Schoolboy metal band Unlocking The Truth have secured a $1.8m record deal with Sony after a live video went viral.
Over 1,600,000 people have viewed the clip, which shows then 11-year-olds Malcolm Brickhouse, Jarad Dawkins and Alex Atkins performing on Times Square in New York.
Since then they’ve played shows all over the US, appeared at festivals and opened for Guns n’Roses.
The six-album Sony deal means they’ll be advanced $60,000 for their debut record. If that sells more than 250,000 copies they’ll be handed $350,000 for its follow-up.
Tabatha Dawkins, mother of drummer Jarad, tells the New York Daily News: “It’s so exciting – we’re over the moon. What started out as playdates went to Times Square, and now this. It’s been one great thing after another.”
But the trio haven’t escaped from their homework – Dawkins states: “Schoolwork comes first. If their schoolwork’s not done, they don’t play.”
Unlocking The Truth are currently part of the Vans Warped tour in the US. A book and documentary about their rise to success are also in production.
