During AGT 2024, the trio Ashes and Arrows—Ciaran McMeeken, Benjamin Voigt, and Jonathan Calhoun—stepped into the spotlight for the second act of the evening. In their pre-performance interview, Ciaran shared their dream of performing for sold-out arenas, while Ben nervously admitted that singing in front of Simon had always been his goal.

The band stepped on stage and performed their original song, Born to Love. Jonathan Calhoun started with his deep, soulful voice, full of heartache, instantly grabbing the audience’s attention. Soon, Ciaran McMeeken and Benjamin Voigt joined in, which made the performance even more powerful and moving.

During their folky performance, the band had the crowd and some judges clearly enjoying their music. Howie Mandel was the first to weigh in, starting with, “The audience loves you, you have great voices, great harmony, but personally.”

Before he could finish, Sofia Vergara and the audience cut him off with loud boos. Howie went on to explain, “This was a great song in a pub. If I was in a bar and you guys are playing, I would have the best night ever.” Meanwhile, Heidi, Sofia, and Simon shared only praise for the promising band, highlighting their talent and charm.

The band came together in 2021, sparked by a shared admiration during an open mic night in Nashville. On stage, Ciaran performed a song that caught Calhoun’s attention. Afterward, Calhoun approached him, impressed by the performance, and shared how he used to cover that same song.

To his surprise, Ciaran responded, “Well, I wrote that song.” That moment of connection laid the foundation for what would soon become a remarkable musical partnership.