If you are passing through the third floor of Dow Hall, you may be able to hear the acoustic performances of sophomore finance major Mickey Azirov and sophomore communications major Jake Williams. But in case you’re not one of the few people that live near them, they post their songs to their YouTube channel, AzirovMusic, which is currently going viral.
The pair has been receiving quite a bit of attention for their acoustic covers of popular songs, both indie and mainstream pop. Their satirical cover of Rebecca Black’s song “Saturday” is at almost 4,000 views while their rendition of Panic! At the Disco’s “The End of All Things” is nearly at 8,000 views.
The group formed when the two were arbitrarily paired as roommates last fall – and they’ve been collaborating ever since.
“I already had my own YouTube channel when Jake and I became roommates,” Azirov said. “[Jake] is great at photography, filming, and music, so we just decided to start making these cover videos together.”
Williams started playing guitar in middle school and Azirov started in high school. Even though one is from the outskirts of Connecticut and the other from the Bronx, the two have managed to find some common ground through Jason Mraz, John Mayer, and several other indie rock bands.
Since then the two have made seven videos, totaling 21,000 views. Although their covers range between popular indie rock titles and pop, may paint them up as a bunch of softies, but it is in fact quite the contrary.
“I have a couple acoustic projects and I’m in a hardcore band back home,” Williams said. “One of my favorite bands is The Devil Wears Prada [a metalcore band].”
Armed with only a Cannon T3I, a Blue Microphone, and two acoustic guitars, the boys’ DIY project has become something that they never expected. One of the most unexpected moments was a harsh lesson in online music piracy.
“Once our cover of “Saturday” started gaining some attention, we found out that someone from the United Arab Emirates stole our song for one of his own videos,” Azirov said.
After the realization occurred they contacted YouTube to report the copyright infringement, which ultimately resulted in the user having to take down the video.
“The crazy part was that it wasn’t the first time this guy had done this,” Azirov said. “We contacted a few of the other artists he had ripped off as well, the guy had 10,000 subscribers, and meanwhile we barely have 200. I’m not sure if I’m mad that he tried stealing it or honored that he liked it that much.”
Williams plans on pursuing a career in music, photography, or both, while Azirov remains certain that he’s bound for the world of finance.
“I’d love to be a singer songwriter for a living, but I think finance is more realistic and secure, though I’ll definitely keep it as a side project,” Azirov said.
When you visit Azirov and William’s YouTube channel, AzirovMusic, don’t forget to hit “subscribe.”