.
‘We really wanted to meet every single person behind the like or the share,’ Alex explained.
The group made it their mission to meet every fan at each of their 80 shows.
‘We really wanted to meet every single person behind the like or the share,’ Alex explained
Meanwhile, singer Tom says it feels surreal to finally get a recording contract at Sony Music after placing tenth on Australian Idol at sixteen years of age in 2008.
‘I still pinch myself everyday. It’s kind of what every artist dreams of,’ he gushed.
‘I was only thinking, you know, the other day that 16-year-old-boy, kind of like never would have thought it did end up here,’ Tom continued.
Rising stars! Last week the Aussie pop trio made their breakfast morning TV debut, appearing on Channel Seven’s Sunrise via video link (Pictured: Vlado and Alex)
Darling Brando’s Vlado and Alex are currently living together in Sydney’s Western Suburbs, while Tom is situated on his own in Cronulla.
Tom continued: ‘We were living together for a little while, but then we split up when this all went down. Super happy. Got a nice spot on the beach with the sun.’
Meanwhile, X Factor star Vlado managed to slip through before landing himself a spot in the grand finale as part of the Underdogs category mentored by Mel B.
Remember this? The singer first rose to fame after he first appeared on Australian Idol back in 2008 at just sixteen years old
I’m back! X Factor star Vlado managed to slip through before landing himself a spot in the grand finale as part of the Underdogs category mentored by Mel B
Following the split of his former band, At Sunset, Tom said he had to take a moment to consider if being in a band was something he wanted to pursue.
‘I wouldn’t do it with anybody else, I think, because these guys are my best friends.’
‘It was an easy decision for me, this was something that I wanted to do and the kind of music that I wanted to do different to my solo career,’ he said.
Comprised of former Australian Idol finalist Tom Jay Williams (right), X Factor’s Vlado Saric (center), and young rugby star Alex Mather (left), the group are starting to take flight