Boys Like Girls

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.