They're currently in the US, where they played the Lollapalooza festival, gathering some famous fans along the way.
"I don't know of any greater achievement than when people who have inspired me say that I've inspired them," says Powers, recalling recent tweets from Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) and Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle). "I grew up listening to those bands, walking around brooding to them at high school, and here's this guy saying 'dude, it's awesome'. It's those moments you just get stopped in your tracks.
"I mean, I had my sights set on the bFM Top 10. And we did that and then it just snowballed from there. Now it's to the point where things are happening for us that we had no ambition for. Sometimes we have to work out what it is, and sometimes it's just 'whatever, let's not be too pretentious about this'. If we can reach anyone - it doesn't really matter what avenue it is - if we can convert someone to be a fan of our band then that's great."
Some in the scene here in New Zealand bandy about the term "overnight success" and there's a feeling these opportunities have come to you too easily. Do you think that's fair?
"Nah," says Powers, pointedly; "I don't know how anyone could say that."
"Sometimes it can annoy me," says Xayalith. "It reminds me how much New Zealand can be a goldfish bowl and people just get caught up in that very small town mentality."
"The tall poppy thing in New Zealand seems kind of cute to me now, seeing how the rest of the world works," agrees Powers.
"If you want to put it in simple terms," continues Xayalith, "somebody liked our music and wanted to take it to the rest of the world. We got our big break when someone from overseas fell in love with 'Young Blood' and we got plucked out of New Zealand, and that was more than we could hope for."
Do you feel pressure to create a 'Young Blood Part Two'?
"I've always been thinking about that, and the challenge really excites me," Powers enthuses.
"And Thom's so good, so driven, he can write anywhere. He does little bits here and there every day," explains Xayalith. "We've already got a lot of songs built up and I know there are some really good ones in there."
"We've met bands who can't write on tour," says Powers, "and we're going 'wow, we're really a little further ahead here'."
Part of the reason the band has moved ahead so quickly is thanks to their crack management team.
"What happens behind the scenes is a large part of why bands get out of bed in the morning," says Powers. "Paul McKessar and Campbell Smith at CRS have helped us out in more ways than I can even remember. They're like surrogate fathers!"
"We also have a great record label," adds Xayalith. "When Fiction Records heard our album they didn't want to change anything. They knew we had a very strong vision of what we were, and they really respected that. I think that's what a lot of bands need to have these days if they want to be able to survive - they need to have a strong vision of their own."
Almost a year to the day since the band showcased their vision, performing their lauded debut album, they're returning to our shores to play at the New Zealand Music Awards and the Auckland Town Hall. What's changed in the live show since last time?
"The touring live band we've become is something I don't think we would ever have had an opportunity to become in New Zealand," says Powers, "but nothing's really changed. We're still showcasing an album that we feel very confident about and proud of.
"I remember going to see my favourite bands and hearing the songs in all their glory, and it just felt like such a privilege and such a pleasure," he explains. "You had this expectation of wanting to hear your favourite songs, and your expectation gets blown away because it's just so f**king loud!"
* The Naked and Famous play the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards on November 3 and the Auckland Town Hall on November 4.
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