American Authors crashed onto the music scene in 2013, going from absolutely unknown to regulars on pop radio stations. There are different theories on why that happened the way it did, but our favorite explanation is also the simplest: they’re talented.

And that talent comes from a potent mix of four different established musicians. There’s Zac Barnett, the main vocalist, who fun fact, can play the trumpet! Then you have James Adam Shelly on the guitar and banjo, who helps create the folksy aspect of the bands sound. The band is rounded out by Dave Rublin on bass and Matt Sanchez on drums. Want to know how these four talented men found each other? Keep reading, below.

Making the Band

Sometimes musicians find each other by chance, out in the real world. That’s not the case for the American Authors. The four members were all attending Berklee College of Music – which is a cesspool of musical talent.

The boys didn’t finish school, though – they had bigger plans. They dropped out and moved to Brooklyn in the early 2010s. It’s a good thing they did, too, as that’s where they got signed to Island Records in 2012. Pretty impressive turnaround (but stay in school, kids!)

Best Day of My Life

If you’re a true American Authors fan, you may remember the early hit song, “Believer.” But if you’re like most people (and that’s perfectly okay), it was their song “Best Day of My Life” that got the ball rolling for you. It’s no wonder that their breakthrough single gained them so many new fans – it hit number 14 on the Billboard top 200 at its peak. That’s almost unheard of for a just-signed-last-year band. Whether you’ve been on the American Authors bandwagon since they were playing open mic’s in Brooklyn or since you heard them on the radio, it doesn’t matter – you need to see them live.