Just 13 months old, London Grammar is already taking the music world by storm. The trio–composed of Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman, and Dominic Major (known as Dot)—met at Nottingham University, joined forces and formed the band. Before they graduated, London Grammar had already signed to Ministry of Sound.

The band, sound-wise, has been compared to the likes of The XX and Coldplay, but do not seem like a common addition to Ministry of Sound, which is a record label that produces dance and rave music. However, as Reid told The Guardian—a British national newspaper—”the fact they were independent gave us a chance to go away, work on the songs and wait until we were ready.”

When London Grammar’s debut single “Hey Now”—which can be described as indie pop–was released, they did not expect to be featured by music blogs and radio shows. After being signed, they went straight to writing and recording and didn’t release any promotional videos or pictures. The group didn’t even have a following on any social media platforms. Majors told HungerTV—a biannual magazine from the photographer and publisher Rankin—”People think we came from nowhere and are playing at being mysterious, but it’s not like that at all…maybe now that we’re doing quite well, this mystery thing is working in our favor.”

In an interview with Manchester Evening News, Rothman brought up the fact that “Hannah gets really bad stage fright, and she said she was just waiting for the day she had to tell us she couldn’t play any of these songs live because she was so terrified.” After playing their first show and witnessing firsthand what kind of reception they were getting, the band was finally able to realize just how well their music had done.

If You Wait, London Grammar’s debut album, which was released on September 9th, 2013 and reached the 2nd spot position on the UK Chart, is written mostly from Reid’s personal experiences. It focuses on the transition into adulthood and the uncertainty of life after one has completed one’s university education. Reid told The Guardian, “I have a lot of friends now who are really lost… We’re finding ourselves in a position where it’s impossible to get jobs, and we’re terrified. So many people I know don’t know what to do with their lives.” The single “Wasting My Young Years” captures these emotions precisely. Ironically enough, London Grammar is definitely not wasting their time, as they have already had their debut on American television with their performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Even though some may argue that the music scene isn’t a solid-enough career to rely on long term, with the hype surrounding London Grammar, it seems that the trio did make the correct decision.