We often hear the phrase 'overnight success' in the context of artists that have actually been around for a while, and have suddenly broken through after years of hard slog. Gotye's domination of the planet this year is seen, in non antipodean terms at least, as overnight – where in reality it was the result of years of tooling around in his home studio and scouring record shops for obscure samples. His partner in crime Kimbra seemed to pop up out of nowhere, but the deeper we investigated the more obvious it became that she had been steadily working on her sound and image for at least a decade.

These days though, triple j's ubiquitous Unearthed competition makes it possible for acts to be literally plucked from obscurity and, assuming they've got the chops, thrust on to the national stage in a matter of months. One such band is The Rubens. Ten months ago they were an unknown band of brothers peddling their soul-based rock to vaguely disinterested Sydney audiences. Today they are on the precipice of releasing one of the year's most anticipated debut albums, a brilliant piece of soul-drenched guitar pop recorded in New York with Paul McCartney's producer. They also have the ability to sell out venues all over the country at the drop of a hat. So, how did it all happen? How did a band from a town with a population of less than 400 manage to trap the zeitgeist in less than a year? “We only learned how to be a rock and roll band when we went to America,” says lead singer Sam Margin, sounding every bit the young man in the eye of the storm.

“When it all started we'd been together for maybe eight or nine months,” explains Margin down the line from the band's home of Menangle, about an hour south-west of Sydney. “Before that we were working our separate jobs in bars and restaurants and all of that, playing shows where we could. We'd drive into Sydney and play those club shows where you have to play at 1.30 in the morning, trying to stay sober because you have to soundcheck at 6. It was a different thing to what we're doing now. It was fun but it was also kind of a pain in the arse.

“The reception was a bit mixed,” he continues. “We had a few people coming up to us after the shows and saying they enjoyed it and stuff, but everyone does. We had a bad review and that was pretty heartbreaking at the time. It feels a bit weird now – people liked what we were doing but to be honest with you I don't think we were that good a band back then anyway.”

When you consider the fact that the 'back then' Margin is speaking of would be approximately this time last year, it becomes clear that things have moved very quickly for The Rubens. Obviously, the nation's youth broadcaster has had a lot to do with exposing them to a new and larger audience, with their first single, the smooth soul pop of Lay It Down landing at number 57 in last year's Hottest 100. Subsequent singles have been inescapable on the station – so what do the band themselves think about being handed this golden ticket? “I guess being played on triple j sort of legitimises it for some people – anyone who can't really think for themselves. It seems like people need to be told that it's okay to like something,” Margin admits. “We've had to learn everything so quickly you know? Now we've got these massive crowds – it definitely changes how you feel about yourself as a band. We're genuinely absolutely stoked to be doing what we're doing and I think the crowds can feel that we're honoured to be playing to that many people now.”

So the success and plaudits came quickly for sure, but it's interesting to discover that when the tap on the shoulder came, The Rubens were already knee deep in planning the recording of their debut album. A sound engineer friend had passed on a demo of their track My Gun to big time New York based producer David Kahne – the man responsible for albums by Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor and The Strokes. Margin hopped on a plane with the intention of feeling the producer out and this meeting of minds resulted in the conclusion that Kahne was definitely their man.

With no record label or financial backing behind them, the boys borrowed some money from their parents and headed to the Big Apple. “We flew over there and just got straight into it. We had to learn so much in such a short period of time. We did five weeks pre-production with David in a big rehearsal studio, just picking songs apart, trimming the fat and making the best parts better,” Margin says. “We learned a lot about songwriting in those weeks. It was intimidating because he was telling us to do things like cut out parts and it's hard to have someone talk to you like that about your babies – these things that you've created. We just had to keep telling ourselves that it was okay, that this guy knew what he was doing. He was a Grammy-winning producer that had worked with Paul McCartney so we just had to trust him. It was difficult and it was stressful but in the end it made the recording process so much easier.”

The production of the record itself really did happen in the eye of the storm, so to speak. At a time when their single was going gangbusters on radio back in Australia and the industry was clambering for a piece, The Rubens were holed up in their New York studio with Kahne, in equal parts focused and freaked out. “It was scary – it was very scary,” Margin explains. “Suddenly we had all these eyes on us and all these record labels after us. We knew we needed them because we were over there living off our parents' money that we'd borrowed. Suddenly there was all this pressure from all these different parties and there was pressure because of this producer that we'd hired. At that point we were just so fresh. David really did step in, he taught us a lot about the industry and what we didn't want to be, and who to watch out for and what to be careful of. He really mentored us.”

The album then, the result of all this gruelling work, is a testament to the focus of the three brothers Margin and their cousin Scott Baldwin. A tour de force in gritty guitar rock and soul, the self-titled effort is surprisingly muscular and nuanced, especially considering the more laid back feel of their earlier work. Both Lay It Down and My Gun appear reworked from their earlier versions with a heavier approach, lending credence to Margin's earlier claim that they had to head State-side to become a real rock and roll band. One stand out is opener The Best We Got – a true exercise in the idea of writing what you know. A mediation on the idea of leaving Year 12 and heading out into the adult world, the lead singer is coy when it comes to explaining the motivations behind his lyrics. “It's about those awkward few teenage years when you don't really know what the hell is going on or what you're about and you're just running around blindly chasing girls or whatever,” Margin elaborates, all of a sudden going a bit quiet.

“I guess when you're young and you have someone older, someone who is say 25 and you're still in high school, and you're whinging about high school and they say to you 'You better enjoy those days because they'll be the best days you got' – I was just thinking that that was a bit depressing. I'd like to think there's much more in store. I don't know what I'm going to be up to in the next ten years but I don't plan on these being the best days I've got.”

Yeah, it's probably safe to say that The Rubens have a few more good days ahead of them, although they're not about get ahead of themselves just yet. In fact, in all that has happened in such a short space of time – there doesn't seem to be a hint of pretence or arrogance about their future, nor are there any delusions about exactly what's in store for them. “Since New York, we knew we were in for it,” Margin says with the excitement of a man very much in the catapult. “Now we're just ready to just drop our lives and dedicate ourselves to The Rubens. It really is amazing. It's amazing that this has happened to us.”

HOME TOWN BLUES

Hailing from the tiny town of Menangle has its advantages and disadvantages for a band like The Rubens. With a population of 327 on Census in 2006, a quick look at the shire's Wikipedia page already lists the boys as one of the biggest exports to come from the country town. You'd think then, that the whole place would be quietly losing their minds with the success of the three Margin lads and their childhood friend. Margin explains that this isn't exactly the case.

“Menangle is not too far from Camden which is a bigger town, so we're not as remote as some people like to think. Our mates are definitely like 'What the hell happened?' Me and Scotty have a few mutual friends and now we've all become friends with each other friends. They're all pretty overwhelmed with what has happened – they just keep telling us we've blown up and whatever.

“I think though, because we're in such a small country town, a lot of people don't really give a shit,” he laughs. “People hear about it but a lot of people in Menangle don't really listen to triple j or anything – so we get mixed reactions. It's in equal measure people losing their minds and not caring.”

In the early days though, before their mates started freaking out over their success, The Rubens had to rely on these erstwhile fellows to come down to shows and prop up the room. Much like any other band in the early stages of their career (and some bands right until the end). For Margin though, it was often hard to summon the bravado of a rockstar while his school friends stood and watched on.

“We were so new and fresh in those early days, and didn't really know what it meant to be a proper band and play live, put on a show and interact with the audience and all that kind of stuff. I always found that really fake. Management would always tell me that I had to interact more but it just felt false to me because I wasn't feeling it if it's just in front of my mates. It feels a lot easier now that the crowds are a bit more into it.”

The Rubens will be playing the following shows:

Thursday 20 September - Uni Bar, Wollongong NSW
Friday 21 September - Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW
Thursday 27 September - Republic Bar, Hobart TAS
Friday 28 September - Hotel New York, Launceston TAS
Saturday 29 September - The Gov, Adelaide SA
Friday 5 October - Capitol Theatre, Perth WA
Saturday 6 October - Prince Of Wales, Bunbury WA
Sunday 7 October - Newport Hotel, Fremantle WA
Wednesday 10 October - Hoey Moey, Coffs Harbour NSW
Thursday 11 October - Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast QLD
Friday 12 October - The Hi-Fi, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 13 October - Great Northern, Byron Bay NSW