News January 12, 2021

Not fake news: Alex Hosking is Australia’s latest international breakthrough star with ‘Fake Friends’

Head of Content

Alex Hosking’s breakthrough single ‘Fake Friends’ is making many real friends around the globe.

Earlier in the week, the Adelaide-raised singer and songwriter earned a silver sales award from the BPI, the U.K.’s record labels trade association, in recognition of 200,000 combined sales for the Top 20 song, a collaboration with New York City native PS1.

Since its 2020 release, the bouncy dance track has blasted to nearly 30 million streams on Spotify alone, placing the artist upfront in the conversation on Australia’s international hitmakers to-watch.

Like so many good things in life, ‘Fake Friends’ is the product of talent, timing and serendipity.

Hosking wrote the song back in April 2017 on a songwriting camp she very nearly didn’t attend “because I wanted to save my money,” say explains in a social post on receiving her BPI award.

“My Mum told me to not be stupid and go, that my job and money would always be here and to never miss an opportunity to chase my dreams…so reluctantly I went.”

After a moment of self-doubt, mum and dad stepped in and assuaged her concerns.

“I walked right back into the studio, excused myself and found an empty writing room where I started writing the song ‘Fake Friends,’” she recounts.

Watch ‘Fake Friends’ by PS1 featuring Alex Hosking:

Three years on, after a time living on the road and dossing with friends, ‘Fake Friends’ got a release by PS1.

Then, everything changed.

‘Fake Friends’ climbed the Official U.K. Singles Chart for a peak position of No. 19, and has bagged several chart positions achieved across Apple Music Playlists. On YouTube, plays have surged past three million.

“‘Fake Friends’ has been getting a great reaction in my sets and Alex’s performance and writing on the song is amazing. She is a truly incredible artist,” enthuses PS1 (real name Peter Conigliaro) in a statement.

Along the way, it has bagged top spot on the Summer Hits U.K. chart, No. 8 on U.K. Shazam, it’s taking flight on radio in Europe and Australia and “has opened up so many new doors for an exciting 2021,” Hosking explains.

Hosking signed with Sony/ATV Publishing (thanks in large part to that first rough demo of ‘Fake Friends’), and locally the track has been released by Neon Records. Several single releases have followed, including 2020’s ‘Know You Best,’ which has pushed past 557,000 plays on Spotify.

“Besides being a great songwriter Alex is an amazing personality who lights up every (writing) room she walks into,” Michele Hamelink, Senior A&R Europe at Sony/ATV tells TIO. “’Fake Friends’ was one of the first songs I heard that Alex co-wrote, back in 2017. Instantly, it was obvious to us that Alex is a super talented songwriter, so we’re really excited to partner with her. Alex is such a hard worker, travelling the world, hustling her way to where she is now and this is only the beginning.”

Prior to her break, Hosking’s co-writes hit Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist, and hit No. 1 in the U.K. dance charts (‘Saying Something’ by Lucas & Steve), and in Germany (‘Skin Deep’ with Tom Ferry). Collaborations have opened up with the likes of Stmpd Rcrds the Dutch electronic label owned by Martin Garrix, Dim Mak, Spinnin’ Records and more are coming.

That silver disc from the BPI will be working its way back home to South Australia sometime in the near future.

“I wasn’t able to return home for Christmas, a sacrifice I made to chase my dreams and career overseas was having to have Christmas alone, away from my family (second year in a row),” Hosking writes on social media.

“So to be able to send this home, was a real moment for me. I wanted my parents to have my first plaque because they were the first people to believe in me, the first people to nurture my talent, first people to respond to scene when anything went wrong and ultimately remind me to never give up.”