A few years ago, three young brothers from Mudgee played a show at Bellbird Workers Club, at the invitation of country music club concert organiser Mary Holdom.
That band was Brothers 3, who went on to place third on The X-Factor 2014.
Despite their youth, the brothers – Makirum (Mak), Tayzin and Shardyn Fahey-Leigh – have racked up their seventh year performing at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, where this year they were nominated for Best New Talent.
They have since hit the road for their 32-date Brothers Never Part tour, which arrives in Cessnock on May 7.
“This is our first proper tour, it’s exciting for us – the experience of being on the road, playing our music on stage and sharing what we do for a living with Australia,” Mak said.
The two-hour all-ages performance highlights songs from their new album Brothers Never Part, their X-Factor hits and a set called Fresh From The UK set, which features the brothers’ take on some of the most popular hits of the decade by UK artists such as Ed Sheeran, Adele, One Direction and Coldplay.
Brothers 3 auditioned on The X-Factor with a daring cover of Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift and were voted in by all four judges including their eventual mentor, Dannii Minogue.
“X-Factor was probably one of the best experiences we’ve ever had,” Mak said.
“The international judges, their advice, you treat it like gold.”
After X-Factor the brothers hit the road, before inking a record deal with Warner Music.
They have spent long hours in the studio with producer Matt Fell (Troy Cassar-Daley, Damien Leith), working on their first major label album release, Brothers Never Part, which was released in January.
Brothers Never Part debuted at number 11 on the ARIA mainstream charts and number one on the country charts, featuring four original tracks and a selection of covers.
Brothers 3 will play at Cessnock Performing Arts Centre on Saturday, May 7 at 8pm. Call 4990 7134 or visit www.cessnockperformingartscentre.com.au for tickets.
