Two Musicians From Oldham Reached Number One In Charts

Two musicians from Oldham reached number one on the UK iTunes chart, fighting off acclaimed artists including Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars.

Brothers Callum and Danny Connor, who perform as the ‘Two Connors,’ climbed to the top spot in the UK iTunes songs chart with their single ‘Familiar Faces.’ The duo, from Royton, have been making music together for the past three years.

The song highlights changes in community life and the effect of technology on social interaction. They feel like people are always on social media or playing games on their computers. Speaking about the track, Callum said it was inspired by their tough childhood.

“When we were growing up, everyone would be out playing. You used to see all your mates, but after technology and social media have come into play you don’t see any familiar faces,” he said.

They grew up on the streets which would be full of children playing. They would play games like Kerby and British Bulldog. In winter, they would have snowball fights and go sledging. 

The brothers were raised in Derker and Fitton Hill, and said they wanted their music to unite communities. They have friends and fans from Royton, Shaw and Glodwick.

“We would like to unite communities. We invite people from all backgrounds to come and ‘make noise’ with us,” he added.

Their song has been viewed more than eight million times in total across social media and have produced viral videos. One Instagram video alone was shared 50,000 times.

Callum began writing lyrics at the tender age of 13 and now focuses primarily on songwriting, while Danny is the one with the voice. The pair said they aim to create upbeat music and avoid the negativity which can be found in drill music.

The single was initially released at 99p before being reduced to 59p. Callum said they were grateful for the support that pushed the track to the top of the download chart in the official UK music rankings as well.

“Oldham is our home. It can make you or break you,” Callum said. “We try to represent it because it gave us our best times along with our worst times. It’s not all glitz and glamour.”

The ‘Two Connors’ said they hope their chart success will help them to continue making music and representing Oldham. 

Callum added: “We’re very grateful for reaching number one in the charts. I’ve always loved life because of the people around me including my family. Being in a better position has made life easier financially.”