Just who do Broods think they are?

Opening for Ellie Goulding after touring North America marks the first shows at home for Broods. Chris Schulz reports on the group's global progress.

They've spent the past month playing sold-out shows across America and Canada. Fans have burst into tears at concerts. And they've signed hundreds of autographs for fans waiting patiently in queues after shows.

Hyped brother-sister combo Broods have even performed in Honolulu, a performance that was labelled, "Cool and collected" by one fan on Yelp.

They're New Zealand's next great big international pop hope, but the Nelson-bred duo of Georgia and Caleb Nott have played just one concert in New Zealand, and that was at the New Year's Rhythm & Vines festival in Gisborne.

So, who the hell do Broods think they are?

We'll get the chance to find out this weekend, when Broods play the first of three opening slots for Ellie Goulding in Auckland, before heading to Wellington and Christchurch.

They're also playing a small media showcase in Auckland on Friday night.

Broods aren't the first local pop act to bypass the New Zealand market to engage an international audience first -- Flight of the Conchords and Lorde have done okay for themselves.

That's not the only thing Broods have in common with Lorde: they also released a first-up six-track EP, they've also recorded with Joel Little, they're very young (Georgia is 19) and they've done very few interviews at home.

Heading overseas may have just been a necessity for Broods -- judging by their tour diary that appeared on nzherald.co.nz, they were in demand almost everywhere they went.

"In Santa Ana we had a line at the merchandise desk of about 200 people, all wanting a photo, autograph or hand shake," wrote Georgia, who detailed sickness, sleepless nights and "brutal" travelling conditions.

But she admitted their joint Canadian and American tour had been worth all the hardship.

"At the end of each night when we took the stage and sweated our faces off in front of the fans, it reminded us of everything we are and everything we want to be. The most important thing to us is always going to be those people that are looking up at us in that moment. There were so many different types of beautiful in those crowds each night: people that knew all the words, people that screamed when they caught our eye, even the occasional cryer when I crouched down to hold their hands.

"I never thought that us living our dream would make life better for others. I'm still overwhelmed by you people that support us."

That dedication appears to be paying off. Reviewers called their Santa Ana show "magnetic" (Grimy Goods), their Canadian Music Week appearance "delivered on the hype" (Huffington Post) and after their Toronto performance Live in Limbo labelled them "this year's Chvrches".

Are they right? Kiwis have the chance to decide for themselves, starting this weekend.

Who: Broods
What: Nelson-bred electro-pop duo following in Lorde's footsteps
Albums: One self-titled six-track EP, released in January. A full-length album is due out this year.
Live: Opening for Ellie Goulding on June 7 at Vector Arena in Auckland; June 9 at TSB Bank Arena in Wellington and June 11 at CBS Canterbury Arena in Christchurch.

- TimeOut