Boys Like Girls (stylized in all caps since 2023) is an American rock band formed in Andover, Massachusetts, in 2005. The group gained mainstream recognition with their self-titled debut album (2006), which went on to sell over 700,000 albums in the US, and received a gold certification from the RIAA. The band's second studio album Love Drunk, was released in 2009 and their third studio album Crazy World, was released in 2012.
The band toured worldwide between 2006 and 2013. Notable tours include their main stage appearance on the 2007 Vans Warped Tour, their first headlining tour "Tourzilla" (2007) and a co-headliner with Good Charlotte for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour 2008.
The music video for their single "The Great Escape" was voted the number 1 video on MTV's Total Request Live on August 6, 2007, and the band performed at MTV's TRL studio overlooking Times Square. In 2023, the band released the single "Blood and Sugar" from their fourth studio album Sunday at Foxwoods.
History
Formation and early years (2005–2006) The group was formed in Boston suburb Andover, Massachusetts in the final months of 2005, when vocalist Martin Johnson, formerly of the Boston act Fake ID/The Drive, wrote several songs he wanted to record. He recruited bassist Bryan Donahue and drummer John Keefe, whom the latter was in the band Strutter with Johnson when they were in high school. Lead guitarist Paul DiGiovanni was the last member to join, completing the line-up. Some months later Keefe and DiGiovanni learned that they were distant cousins. The group originally performed under the name Lancaster, before renaming as Boys Like Girls.
The quartet uploaded music to their PureVolume and Myspace page, posting several demo recordings. By the end of the year, the group was on the number 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, All Time Low and Butch Walker.
Eventually, in 2006, the popularity of the band was overheard by talent agent Matt Galle and record producer Matt Squire, 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, Hit the Lights 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/Red Ink.
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 then-upcoming headlining tour. Once the album was recorded, Boys Like Girls played on two tours, including the Cute Is What We Aim For tour in June, as well as a two-week stint with Butch Walker in late July. In between tours the band filmed their first music video for their album's lead single, "Hero/Heroine", directed by Mark Serao and Chris Vaglio of Grey Sky Films.
Boys Like Girls (2006–2009)
On August 22, 2006, their debut studio album Boys Like Girls was released. Debuting on the Billboard 200 at number 179, the album sold less than 1,500 copies in its first week. The album peaked at number 55 on the Billboard 200. By June 2009, the album had sold over 700,000 copies in the United States and is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. 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, with songs concerning these topics such as "Dance Hall Drug" and "On Top of the World". "Hero/Heroine" was released on October 16, 2006, and peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was certified gold by the RIAA. The band went on tour with Spitalfield, Punchline, Valencia and Over It in November and December.
In 2007, they began with a short headlining run with Self Against City, after which the group joined Cobra Starship supporting a two-month Cartel tour in February. They performed "The Great Escape" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on February 22, 2007, and eventually was released as the album's second single on March 3. The song peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Boys Like Girls played their first international concerts during the Canada leg of Hellogoodbye's Two Months of Spring Break Tour and the UK festival Give It A Name 2007. They also appeared on The Bamboozle festival. From late June to late August, the group performed on the annual Vans Warped Tour. On July 31, the band's single "The Great Escape" reached the number 1 spot on the MTV show Total Request Live. They embarked on their headlining Tourzilla tour from September to November. 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".
"Thunder" was released as the third and final single from the album on May 6, 2008. The song peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Boys Like Girls played at the Slam Dunk Festival on the Glamour Kills stage, in Leeds, on May 25, 2008. The band was also the opening act for Avril Lavigne's 2008 Best Damn Tour throughout the majority of North America. From July to August, Boys Like Girls toured with Good Charlotte, The Maine, and Metro Station, for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour. The band also performed at various Six Flags locations as part of the mtvU Video Music Awards Tour. In September and October, the band went on the Verizon College tour with Cute Is What We Aim For and Lights. In between tour dates, they worked alongside iCarly actress and singer Miranda Cosgrove on her About You Now EP, released in 2009.
Boys Like Girls supported Fall Out Boy 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. The DVD peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Music Videos chart. In January 2009, Boys Like Girls toured the UK with Metro Station and Every Avenue supporting.
Love Drunk (2009–2010) Johnson announced on his website that the band had begun to record their new album on February 10, 2009. It was recorded half in Vancouver and half in New York City, where it was produced by Brian Howes and S*A*M and Sluggo. Drawing "influences from all across the board, from every type of music," the band wrote nearly 80 tracks for the album. On June 18, Boys Like Girls confirmed the title for their second album would be Love Drunk. On June 30, the band released their first single, the title track of the album. The music video features actress and singer Ashley Tisdale, which premiered in August, via MTV. The song peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by the RIAA. In August 2009, the band performed at the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan. On August 15, they were featured alongside The All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Raygun, Kasabian, Pixie Lott and Misha Omar as one of the live acts at Asia's first MTV World Stage Live concert that was held in Malaysia. In promotion of the album, the group released a digital-only single, "She's Got a Boyfriend Now" on August 11, and premiered "Heart Heart Heartbreak" through PureVolume on August 17. The album was officially released on September 8. In its first week, it sold more than 40,000 copies, landing it on the number eight spot on the Billboard 200. The band embarked on the OP Tour with Cobra Starship, A Rocket to the Moon, The Maine, and VersaEmerge in October 2009.
"Two Is Better Than One" was released on contemporary hit radio on October 19, as the album's second single, featuring and written with Taylor Swift. The song is about Johnson's previous relationship with a longtime girlfriend. It reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. Selling 1.7 million copies in the United States, the song was certified platinum by the RIAA. Johnson had previously worked with Swift to write the song "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home", which is featured in Hannah Montana: The Movie.
When the album was released, it became available for purchase on iTunes, Amazon, as well as many major retailers around the country on iTunes, a "Deluxe Version" of the album was also released, which contains three bonus tracks; "Love Drunk (Acoustic)", "Heart Heart Heartbreak (Acoustic)" and a Mark Hoppus remixed version of "Love Drunk".
In March 2010, Boys Like Girls supported Hedley along with Stereos and FeFe Dobson on select dates across Canada. "Heart Heart Heartbreak" was released as the third and final single on April 13. Boys Like Girls co-headlined The Bamboozle Roadshow 2010 between May and June 2010. All Time Low, Third Eye Blind, and LMFAO co-headlined with Boys Like Girls. Along with numerous other supporting bands, including 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, Forever the Sickest Kids, Cartel, and Simple Plan. 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.
In May 2010, Boys Like Girls participated in the Ultimate Prom contest sponsored by Seventeen Magazine. Bremen High School in Bremen, Indiana, was the winning school, and the band performed at the school's May 8 Senior Prom. Bremen senior Alicia Cauffman submitted the winning entry, a video submission detailing the town's "economic hardship and school spirit."
Departure of Bryan Donahue and Crazy World (2010–2013) The group began working on their third studio album in 2010. However, it was canceled after they felt that the album was "disingenuous." According to Johnson, the album originally leaned into an electropop hybrid sound and "didn't really feel like Boys Like Girls."
In early 2011, rumors started spreading that Boys Like Girls had disbanded. Drummer John Keefe quickly denied these rumors. However, the band's members began working on individual projects. Johnson moved to Nashville, Tennessee, writing with other musicians and creating demos. Bassist Donahue continued focusing with his side project Early Morning Blues, along with guitarist Paul DiGiovanni. Donahue released the debut EP, Newest Version on December 26, 2010. DiGiovanni has also opened his own clothing range named "Black Carbon Custom" which he runs himself. Keefe began collaborating with the Rebels, a Boston-based band.
After writing 300 songs, Johnson believed a "Boys Like Girls album was hiding in there somewhere" and sent the members about 24 tracks. In the fall of 2011, the band reunited at Johnson's home in Los Angeles and used his demos to begin reworking on their third album. They decided to focus on diving into a pop rock and country music sound. On November 19, 2011, the group posted a video announcing they were recording the album. However, the band's bassist Bryan Donahue unwillingly left the band. Reasons told were that Donahue had too many plans disrupting the band's progress and was apparently too "engrossed" in his other solo projects, Early Morning Blues and The Tower and the Fool. Morgan Dorr was announced as Donahue's replacement.