Cardiknox is new to the game, so new that their freshman album Portrait (Warner Brothers, 2016) just dropped earlier this month. While the duo have been around since 2013, Lonnie Angle and Thomas Dutton have not quite caught the attention of mainstream media–until now. Only three months into the year, Cardiknox has already released their first major single “Wild Child” and embarked on tour dates with two well-established acts: The Knocks and Carly Rae Jepsen. On Friday, they returned to New York City to play their upbeat synth-pop jams at Terminal 5 (a “dream come true” for the two, who call the city home).

Although the duo may seem new to the scene, their live act is nothing short of professional. A talent that so few musicians can claim early in their careers, Cardiknox understands stage presence–charisma, energy, and respect for the audience. There is a transparency to their performance, it is humble and worthy of praise (it’s no wonder why they were chosen to open for acts like Bleachers, Betty Who, and–on this particular instance–Carly Rae Jepsen). There is no doubt that in 2016 Cardiknox, with all their confidence and stamina, is finally seeing exactly how much their hard work is paying off.

Be sure to check out Cardiknox at cardiknox.com.