Brothers Osborne is the real deal, and here’s how you know it: they can get down just as hard with two acoustics on a sidewalk as they can with a full band. The guys recently plunked down in front of a graffitied garage door in Dallas and performed a gritty version of “Down Home” from their record Pawn Shop. Thankfully, they recorded it, so fans can check out the video of the stripped-down performance above.

Real-life brothers T.J. and John play from the soul and sing with conviction, giving the song just as much power with no amplification. They believe that’s where true talent can be seen — in the no-frills, simple execution. It’s telling, but that’s what they like about it.

"When you play acoustic, you can't hide behind anything. It's really the thing that separates the men from the boys,” T.J. tells Rolling Stone Country. "We grew up loving and revering country music. That's why we wanted to do the Western swing bits. We're not calling ourselves country music just so we can find a genre to put our sh--ty pop music in."

That bluesy, soulful sound comes from an authentic place, and the Maryland natives say they wanted “Down Home” to reflect just what the name implies.

"Every country or roots-rock band has a song about where they come from," says John. We wanted to have that swampiness that comes along with those types of songs."

The guys are on their Dirt Rich Tour, featuring the band Lanco and singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas (who is also John’s wife). They’re also gearing up for the CMA Awards on Nov. 2, where they’re nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

"It has been a slow climb," says T.J. "I look back to the beginning of 2015, and I'm like, 'We've come a long way from then.' Just the beginning of this year, we had our first Number One, our album was released, and our Grammy nomination. This year has been a huge one for us."

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