Formed in 2009, Alex & Sierra are best known as the winners on the third season of the Fox vocal competition The X Factor. Born in 1991, Kinsey grew up in Smyrna Beach, Florida, where he began playing guitar as a teenager. Also born in 1991, Deaton (a Philadelphia native) was raised in Orlando, Florida, where she studied dance from the age of two. Although they knew each other in high school, Kinsey and Deaton didn't start performing together until they reconnected while attending the University of Southern Florida. It was there, after discovering they shared both a creative and romantic connection, that they began uploading videos of their cover songs online in 2009. In 2013, they auditioned for and were accepted onto the third season of The X Factor with a slow, sultry reworking of Britney Spears' "Toxic." Fan favorites during their time on the show, Alex & Sierra consistently received a majority of audience votes. After winning The X Factor in December of 2013, they began writing and recording their album, collaborating with such producers as Claude Kelly, Sam Hollander, Steve Mac, and others, including singer/songwriter Jason Mraz. In 2014, they released their debut full-length album, It's About Us, featuring the singles "Scarecrow" and "Just Kids." After guesting on an album by British electronic producer Gareth Emery, Alex & Sierra returned in March 2016 with a new EP called As Seen on TV. The release was made up of songs they'd previously covered on television and a handful of new originals. ~ Matt Collar