Karmin Makes it from YouTube to ‘Saturday Night Live’

If you’re not one of the 830,000+ subscribers to one of Karmin’s two YouTube channels nor account for any of the nearly 200 million views the band’s music videos have accumulated since its first upload in August of 2010, then you’re probably not familiar with Amy Hiedemann and Nick Noonan’s particular brand of cover artistry and original rap-infused pop. That is, of course, unless you were one of the half-dozen-or-so million people watching Saturday Night Live last weekend. Then you saw it in real time.

SNL guest host Zoey Deschanel introduced Karmin twice throughout the evening before the band / engaged couple who met at Boston’s Berklee College of Music played two tracks from their upcoming album scheduled to be released by Epic Records later this year. The appearance on the program was the latest in a number of high-profile accolades Hiedemann and Noon

have received in the past 20 months, including being honored by the American Music Awards and writing and performing an original theme song for the 2011 NBA Finals.

This wasn’t the first time a musical phenom discovered on YouTube has performed on SNL. Justin Bieber was the musical guest (and serenaded Tina Fey) back in April 2010 and is slated to host an installment of the  weekly sometime this year. This is, however, one of (if not) the fastest trajectories from YouTube prominence to Saturday Night Live musical guest I’ve seen from any band. YouTube proper made a video to commemorate the occasion. You should watch it after you view my interview with Karmin below.