FROM a struggling metal band in Mexico to internationally acclaimed acoustic duo, Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero, better known as Rodrigo y Gabriela, have come a long way in the last 14 years.

The duo first met in their teens in their hometown of Mexico City and immediately bonded via their love for metal music, and eventually started dating.

In the early 90s, they formed their own thrash metal band, Tierra Acida, but they quickly grew disenchanted with the Mexican music scene.

Instead of giving up, they decided to pack up their guitars and headed towards Europe where they would spend their time busking on the streets of many European cities.

The band duo have now developed a cult following, selling out shows across the globe, and have even performed for the President Barack Obama at the White House.

Rodrigo said the duo have played Glasgow many times before and is excited to be coming back to the city again on December 6 to perform at the O2 Academy..

He said: "It's going to be freezing cold, but we are looking forward to coming back to Scotland.

"I think this is will be our seventh show in Glasgow, and we last played the Academy in 2012.

"It's a great city, and we have always been made very welcome."

Rodrigo spoke about the energy that Scottish crowds have brought to their gigs over the years.

He said: "We played a couple of shows in Barrowlands a few years ago, the atmosphere was incredible.

"We had a terrific crowd the last time we played T In The Park as well."

Rodrigo said he first got into music after listening to his Metallica's Master of Puppets record.

He said: "I remember my brother coming home with it and ended up listening to it and thinking 'this is amazing'. It grew from then onwards."

After touring Europe for a number of years, the pair ended up settling in Ireland in 1999, despite not knowing how to speak English at the time.

Rodrigo said: "We chose Ireland because we knew absolutely nothing about it. I think someone said it was a good place for musicians, so that was enough for us.

"Looking back it was important to give ourselves a challenge, put ourselves in an alien place".

He continued:"We were new to Dublin and soon ran out of money, so we had to earn somehow, so we started busking on Grafton Street. We found it cold compared to Mexico, so I think maybe we played a bit faster with more energy to keep warm on the street! We played anywhere, hotels, house parties."

In 2001, they first got noticed after they recorded a demo called Foc.

Interest in the band grew so quickly, they ended up re-recording the songs from the demo and releasing it as their first official album, called Re-Foc.

Since then, they have released four more albums including their latest record 9 Dead Alive, which came out this April.

They have also appeared on the soundtracks for Hollywood blockbusters Puss in Boots and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Rodrigo believes they would not be to do all these things without the support of the fans: "As we play instrumental music, we don't really get played on the radio, so a great deal of our success has been built on playing live and a growing word of mouth from the fans to their friends.

"It's a bit of a cliché but really we would be nothing without the support of the fans."

Not only being band mates, Rodrigo y Gabriela were also a couple, but in 2012 they decided to end their personal relationship.

Rodrigo said: "We were a couple for a long time, and we split up a couple of years ago. We have a happy working relationship, the music is important to both of us."

In 2010, Rodrigo y Gabriela, along with Beyonce, were asked to perform for the President Barack Obama at the White House for his second annual State Dinner.

Rodrigo said he thought originally that they were going to perform as background music, while Obama ate with over 200 governors and the President of Mexico, but ended up playing a half-hour set.

He said: "It was a surreal moment, having the President of the United States of America explain to the President of Mexico how much he loves our music!"

Rodrigo revealed that once the tour is complete the duo won't be relaxing: "We are working on a couple of new projects which are a bit different to what we usually do, it's exciting."