As A Band They Have Been Globetrotting And Are Talking To Me From Sweden In Transit To Paris, Where They Will No Doubt Be Playing For A Gang Of European Fans Who Know The Words To All Their Songs.

If you hear state radio stations, chances are you have heard the tune "Tonight, Tonight" by Hot Chelle Rae.

"Just never stop, let's keep the beat pumpin' / Keep the beat up, let's drop the beat down / It's my party, dance if I want to / We will be able to get mad, let it all out" the words go. A jovial song for a band that has needed to work diligently for the last six years.

"I'd say that our folks instilled a large amount of resolution into us from a young age," Ryan Follese, lead singer of the band, says responding to how they've managed to keep going for six years.

"Our family has a really powerful work ethic," he adds, "My parents are both musicians. So we all know the deal. We are individuals who set targets and that helps."

His pa is singer and songwriter Keith Follese, who is famous for his work with country music legends like Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Martina McBride.

Their determination has paid off. Nominated for an American Music Award (which they have afterwards won), Hot Chelle Rae has finally arrived. "I can't honestly tell you what being nominated feels like," Follese says . "We're still processing it.

"To be in a category with such great artists actually makes us feel just like we are part of the industry," he adds.

As a band they have been globetrotting and are speaking to me from Sweden en route to Paris, where they will without doubt be playing for a crowd of EU fans who know the words to all of their songs.

"I can't honestly say that I ever thought that I would be sitting in Sweden chatting to a journalist in South Africa," he says in response to whether they thought they'd ever have fans in S. A. .

"It's truly flattering and embarrassing. We have an extraordinary team and that is the reason why this works out so well. And our label works as hard as we do."

Their goals include selling 1,000,000 albums and turning into a fully-fledged arena band.

The last year has been crucial on the band's time line and evolution.

"Everyone's gotten better," Follese says . "In the last year all the emotions feel intensified. We are away from home rather a lot. The parties became better. Everything is just more intensified."

Funny what a little success will do. So what's the maddest party they've been to? "I must say the "I Like it Like That" music video is one of the madder parties we created," Follese says.

The music video was shot the day they were given their hands on the 1st copy of their impending album, Whatever.

"We started drinking and partying," Follese says . "And our manager brought out a camera and it's essentially us killing two bottles of Grey Goose. It is a giant outlining moment for us."

Keeping the momentum going is always one of the trickiest things for a new band. "We just released the new single 'I Like it Like That'. We've got the imminent album. And basically everything on it is merely a journey in our lives and the ride we have been on."

"Absolutely," he responds to a question about whether they'd tour SA "One of my buddies was born in S. A. . Reputedly, the girls are actually beautiful."

Watch out ladies!

With a tiresome tour schedule and heaps of travelling, "we spend lots of our sparetime with family," he says, "And watching pictures and hockey. We chill."

This year has been particularly travel-heavy with the band spending as little as two or three days out of every three months at home. The travelling does not seem to affect his long-term relationship though.

"She's not on tour with me. We have been together so long though, that she knows what's up. We both know that this is bigger than us now."

The band cites some of music's greats as their influences. Queen and The Beatles are among them and are right up there with their mom and pop. "They're our number one supporters," Follese isn't shy to admit.

The Follese siblings are not the only members with ties in the entertaining industry. Lead guitar strummer Nash Overstreet is from a performing family and his bro Chord is one of the new leads on the Happiness block. "Chord's parallel career path has been so cool to see," Follese announces, "Being on Happiness for us would show that we've truly made it. It'd be the definition of full circle", writes tagza.com.