Oldham brothers hit number one in download charts

Two brothers from Oldham singing about the Greater Manchester town they grew up have spent a day the top of the official UK Singles Downloads chart, above the likes of Taylor Swift or Bruno Mars.

Danny and Callum Connor, better known by fans as Two Connors, have been a part of the city's local music scene for the last three years.

But after playing small rooms and community events - the pair have been launched into the limelight after their new tune Familiar Faces went straight to number one in the UK singles download charts on Thursday.

Two Connors knocked Taylor Swift's Opalite and Bruno Mars' I Just Might off the top spot and Danny told BBC Radio Manchester: "It is bonkers honestly."

The brothers said their hit song Familiar Faces is about "the legends, places and characters of Oldham".

Callum said he had a feeling about the song very early on in the writing stages.

"When I wrote it, I got a mad feeling through me writing it with Danny in the studio," he said. "We were meant to be working on another song but we did this one in the studio instead.

"And then we put a performance up online of us doing it live and it just went insane."

Looking back over their journey to success, Danny said he and Callum "started everything from scratch".

"We just made a Facebook page and I remember getting like 64 followers at the time - and now we're on over a hundred thousand followers and millions of views and stuff like that - it's just gone through the roof for us."

Callum said: "It kind of doesn't sink in sometimes when you get to that point it's a bit like all right like - I'm extremely grateful."

The duo said the response from their family has "meant a lot".

Two Connors surprised their grandma with the news last week - as their song was played on Capital FM.

"We went round to my grandmas and we knew they were playing it [the song] in the top 40," Callum told BBC Manchester.

"We didn't tell her when it was coming on - and you should see her face when she hears them introducing it on the radio - it was out of this world."

Callum said, unlike his brother Danny, he doesn't have a career outside of music.

"I always put music first because that's my dream and ambition," he said.

"But I think even if you work a full-time job - I'd say to always still chase a dream because you don't know if tomorrow's promised."

"In the future, we want a number one," Danny said.

"Like I always say, it might sound bonkers to other people, but to us, as two brothers, we believe in ourselves and we believe that one day we're going to get a number one out there and that will come.

"I've never been an egotistical person," Danny said. "I'm glad it's happened later on in life, so I'm able to stay grounded.

"But when we go out there we can't even go down the street without someone beeping and saying 'love your music' and stuff.

"I'll just say to any young ones - or even older ones wanting to come through - to blank out any hate and keep going - live like a phoenix, born from the ashes and fly."

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