The 8th grade metal band Unlocking the Truth are getting a two-record deal at Sony, Consequence of Sound reported on Saturday.
The trio includes guitarist Malcolm Brickhouse (best name ever), bass player Alec Atkins, and drummer Jarad Dawkins. Brickhouse and Atkins are both 13, while Dawkins is just 12.
But as Consequence of Sound points out, that isn’t the only unique thing about these youngsters. They’re three African-American kids entering a genre of music that is mostly dominated by white males.
Their deal with Sony will get them a guaranteed $60,000 for the first album with a possible advance of $350,000 on record two should they manage to sell 250,000 copies of record one.
By comparison, COS notes, that is less than half of what Beyonce sold of her last album (approximately 600,000).
In other words, it could be an uphill battle getting to that six-figure deal, but how many of us ever had that opportunity at such a young age? (Can’t raise my hand.)
Additionally, if Sony likes the performance of the first two albums, they have the option of signing the 8th grade metal band for four more releases, which could net the trio around $1.7 million.
The Manhattan Supreme Court had to approve the nature of the contract before band and label could swap ink.
In comments to the New York Post , the band’s manager, Alan Sacks , said the deal gives Unlocking the Truth “a chance to redefine the perception of metal music.”
The band was discovered by Eric Clapton’s drummer Steve Jordan while playing Washington Square Park in 2012. (That means you can subtract two years from their current ages for an even more amazing story.)
They’ve opened for Guns ‘N’ Roses , hold a current spot on the Vans Warped Tour, own an opening slot at Coachella, and will play with Queens of the Stone Age next weekend.
Want to know just how talented these kids are? We’ve got a video:
Yep, we’re blown away.
More from the Post report:
“I’m so excited! We’ve made it!” gushed 12-year-old drummer Jarad Dawkins, of Crown Heights.
“We were discovered on YouTube,” Dawkins continued, shouting over the noise at a Camden, NJ stadium where the boys were scheduled to perform Friday night.
“After that we started getting calls and performing more and as we performed we got bigger and bigger,” the preteen said.
The street sessions were supervised by the group’s “momager” 13-year-old guitarist Malcolm Brickhouse’s mother Annette Jackson of Flatbush.
Are you as impressed with this 8th grade metal band as we are? Share your thoughts in our comments section.
[Image via Consequence of Sound, linked above]
