Breaking out internationally is one of the toughest segments of any up-and-coming band's trajectory. Even with the means to contact venue and festival promoters the world over, there's just no guarantee your act will translate. The Suburbians made it hapen with an approachable sound, fun lyrics and a year of pressing their noses to the grindstone.
Already a club hit in their native UK, it was a submission that guitarist Mark Konstantinovic made to Indie Week Ireland that jump started their first North American tour.
"You can't get funding for that sort of thing," Mark said. "We were losing faith in the platform, and then this Indie Week thing came along."
And oh my did it ever. Mark, his brother Ben and their bandmates Charlie and Ben survived multiple heats worth of artists in Belfast, and were sent for a final vetting by the Indie Week crowd in Dublin.
The Irish responded so positively to The Suburbians' Alt. Rock shuffling that Indie Week invited them to headline their sister event in Toronto, Canada.
"I like to think it was the effort we put into the rehearsal," Mark said. "My plan was: when I get there, to try to network as much as possible."
Not satisfied with conquering just one new market, the boys Suburbian spun their Canadian forray into a fully fledged North American tour, with stops for Canadian Music Week, gigs in Nashville, a few days in Austin at SXSW 2011 and more.
For a band that started just a year ago, Mark admits that The Suburbians are in a very good place. Just the other day, 600 folks came out to the release party for their new LP Follow the Lights.
"It's different when you do everything yourself," Mark said, "It's a very natural, a very steady growth."
After a year of doing The Suburbians full time, the band has their first United States tour on the docket, it's set to kick off in February.
"It's definitely swallowed me as a person," Mark reflected. "I want to realize all that potential."
