Photo Credit: Tatiana Belanich
Written By Kelly Holm
Some musicians search the world to find their bandmates. Others share parents with them. Matt and Andrew Como, a duo who hail from Long Island, have been active since 2012, though needless to say they’ve known each other for much longer!
Their tunes have been featured on Keeping Up with the Kardashians and MTV’s The Real World, and their discography is compiled of several singles, a number of EPs and two full-length albums.
Despite being a dynamic duo right now, the two brothers weren’t initially teamed up. Andrew actually started entertaining crowds around the age of 15 with a band made up of just a group of friends.
“My first performance was not with Matt. I played in bands for a couple of years before he started playing,” Andrew admits. “I didn’t sing much at that point… no one is born with talent, no matter how many people try to tell you otherwise. I couldn’t sing or play to save my life when I started.”
Needless to say, it’s taken quite a bit for Andrew and Matt to get where they are now: a lot of grit and determination, but also a lot of letting loose, having fun and meaning it. The Como Brothers, with that motto in mind, have been able to perform at places like New York City’s oldest rock venue, The Bitter End and hopefully, one day, Madison Square Garden.
“Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel’s longtime drummer, was in the audience,” Andrew recalled. “He said that we had really great, catchy tunes that were perfect for a song drummer.”
Obviously, this made Andrew and Matt’s days, as they’re both longtime fans of Billy Joel. John Mayer and Paul McCartney are also prominent inspirations for them, but it’s Jason Mraz whose influence can clearly be heard on “One and Only,” a single the pair released in April.
“We’ve been putting out a new song every 30 days since this past July, and we will be continuing to release a new song every month,” Andrew says. “Our new thing is just to release singles… we really like the idea of releasing new material frequently and constantly. Each song gets all of the attention too.”
“I See Something” is one of the latest tracks, having been released in October. It’s a love song inspired by Andrew’s former girlfriend.
“‘I See Something’ was a song written directly to someone,” he said. “I’ve written songs about people before, but never told them. This was the first song we released where I had told that person that the song was about them.”
August’s single, “Take Me Home,” is another favorite of the bands, especially to perform. It’s an ode to Port Jefferson, the Como Brothers’ hometown.
“It’s always fun playing that one. Especially on Long Island,” Andrew says.
With a deadline every 30 days, it may seem like a lot of pressure for the brothers to craft a new tune within such a small time slot. Luckily, though, they’ve got plenty of material to work with.
“Sometimes we write a song completely together, and other times we write separately,” Andrew said. “We write songs everywhere. My best songs come from when I’m driving or in the shower.”
At the end of the day, Andrew acknowledges that sharing an act with his brother has strengthened their relationship.
“We have a great amount of respect for each other,” he says. “We have the same challenges as any other solo artists or bands.”
In the meantime, you can join Elicit in celebrating the Como Brothers’ latest monthly single, “Cheap Talk,” that carries a meaningful message as always.
“I want [fans] to hear their own stories in our songs. I want them to know that we’ve experienced a lot of the things that they have too,” Andrew relays. “The fact that I’m even able to create and release music makes me feel like a million bucks.”
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