Texas duo Colin Padalecki and Forrest Frank have been on an upward trajectory since connecting five years ago via DM. After hearing each other’s music, they joined forces to create Surfaces. From their humble beginnings to developing a fan base to landing a record deal with 10K Projects and having their song “Sunday Best” explode, Surfaces have relied on their ability to create original, undeniable music.

With three projects under their belts—their 2019 debut Surf, follow-up Where the Light Is and their latest full-length, Horizons—Padalecki and Frank have hewed to their formula of writing and producing completely on their own. And why wouldn't they? “Sunday Best” was certified platinum in June and is closing in on 2 billion global streams. On top of that achievement, the breezy anthem has reached a level of engagement that would've been unheard of before 2019—it’s been used in more than 20 million TikTok videos. The song's reach is virtually immeasurable.

Going into Grammy season, Surfaces have checked all the right boxes to be considered for a variety of categories, including Best New Artist. They even got a rare stamp of approval from the iconic Elton John, who collaborated with them on midyear single “Learn to Fly”—which they created via Zoom during the 2020 pandemic.

We caught up with these rising talents to chat about their stellar year. On keeping their creative juices flowing, the duo said, “On the music side, we’re always trying to find new ways to express ourselves and push the envelope on what ‘our sound’ is. We want to continually show our fans how dynamic and anti-genre we are without totally escaping the familiarity of the universe we’ve been trying to create.”

"There’s a reason the Grammys are considered the highest accolade in music,
and we’d love nothing more than to earn and deserve such an honor."

On crafting their breakthrough smash, “Sunday Best”: “Contrary to popular belief, the creation of “Sunday Best” came from a place of adversity and feeling really lost. It was made in an almost redemptive way, with a “we can only go up from the bottom” attitude.”

Going up indeed seems to be the case for Surfaces. Just as feel-good as the hook in their lead single, Surfaces have nothing to lose going into Grammy season: “A nomination would bring a new level of pride to our work, knowing that respected artists and members of the music community understand and appreciate the art we’ve worked so hard to make. There’s a reason the Grammys are considered the highest accolade in music, and we’d love nothing more than to earn and deserve such an honor.”