‘We Are One’ No 1 on iTunes
When Kane Chong asked his friend Connor what he thought of his song We Are One, Connor said he didn’t like it.
Quite a surprising reaction especially when the song, which hit No 1 on iTunes on Sunday, was inspired by Connor himself.
But the silent familiarity that passed between the two Remuera friends following that comment could only be understood by them alone.
We are One, written by Kane, was recorded in the hope of raising more awareness about autism. To Kane, the song was a small ‘‘acorn of an idea just to put up on YouTube’’.
However it caught the attention of former Split Enz member Mike Chunn and former Exponents frontman Jordan Luck.
The track was recorded and mixed at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studio in Eden Terrace, where the likes of Kanye West and Crowded House have also recorded.
‘‘This self-assured kid walks in, unfazed, and presents me with a case for support for what is essentially his school project,’’ Chunn says.
‘‘I was really taken by his passion and his enthusiasm for recording and promoting We Are One, so I’ve pulled some strings ...’’
Kane says he’s surprised the song has done as well as it has.
To Kane, Connor is special. Not because he is affected by autism but because they have been friends for as long as they both can remember. Their fathers have been friends since they were 15 years old.
Kane, from ACG Parnell College, and Connor, from Mt Roskill Grammar School, are both 16 and have birthdays just six weeks apart.
‘‘Connor has a weird sense of humour, not a lot of people will know that about him unless they took the time to get to know him,’’ Kane says.
‘‘Not a lot of people will know the influence of living life with someone with autism. I am truly honoured to know him, not just Connor but his family too - to see the bond people have over just one person.
‘‘People tend to shy away from the topic of autism but this song was about opening up discussions about it.
‘‘Money was never my intention - I wanted people to understand autism. We tend to judge a person by how weirdly they do things but we never see the truth behind it, why a person acts a certain way.’’
Kane says Connor is a fun, YouTube-loving individual that has helped him understand life better.
Kane hopes to now pursue a music career.
We are One can be downloaded on iTunes.