Anyone who has listened to Broken Roots would assume the duo has been performing for a long time. But that’s far from the truth.
Members Austin and Joey were previously solo artists with different musical styles. Austin sang country while Joey was a pop/rock singer. They were both popular performers in Chicago, and were told by many venues they should consider working together.
The two of them met at one of Joey’s shows and bonded over their shared past experiences. But they still couldn’t wrap their heads around the idea of forming a musical duo because of their different styles.
Austin and Joey finally threw caution to the wind and came together as Broken Roots. Their first performance as a duo was actually during the auditions for the 15th season of America’s Got Talent.
They sang “Wanted Dead Or Alive” by Bon Jovi and earned a standing ovation from all four judges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdjb1RCWSeY
Even though the judges loved Broken Roots’ audition, they eliminated them during the Judge Cuts. But the duo got a second chance at the AGT title when they were brought back as a Comeback Artist.
Broken Roots returned to the show during the quarterfinals, and sang U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Then they advanced to the semifinals, where they performed their take on Blake Shelton‘s smash hit, “God’s Country.”
Released in 2019, “God’s Country” topped both the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart and the Country Airplay chart. It also crossed over to claim the #17 spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“God’s Country” went on to win the 2019 CMA Award for Single of the Year. In addition, it was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 2020 Grammy Awards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjOsqFJl3ys
Broken Roots had a lot to live up to when they chose to sing “God’s Country” for the AGT semifinals. But they proved to be up to the challenge, as they delivered a fiery cover that perfectly showcased their voices and dynamic as a duo.
When AGT uploaded a video of the pair’s cover on YouTube, they labeled it as “awesome.” That’s a great word to describe their performance, which you can catch below.
Thank goodness Broken Roots was given a second chance on AGT, otherwise we never would have heard their outstanding rendition of “God’s Country.”