Matt and Kim

They talked their way out of an arrest and went on to earn an MTV Video Music Award for breakthrough video for “Lessons Learned.” The singing pair, with Matt on keyboard and Kim on drums, have indeed broken through, moving from indie-pop cult status to the mainstream.

“The last album cycle is the one that brought them out of being sort of an underground, DIY, band and made them more of a mainstream band, outside of the kids in the know,” The Windish Agency’s Sam Hunt told Pollstar. “The latest album is coming off of that where people are paying attention.”

Matt and Kim’s third album, Sidewalks, is getting that attention and then some. It debuted in the Top 30 of Nielsen Soundscan’s current album chart and the band notched fall sellouts at venues including Webster Hall in New York City, the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., The Music Box in Los Angeles and Ogden Theatre in Denver.

Signing Matt and Kim was a no-brainer for Hunt. He’s been working with them since 2008, after admiring them from a distance for a couple of years.

“Their shows are more high-energy and captivating than just about any other shows I’ve seen, and they’re such charming, personable people,” Hunt said. “Their music lives, dancing around in your brain all day long.”

Matt and Kim are in Australia before heading to Europe, and Hunt plans to keep them on the road for most of 2011 as he preps a North American tour beginning in March. After that, they’ll hit the summer festivals and headline colleges in the fall.

Sold out two show at Webster Hall in October.

Ticket sales average 700 per show.