Boys Like Girls
Encyclopedia
Boys Like Girls is an American rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

. Formed in 2005, the group gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album
Boys Like Girls (album)
-Credits:*Paul DiGiovanni – lead guitar, backing vocals*Bryan Donahue – bass, backing vocals*Martin Johnson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*John Keefe – drums-Chart performance:...

. Boys Like Girls was the co-headliner with Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...

 for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour
Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour
The Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour was a tour that was co-headlined by Good Charlotte, and pop-rock band, Boys Like Girls. The Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour included guest bands such as Metro Station and The Maine on selected dates. The tour consisted of 39 dates in the U.S.A. and 2 in Canada. The...

 2008 that toured across the United States. The group's second studio album Love Drunk
Love Drunk (album)
- Love Drunk EP :# "Love Drunk" – 3:48# "Love Drunk" – 3:53# "Love Drunk" – 4:04# "She's Got a Boyfriend Now" – 4:25# "Love Drunk" – 3:45...

, was released on September 8, 2009. As of February 2011 the band announced they would be going on an indefinite hiatus. Recently, on November 17th, 2011 at 5:17 AM, Martin Johnson tweeted "...#boyslikegirlsisback", revealing that the band is back together and working on their third studio album.

2005–2006: Formation and early years

The group was formed in Andover, MA in the final months of 2005, when vocalist Martin Johnson, formerly of the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

 act Fake ID/The Drive, wrote a handful of songs he wanted to record. He recruited bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

 Bryan Donahue and drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

 John Keefe. Keefe brought along lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...

ist Paul DiGiovanni, with whom he had recorded a brief demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

, to complete the line-up. Some of the demos' titles were "Free", "If You Could See Me Now", "The Only Way That I Know How To Feel", and others. Some months later Keefe and DiGiovanni learned that they were distant cousins. The group later changed their name to Boys Like Girls.

The quartet soon opened a PureVolume
PureVolume
PureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...

 account to showcase their music, and uploaded a rough demo of "The Great Escape" and an acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...

 rendition of "Thunder
Thunder (Boys Like Girls song)
"Thunder" is the third single taken from Boys Like Girls' eponymous debut album.This song was released as an acoustic version first, before it appeared on the band's first album, and over 2 years before the song's official single release. It impacted to radio on May 6, 2008 . The band first posted...

". By the end of the year, the group was on the No. 1 spot on the website's Top Unsigned Artists chart and within a few months had completed nationwide tours with Cute Is What We Aim For, Hit the Lights
Hit the Lights (band)
Hit the Lights is a pop punk/power pop band from Lima, Ohio, signed to Razor & Tie Records.-Early years:Hit the Lights formed in 2003, taking their name from an 80's skate flick called Gleaming the Cube according to their Warped Tour interview, not the previously believed Metallica song on the...

, All Time Low
All Time Low
All Time Low is an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2003.The band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alexander Gaskarth, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist and backing vocalist Zachary Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson...

, and Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...

.
Eventually, in 2006, the popularity of the band was overheard by booking agent Matt Galle and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 Matt Squire
Matt Squire
Matt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...

, who contacted the band about a future collaboration. With their full support, Boys Like Girls embarked on their first nationwide tour with A Thorn for Every Heart
A Thorn for Every Heart
A Thorn for Every Heart was an alternative rock quintet from Chino Hills, California.-History:The band was originally formed in early 2003 by former members Joel Holt and Aaron Peck...

, Hit the Lights
Hit the Lights (band)
Hit the Lights is a pop punk/power pop band from Lima, Ohio, signed to Razor & Tie Records.-Early years:Hit the Lights formed in 2003, taking their name from an 80's skate flick called Gleaming the Cube according to their Warped Tour interview, not the previously believed Metallica song on the...

 and Keating in late February 2006. Following the month-long venture, the group immediately entered the recording studio with Squire to record their debut album for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

/Red Ink
RED Distribution
RED - An Artist Development Company is a Sony Music Entertainment-owned sales and marketing division that handles releases for over sixty independent record labels....

.

During their time in the studio Squire introduced the band to another of his alumni, Cute Is What We Aim For, who offered Boys Like Girls an opening slot on their upcoming headlining tour. Once the album was recorded, Boys Like Girls played back-to-back tours, including the Cute Is What We Aim For tour in June, as well as a two week stint with Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...

 in late July. In between tours the band filmed their first music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for their album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...

, "Hero/Heroine", directed by Mark Serao and Chris Vaglio of Grey Sky Films.

2006–2009: Self-titled album

On August 22, 2006, the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...

ous Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls (album)
-Credits:*Paul DiGiovanni – lead guitar, backing vocals*Bryan Donahue – bass, backing vocals*Martin Johnson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*John Keefe – drums-Chart performance:...

was released. As of August 2008, the album has sold over 580,000 copies within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. While, as the title might suggest, songs about boys liking girls clearly prevail on the album, Johnson occasionally touched upon themes such as his mother's battle with cancer, leaving home, and promiscuous adolescents. Concerning the latter, he discussed the motivation behind the song "Dance Hall Drug":

The song "On Top of the World" is about Johnson's late mother.

In 2007, they began with a short headlining run with Self Against City
Self Against City
Self Against City is a pop rock band from Sacramento, California best known for their single "The Process." They formed in 2004 and were the first band to sign to Rushmore Records...

, after which the group joined Cobra Starship
Cobra Starship
Cobra Starship is an American synthpop band created by former Midtown bassist and lead vocalist Gabe Saporta in 2003 in New York City, New York...

 supporting a two-month Cartel tour in February. In between releasing their album's second single, "The Great Escape" (reaching No. 9 on the Pop 100), performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...

 on February 22, 2007, and eventually charting the Billboard 200 for the first time in April 2007, Boys Like Girls played their first international concerts during the Canadian leg of a North American tour with Hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye is a power pop band that was formed in Huntington Beach, California in 2001 by singer Forrest Kline. They were signed to Drive-Thru Records and released their first full-length album Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! in 2006, in addition to their previously released EP Hellogoodbye...

 and the UK festival Give It A Name 2007.

In mid-2007, the group performed on the annual Vans Warped Tour for the first time and on July 31, 2007 the band reached the No. 1 spot on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

 show Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...

. The following month, on August 20, 2007, Boys Like Girls members Johnson and DiGiovanni played a private show at 105.1 The Buzz radio station. They announced that they would be performing five shows in Japan and said how much Good Charlotte helped their career.
In September 2007, Boys Like Girls released a three song acoustic set for AOL's Sessions Under Cover as an EP in the iTunes Store, containing "The Great Escape", "Thunder" and a cover of Frou Frou's "Let Go". On December 4, 2007, the band performed a concert with Good Charlotte, with opening act NLT, for New Orleans radio station B97's "The Night B97 Stole Christmas" at the New Orleans House of Blues, located in the French Quarter.

Boys Like Girls played at the Slam Dunk Festival on the Glamour Kills stage, in Leeds, on Sunday, May 25, 2008. The group shared the stage with bands such as, Cute Is What We Aim For, Kids In Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses
Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, and are considered a significant part of the Cardiff music scene. The band's name is inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles...

, Valencia
Valencia (band)
Valencia is an alternative rock/punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are currently on hiatus.-History:Valencia met by playing local shows together around the tri-state area in separate bands. George Ciukurescu and JD Perry grew up together; attending elementary school, high school, and...

, We The Kings
We the Kings
We the Kings is an American powerpop band formed in 2005 from Bradenton, Florida, currently signed to record label S-Curve Records. The group released their self-titled full-length debut album in 2007, which peaked at No. 151 on the Billboard 200. Their second full-length album, Smile Kid, was...

, You Me At Six
You Me At Six
You Me at Six is a British rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. Formed in 2004, the group rose to fame in 2008 with the success of their debut album, Take Off Your Colours, which included the singles "Save It for the Bedroom", "Finders Keepers" and "Kiss and Tell", with the latter two peaking at #33...

 and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band that formed in Middleburg, Florida.-Early years :Originating in Florida, childhood friends Ronnie Winter, Thomas Amason, and Duke Kitchens started the band while attending an AP music theory class, in 2003...

. The band was also the opening act for Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...

's 2008 Best Damn Tour throughout the majority of North America.

Boys Like Girls did not perform on the Van's Warped Tour for 2008, but instead, toured the summer, with Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...

, The Maine, and Metro Station
Metro Station (band)
Metro Station is an American pop rock band that formed in Los Angeles by Mason Musso and Trace Cyrus. In late 2006, the band signed a recording contract with Columbia/Red Ink. They are best known for their Top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from their self-titled debut album...

, for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour
Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour
The Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour was a tour that was co-headlined by Good Charlotte, and pop-rock band, Boys Like Girls. The Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour included guest bands such as Metro Station and The Maine on selected dates. The tour consisted of 39 dates in the U.S.A. and 2 in Canada. The...

 which was kicked off in Southaven, Mississippi with a performance named Red White and Boom hosted by Q107.5 on June 3, 2008. On July 4, 2008 they played in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee at the 2008 Starjam concert, along with Metro Station, Good Charlotte, Ace Young
Ace Young
Brett Asa "Ace" Young is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He came to national recognition upon appearing on the fifth season of the reality television talent show, American Idol, although he was eliminated from the competition on April 19, 2006, finishing in seventh place.-Early...

, and Menudo
Menudo (band)
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....

. Two months later, Boys Like Girls and Metro Station performed together at Six Flags St. Louis in Missouri on August 5, 2008. A storm flew in while the concert was in session and the show was delayed for about 30 minutes. Six Flags then chose not to endanger the band or their fans, and decided to cancel the concert altogether. In between tour dates, they worked alongside Nickelodeon pop singer Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Taylor Cosgrove is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Her career began at the age of three, where she participated in television commercials. Cosgrove's film debut was in 2003, as Summer Hathaway in School of Rock...

 on her upcoming debut album, due for release in 2009.

In 2008, five songs that were believed to be on the band's second album leaked onto the internet. The fan based EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

, entitled Heavy Heart, consists of five demo songs that were recorded, but did not make it onto the band's first album. None of the songs would appear on their second record.

Boys Like Girls supported Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...

 on their UK tour in October, along with You Me At Six. A month later the band's debut DVD, Read Between the Lines, was released on November 4, 2008.

In January 2009, Boys Like Girls toured the UK with Metro Station
Metro station
A metro station or subway station is a railway station for a rapid transit system, often known by names such as "metro", "underground" and "subway". It is often underground or elevated. At crossings of metro lines, they are multi-level....

 and Every Avenue
Every Avenue
-History:Every Avenue formed in Marysville, Michigan in 2003. Early on, they changed lead singers, and the former lead singer James Beesley later became the group's tour manager, and is currently working with former drummer Mike Govaere. They self-released two EPs in 2004 and 2006 before signing to...

 supporting.

2009–2010: Love Drunk

Johnson announced that the band had begun to record their new album on his website on February 10, 2009. It was recorded half in Vancouver and half in New York City because there were two different producers/production teams, two different environments, and two different styles of inspiration. The band embarked upon a 2009 fall tour with Cobra Starship, A Rocket to the Moon, The Maine, and VersaEmerge. The tour, known as 'The Op Tour' began on October 14 with the first show being in Buffalo, New York.
On June 18, Boys Like Girls confirmed the title for their second album is Love Drunk
Love Drunk (album)
- Love Drunk EP :# "Love Drunk" – 3:48# "Love Drunk" – 3:53# "Love Drunk" – 4:04# "She's Got a Boyfriend Now" – 4:25# "Love Drunk" – 3:45...

and it was officially released on September 8, 2009. On June 24, 2009, the band released their first single, which is the title track of the album. The "Love Drunk
Love Drunk (song)
"Love Drunk" is the first and lead single taken from Boys Like Girls' second album of the same name. It is their second highest charting single to date, peaking at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Song information:...

" music video features actress and singer Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...

. The group released their second single "She's Got a Boyfriend Now" on iTunes in August. The fourth song from Love Drunk is called "Two Is Better Than One," featuring and written with female country singer Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

. The song is about Johnson's previous relationship with his long time lady friend, Molly. Johnson had previously worked with Swift to write the song "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home
You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home
"You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" is a country pop song written for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song is performed by American singer and actress Hannah Montana, a character Miley Cyrus portrays in the film. A karaoke version of the song is available in the soundtrack's...

"., which is featured in Hannah Montana: The Movie. They have also written a song which has yet to be released, called "Drama Queen."
The new album contains eleven tracks including Heart Heart Heartbreak, Love Drunk, She's Got a Boyfriend Now, Two is Better than One, Contagious, Real Thing, Someone Like You, The Shot Heard 'Round the World, The First One, Chemicals Collide, and Go.

The band made history on August 15, 2009 when it was featured alongside The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor....

, Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...

, Raygun
Raygun (band)
Raygun was a British band currently signed to RCA Records.-History:Guitarist The Adj used to work as a fishmonger at a supermarket when he was 16....

, Kasabian and Pixie Lott
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott is an English singer-songwriter, dancer and actress. Her debut single "Mama Do" was released in June 2009 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. Her second single "Boys and Girls", also topped the UK charts in September 2009. Her debut album Turn It...

 as one of the live acts at Asia's very first MTV World Stage Live
MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia
MTV World Stage is a global series that brings multi-genre talents with global relevance to an audience in over 550 million households. Recorded "live" at the most exclusive gigs, world renowned music festivals and unique concert locations from around the world, MTV World Stage is the "front row...

 concert that was held in Malaysia.

The album is available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, as well as many major retailers around the country.
On iTunes, there is a "Deluxe Version" of the album that contains 3 bonus tracks; "Love Drunk(Acoustic)", "Heart Heart Heartbreak(Acoustic)" and a Mark Hoppus remixed version of "Love Drunk".

Boys Like Girls made a video for their most recent single "Heart Heart Heartbreak". Boys Like Girls was on VH1's Top Twenty Countdown on February 13 to talk about their hit single "Two is Better Than One", which landed a number 8 spot on the countdown. The video was on the countdown for 8 consecutive weeks. When asked about if they were filming a 3-D video or not, Johnson said they had already filmed the music video.
Boys Like Girls second album, released in September 2009, was Love Drunk. In its first week, it sold more than 41
,000 copies, landing it on the No. 8 spot on Billboard 200.

In March 2010, Boys Like Girls supported Hedley along with Stereos and FeFe Dobson on select dates across Canada.

Boys Like Girls co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June 2010. All Time Low
All Time Low
All Time Low is an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2003.The band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alexander Gaskarth, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist and backing vocalist Zachary Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson...

, Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...

, and LMFAO
LMFAO (group)
LMFAO is an American electro pop duo consisting of rappers, producers, dancers, and DJs Redfoo and SkyBlu . The group formed in 2006 in Los Angeles, California. Redfoo is SkyBlu's uncle. Redfoo is also the son of music mogul Berry Gordy, SkyBlu a grandson...

 co-headlined with Boys Like Girls. Along with numerous other supporting bands, including 3OH!3
3OH!3
3OH!3 is an American electro hop duo from Boulder, Colorado, made up of Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte. They are best known for their single "Don't Trust Me" from their album Want, which reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100...

, Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...

, Forever The Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids is an American pop punk band from Dallas, Texas, who have yet to be signed to a new label after the closure of Universal Motown Records. In issue 228 of Alternative Press, the group was named the number one underground band in the "22 Best Underground Bands". Their first...

, Cartel
Cartel (band)
Cartel is a American pop rock band from Conyers, Georgia that formed in 2003. The band is best known for their single "Honestly", featured on their 2005 debut album Chroma, and for their 2007 appearance on MTV's Band in a Bubble....

, and Simple Plan
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian pop punk band from Montréal, Québec. The band has had no line up changes since its inception in 1999. Members are Pierre Bouvier , Jeff Stinco , Sébastien Lefebvre , David Desrosiers and Chuck Comeau...

. Martin Johnson and Paul DiGiovanni had a small cameo in Good Charlotte's "Like It's Her Birthday" music video, along with The Maine's John O'Callaghan and Kennedy Brock

2010–2011: "Hiatus"/solo projects

Rumours surfaced on the internet a year later after the release of the band's second studio album Love Drunk, stating that the band is currently writing new material for their upcoming third studio album.

On September 1, 2010, the band posted a video on their official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

 account announcing that they would be heading back to the studio to "do some preps and record" for album number 3.

On December 17, 2010, Johnson confirmed that they have completed writing the songs to be included in the upcoming record and that the band is currently recording demos-to-be-done in the studio with producer Matt Squire
Matt Squire
Matt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...

, whom the band had worked alongside with on their self-titled album, Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls (album)
-Credits:*Paul DiGiovanni – lead guitar, backing vocals*Bryan Donahue – bass, backing vocals*Martin Johnson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*John Keefe – drums-Chart performance:...

.

In early 2011, rumors started spreading that Boys Like Girls had broken up, with no update from the band, its members or management team. They had no shows scheduled and told fans they were in the studio since September which turned out to be false. Drummer John Keefe was quick to deny these rumors, but along with the rest of the band has issued no statement to say that they are still recording and/or playing together.

As of February 2011, the band's members are working on individual projects. Johnson has been in the studio recording solo material as he prepares to tour in the summer playing his self written songs. He is also currently working with producers John Feldman and Tommy Brown
Tommy Brown
Thomas Michael "Buckshot" Brown was a Major League Baseball Utility player from to . Brown became the youngest player ever to hit a home run in the Major Leagues when he homered on August 20, 1945 at the age of 17...

 who has previously worked with Black Eyed Peas. On the other hand, bassist Donahue is continuing with his side project Early Morning Blues, along with guitarist Paul DiGiovanni DiGiovanni has also opened his own clothing range named "Black Carbon Custom" which he runs himself.

In June 2011, Johnson debuted several songs as of written of his "solo material" on Kiss FM
Kiss FM
-United States:* KISS-FM , a brand name used for several Top 40 stations, many owned by Clear Channel Communications including:** KBKS-FM, better known as "106.1 KISS-FM", in Seattle** KHKS-FM, better known as "106.1 KISS-FM", in Dallas...

. Some of the songs played acoustically were revealed to be titled "Back On Track", "Guilty" and "Only You & Love". Johnson also stated that the band would be going on an "indefinite hiatus" as of now, providing sufficient time for [Bryan/Paul] to tour in the later parts of the year as they remain in "Early Morning Blues" and himself to finish up his solo record, which is near finishing touches on it. Johnson also confirmed that he would set to perform and tour under his very own name "Martin Johnson". The first single he would release off the upcoming record was confirmed to be titled "Back On Track", which was written by himself with regards to the band's unofficial hiatus and the future.

2011-Present: Departure of bassist & upcoming third studio album

In November 2011, Johnson tweeted he will post a "video update tomorrow" followed by a second tweet "...#boyslikegirlsisback". It is reported that the band will be recording a new album in Johnson's place in Los Angeles. On November 19, 2011, a video update from the official Boys Like Girls YouTube channel was uploaded, confirming that Boys Like Girls is recording a new album. However, it was also announced the band's bassist Bryan Donahue has been asked to leave the band. Johnson explained that Donahue was too focused on his side projects, Early Morning Blues and The Tower and The Fool.

Early Morning Blues

On December 26, 2010, it was announced that the band's bassist Bryan is releasing an all-new EP titled "Newest Versions" which contains four exclusive tracks, of the group name "Early Morning Blues". The EP features tracks like "War And Wisdom", "Echoes", "Never Leave" and "Chapter One", and is recorded by several artists including Donahue himself, Kevin Sanders, Paul DiGiovanni, Jimmy Welsh, Connor Bissett, Alex Correia and more. The entire EP was later made available for free download on the band's bandcamp site. The group now consists of Donahue and Nick Conway of the band View From An Airplane.

Black Carbon Custom

On March 17, 2011, the band's lead guitarist, Paul DiGiovanni, appeared on The Gunz Show and announced that he is starting a new clothing line named "Black Carbon Custom". Up to date, there are only four shirts, Black Burn, Bombs, Burning World and Snake, and a hoodie, Shut Up and Color released under the clothing label.

The Rebels

John Keefe, the bands drummer, also began collaborating with Boston-based band in spring of 2011, the Rebels, which has also played alongside Early Morning Blues. They have now changed their name to "Empire Kids".

Musical style

Stylistically, the band lists its musical influences as a variety of contemporary, emo pop, punk, and alternative rock bands, such as Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....

, Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...

, Secondhand Serenade
Secondhand Serenade
Secondhand Serenade is an American acoustic rock band, led by vocalist and guitarist John Vesely. Vesely has released three studio albums to date under the name Secondhand Serenade: Awake in 2007, A Twist in My Story in 2008 and Hear Me Now in 2010...

, Relient K
Relient K
Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University...

, The Academy Is...
The Academy Is...
The Academy Is... was an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 2003. Before dispersing, they were signed by the Decaydance imprint of the Fueled by Ramen label. They were originally known as "The Academy", but added the "Is..." in 2004 to avoid legal complications with other...

, Kelena, and Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....

. While these tendencies are clearly audible in guitarwork and drumming, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

 influences are far less obvious as far as vocal patterns and lyricism are concerned. Given Johnson's characteristic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...

 vocal melodies—which are, due to sporadically placed falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...

s, at times reminiscent of Tyson Ritter's (of The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects
The All-American Rejects are an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist and bass guitarist Tyson Ritter, lead guitarist, Nick Wheeler, rhythm guitarist, Mike Kennerty, and drummer Chris Gaylor....

 fame)—the band's all-around sound is geared to late '90s alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 radio rock, along the lines of Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...

, Goo Goo Dolls
Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...

, and Eve 6
Eve 6
Eve 6 is an American rock band from Southern California, who are most well known for their hit singles "Inside Out", "Leech", and the slow anthem "Here's to the Night". They disbanded in 2004, returned in 2007 with a new lineup, and finally reunited with all three original members in March 2011...

.

Critical reception

While the online community precipitately crowned Boys Like Girls "2006's Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...

" (in reference to the pop punk band's commercial success with 2005's From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree
From Under the Cork Tree is the third studio album by American rock band Fall Out Boy. It was released on May 3, 2005, through Island Records as the band's major label debut...

), album sales were less convincing. Despite promotional front page features (such as Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...

's "Artist of the Day" or the highly influential Absolutepunk.net
AbsolutePunk.net
AbsolutePunk is a website, online community, and alternative music news source founded by Jason Tate . The website mainly focuses on artists who are relatively unknown to mainstream audiences, but it has been known to feature artists who have eventually achieved crossover success, including Fall...

's "Featured Band" and "Absolute Exclusive: Album Leak"), Boys Like Girls scanned a mere 1,472 units within its first week of sales, thus failing to chart the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

. However, continuous touring and promoting helped gaining the record a No. 179 entry into the chart in April 2007. It continued to gain popularity as the single, "The Great Escape", climbed the charts and eventually peaked at No. 55 in August 2007. After nearly falling off the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

 200, the re-release of the single "Hero/Heroine
Hero/Heroine
"Hero/Heroine" is a single from Boys Like Girls' eponymous debut album. It was originally released as the first single, along with a music video, but it did not chart in its initial run at radio....

" jumped the album back up to No. 61 and was certified Gold shortly after.

Members

  • Martin Johnson - lead vocals
    Lead vocalist
    The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...

    , rhythm guitar
    Rhythm guitar
    Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...

     (since 2005)
  • Paul DiGiovanni - lead guitar
    Lead guitar
    Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...

    , backing vocals
    Backing vocalist
    A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

     (since 2005)
  • John Keefe - drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

     (since 2005)

Past Members

  • Bryan Donahue - bass guitar
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

    , backing vocals
    Backing vocalist
    A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...

     (2005-2011)

Discography

Studio albums
  • 2006: Boys Like Girls
    Boys Like Girls (album)
    -Credits:*Paul DiGiovanni – lead guitar, backing vocals*Bryan Donahue – bass, backing vocals*Martin Johnson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*John Keefe – drums-Chart performance:...

  • 2009: Love Drunk
    Love Drunk (album)
    - Love Drunk EP :# "Love Drunk" – 3:48# "Love Drunk" – 3:53# "Love Drunk" – 4:04# "She's Got a Boyfriend Now" – 4:25# "Love Drunk" – 3:45...

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