This past December, four decades after the British invasion of America, San Diego natives Gary Jules and Michael Andrews returned the favor with a stunning rendition of the 1982 Tears For Fears hit “Mad World.” The song exploded on the U.K. singles chart, rocketing straight to No. 1 during Christmas week, making Jules and Andrews only the sixth American artists in more than thirty years to hit the top of the British pops during the coveted holiday period. The single, which originally appeared on the 2002 Donnie Darko score album, went on to sell more than 650,000 units (and still counting) while maintaining peak position for five consecutive weeks. It even became one of the most ordered cellular ring tones in the U.K. Before long, the track was charting everywhere from Ireland to Israel. The reverberations were also felt on this side of the Atlantic, where “Mad World” drew rave reviews and became the No. 1 Most Added Track at AAA radio. Not bad for a song the duo recorded in about an hour as a demo.

This year promises bigger things with the major label release of Jules