The country rock band Ashes and Arrows had America’s Got Talent fans happily swaying to the beat — but not everyone was feeling their uplifting original song.
Judge Howie Mandel just couldn’t get behind the Nashville-based band, comparing them to a good “pub” band but nothing more.
The critical comment earned Mandel the ire of fans and fellow Judge Sofia Vergara, who loudly booed the comedian for being the sole voice of descent amidst a sea of praise.
“I love you,” Vergara reassured the group, who still earned the three necessary “yes”votes to move forward in the competition. “I think people love you.”
What to know about Ashes and Arrows
The band, made up of Ciaran McMeeken, Benjamin Voigt & Jonathan Calhoun, formed in 2021 after the three musicians found themselves feeling some mutual admiration during an open mic night in Nashville.
“(Ciaran) was playing a song onstage and I used to cover the same song that he was playing and then I was like, ‘dude, you did a really good job on that song. I used to cover that song too’ and he was like ‘well, I wrote that song,’” Calhoun shared on AGT of what first brought them together.
From there, the trio joined forces to create a “captivating blend of strong harmonies, poignant lyrics and infectious on-stage presence,” according to their website.