SUCCESS: Local band Greywind made up of Paul and Steph O'Sullivan from Ballydribbeen have had almost 2m streams on Spotify.

This week Editor of the Killarney Advertiser Michelle Crean is 'In Conversation' with local band Greywind who are taking the world by storm with their unique style of music.

Despite only being in the music scene for four years, the brother sister duo from Ballydribbeen have not only played at some of the world's leading festivals with big names on the music scene - but this week their album 'Afterthought' reached 2m streams on global music platform Spotify.

It has been an amazing musical journey for siblings Paul (26) and Steph O'Sullivan (24) who accidently got some of the world's biggest music labels interested in their pop/rock/indie style music.

With just 41 live concerts under their belt, they say that it's amazing that their music has hit 2m streams on the popular music channel - and that doesn't include the likes of YouTube, Apple Music or other platforms.

Their sound has similar tones of American rock band Evanescence but is also described by many as indie and pop rock. And since their rise to fame they even have music fans travel to concerts from all over the world.

According to Paul, some fans, including one in spotted in Killarney this week, even have a tattoo of the band's logo.

"It's amazing and we still feel that we still haven't even fully started yet. We've only ever played 41 live concerts in our entire lives and luckily those shows were some of the biggest festivals around the world."

THE BEGINNING

From a young age Paul and Steph had dreams of forming a band and hitting the big time. Never in their wildest dreams did they think that recording one song, also entitled 'Afterthought', four years ago that it would happen almost immediately.

Next, is what dreams are made of.

"Me and Steph always wanted to start a band and decided to travel to Belfast to a recording studio to go to a producer who could work with our sound," Paul, who went to The Sem, told the Killarney Advertiser.

"We recorded our first ever single 'Afterthought' and decided to post it online. Almost immediately Universal Records, Sony, Emeli Sandé's management and Warner Brothers were all asking who our record label was. First we thought it was a joke as it was a rough recording we put online. We had all that interest which was crazy!"

Then, one year to the day of posting the single online, they were flown to Texas to record their debut album.

"Usually to get signed or get that interest you have to have a massive following and we did it with no connections to the music industry."

GROWING

They then did a UK tour and played in the Leeds and Reading Festivals. Their first debut headline show was in St Pancras Church in London which sold out, then it was onto the Rock Am Ring Music Festival which Paul described as "the Glastonbury of Germany".

"Growing up MTV would have highlights of that festival and it was on both our bucket list to do before we die! Liam Gallagher played there too."

They then played the Download Festival with acts like Aerosmith, and last year it was onto the Isle of Wright where Noel Gallagher played, and then Greywind played the INEC with The Coronas last December.

And although COVID hit this year, he says it didn't interfere with their work as they had planned to spend time writing and recording in the studio. They've also been holding live online gigs and took over the HotPress page online last week. Now, they're almost ready to release new material but he's slow to reveal any details just yet.

All he will say is that they have recorded with a big named producer.

"We recorded with producer Romesh Dodangodajust before lockdown when he was just back from the Grammys. We will be releasing new music this coming autumn."