University Union announced Monday night that X Ambassadors will perform at Schine Underground Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Get pumped for their performance by brushing up on your knowledge of the upstate New York natives.

Imagine Dragons helped them make their big break

When Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds first heard X Ambassador’s acoustic performance of “Unconsolable” online, he called his friend Alex Da Kid of the KIDinaKORNER record label, who ended up becoming the produce for the X Ambassador’s hit single, “Renegades.” Since then, X Ambassador’s has toured with Imagine Dragons, as well as Jimmy Eat World, Milky Chance and Panic! at the Disco. Imagine Dragons even took their own take on “Unconsolable” in their cover.

Their hit song Renegades reigned No. 1 on Billboard’s alternative songs list for 11 weeks

Instantly recognizable from the Jeep Renegade commercial, the chart-topper was at the top of Billboard’s alternative songs list for 11 weeks straight, before falling to Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s.” The song has also been on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 23 weeks, currently sitting at the No. 28 spot.

Brothers Sam and Casey Harris and band member Noah Feldshuh grew up in Ithaca, NY

Lead singer Sam Harris told Rolling Stone about how the connection the brothers had growing up in Ithaca inspired the song “Unconsolable.” He said: “It’s about all the stupid things we get ourselves into as kids. Noah, Casey and I all grew up in a small town in upstate New York. There were these beautiful, old colonial houses that a lot of kids moved into after high school; they’d turn them into these awful, dilapidated party houses. We’d go there and completely destroy them. I always dreamed of getting out, of finally leaving town. When I did, I was sad. I missed those houses and all the people I knew back there.”

Their song “Litost” was featured on the soundtrack of the film “The Host”

The track was one of the band’s first songs that garnered a great amount of buzz and attention, getting a good amount of air time. In Czech, the word “Litost” means, “a state of agony and torment created by the sudden sight of one’s own misery.”

The band’s keyboardist, Casey Harris, has been blind since birth

Despite Casey’s limitations, he became skilled enough at playing the piano to work as a professional tuner. According to X Ambassador’s website, Sam originally didn’t want Casey to play with him in the band, saying “No way am I going to be in a band with my brother.” Everyone else didn’t want to miss out on Casey, and told Sam, “Your brother is a better musician than all of us. Please!”

Published on September 28, 2015 at 8:05 pm

Contact Alex: aerdekia@syr.edu