American Authors

Biography

American Authors, formerly known as the Blue Pages, are an American rock band originally from Boston, based in New York City, that consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Zac Barnett, bassist Dave Rublin, and drummer Matt Sanchez. Guitarist and banjoist James Adam Shelley is a former member. They are best known for their hit singles "Believer×Believer19 March 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Believer3:04" and "Best Day of My Life×Best Day of My Life19 March 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Best Day of My Life3:13", from their debut album, Oh, What a Life×Oh, What a Life3 March 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Believer3:032Think About It3:033Best Day of My Life3:134Luck3:395Trouble3:136Hit It3:277Home4:078Love3:179Heart of Stone3:0610Ghost2:5411Oh, What a Life3:39, as well as their top 20 hit "Go Big or Go Home×Go Big Or Go Home18 May 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Go Big Or Go Home2:49", from their second album, What We Live For×What We Live For13 May 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1What We Live For2:582I’m Born to Run3:263Pride3:114Right Here Right Now3:015Nothing Better3:386Replaced3:327Go Big or Go Home2:498Mess With Your Heart4:039No Love3:3310Pocket Full of Gold3:0011Superman4:0812Mind Body Soul5:02. The band, previously signed to Island Records, now releases music independently.

2006–2011: Early years

The members of American Authors met while attending Berklee College of Music in 2006. The quartet spent their first years in Boston recording and performing music under the name The Blue Pages. In May 2010, the band opened for Cash Cash on the Robots in High-Tops tour. In 2010, they relocated to Brooklyn. On December 1, 2010, the Blue Pages independently released their single "Run Back Home" on iTunes.

2012–2015: Name change, debut album

In 2012, the group changed their name to American Authors. In January 2013, the band was signed to Mercury Records. Their debut single, "Believer×Believer19 March 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Believer3:04", garnered attention through alternative rock radio. On March 19, 2013, they released their most successful single to date, "Best Day of My Life×Best Day of My Life19 March 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Best Day of My Life3:13".

American Authors released their self-titled debut EP on August 27, 2013. In 2013, the group won Overall Grand Prize in the 18th Annual USA Songwriting Competition with their song "Believer".
They released their debut studio album, Oh, What a Life×Oh, What a Life3 March 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Believer3:032Think About It3:033Best Day of My Life3:134Luck3:395Trouble3:136Hit It3:277Home4:078Love3:179Heart of Stone3:0610Ghost2:5411Oh, What a Life3:39, on March 3, 2014, and subsequently ranked at number nine on Billboard's chart of Top New Artists for that year. In July 2015, the band was picked as Elvis Duran's Artist of the Month and featured on NBC's Today show, performing the song "Best Day of My Life".

2015–2019: What We Live For, Seasons

From 2015 to 2016, American Authors worked on their second album, What We Live For×What We Live For13 May 2016 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1What We Live For2:582I’m Born to Run3:263Pride3:114Right Here Right Now3:015Nothing Better3:386Replaced3:327Go Big or Go Home2:498Mess With Your Heart4:039No Love3:3310Pocket Full of Gold3:0011Superman4:0812Mind Body Soul5:02. The lead single, "Go Big or Go Home×Go Big Or Go Home18 May 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Go Big Or Go Home2:49", was released on May 18, 2015, a year before the album's publication. On December 11, 2015, the band issued the single "Pride×Pride11 December 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Pride3:11", and "What We Live For" followed on April 1, 2016. The album was released on July 1, 2016. "I'm Born to Run" was issued as the record's fourth and final single in 2017.
American Authors released the single "Deep Water×Deep Water18 May 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Deep Water3:18" on May 17, 2018, preceding their third studio album. In December, they announced the record's title, Seasons. Its third single, "Say Amen×Say Amen16 November 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Say Amen3:43", came out on November 16, 2018, followed by "Neighborhood×Neighborhood7 December 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Neighborhood3:42" on December 7 and "Stay Around×Stay Around11 January 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Stay Around3:41" on January 11, 2019. The song "Bring It on Home" was featured in an official trailer for the documentary film The Biggest Little Farm on January 29, 2019. Seasons was released on February 1, 2019.

2020–2022: Counting Down, covers, and collaborations

On January 17, 2020, American Authors released a new single titled "Microphone×Microphone17 January 2020 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Microphone2:58". On February 28, they published a song with Seeb, titled "Best I Can". On September 18, 2020, they released the EP Counting Down×Counting Down4 September 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Counting Down3:22.
On April 23, 2021, the band announced on Twitter that James Adam Shelley would no longer be part of the band and that American Authors would continue without him.
On June 25, 2021, American Authors released their first song as a trio, "Nice and Easy×Nice and Easy25 June 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Nice and Easy2:45", which features Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray. They also announced that they would be moving forward with their own independent label. The band later teamed up with Rob Thomas and Santana for the song "Move", from the latter's most recent album, Blessings and Miracles. On October 29, 2021, they released an original Christmas song called 'Favorite Time of the Year×Favorite Time of the Year29 October 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Favorite Time of the Year2:38".
In 2022, the band issued a cover of "Good 4 U×good 4 u6 May 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1good 4 u2:45" by Olivia Rodrigo and "Circles×Circles4 August 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Circles3:07" by Post Malone, as well as two Christmas songs, "Christmas Karaoke×Christmas Karaoke2 November 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Christmas Karaoke2:332Favorite Time of the Year2:38" and "Sleigh Ride×Sleigh Ride23 November 2022 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Sleigh Ride2:112Christmas Karaoke2:333Favorite Time of the Year2:38".

2022–present: Best Night of My Life, Call Your Mother

On September 9, 2022, American Authors released "Blind for Love×Blind for Love30 September 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Blind for Love2:532Blind for Love (piano version)2:063Blind for Love (acoustic)2:514Blind for Love (Slowed & Verbed)3:265Blind for Love (Sped Up)2:186Blind for Love (instrumental)2:53", the first single from their fourth studio album, Best Night of My Life×Best Night of My Life10 February 2023 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Best Night of My Life2:342We Happy Don't Worry2:303One Step Back2:264Same Bed2:555Blind for Love2:536Live On2:327All Roads Lead to You3:088Good Times2:249Madness2:5410Movin' On2:57, which came out on February 10, 2023. They followed it on January 13, 2023, with the single "Best Night of My Life". On February 3, 2023, the third and final single, "We Happy Don't Worry", was released.
After the release of Best Night of My Life, American Authors issued a few standalone songs online, beginning with a collaboration with Billy Raffoul, "Perfectly Imperfect×Perfectly Imperfect18 August 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Perfectly Imperfect2:35", on August 18, 2023. On November 1, they published a cover of "Sweet Caroline×Sweet Caroline1 November 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Sweet Caroline3:19" by Neil Diamond. They ended the year by releasing two holiday singles, including the original song "Come Home to Me×Come Home to Me20 November 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Come Home to Me2:592Christmas Karaoke2:333Sleigh Ride2:114Favorite Time of the Year2:38" and a cover of "Christmas in Hollis×Christmas in Hollis15 December 2023 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Christmas in Hollis2:592Come Home to Me2:593Christmas Karaoke2:334Sleigh Ride2:115Favorite Time of the Year2:38" by Run-DMC.
On March 11, 2024, the band announced their fifth studio album, Call Your Mother×Call Your Mother18 October 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1My Last Dime2:382Come Too Far3:113Something Amazing3:164Daisies2:545Save Tonight3:076Can’t Stand the Mourning3:217So Much Worth Fighting For2:258Bon Voyage3:179Wrong About You2:0510Life Ain’t Easy3:15. The lead single, "My Last Dime×My Last Dime29 March 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1My Last Dime2:38", came out on March 29 and was followed by "Daises" on April 19. The third single, issued on May 17, was a cover of "Save Tonight×Save Tonight17 May 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Save Tonight3:07" by Eagle-Eye Cherry. The fourth single, "Can't Stand the Mourning×Can't Stand the Mourning20 June 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Can't Stand The Mourning3:21", was released on June 21, 2024. The fifth single, "Something Amazing×Something Amazing24 July 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Something Amazing3:17", which features Rozes, was issued on July 26, 2024, and was followed by the sixth single, "Come Too Far×Come Too Far23 August 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Come Too Far3:122Something Amazing3:183Can’t Stand the Mourning3:224Save Tonight3:075Daisies2:556My Last Dime2:38", on August 22, 2024. The seventh single, "Bon Voyage×Bon Voyage20 September 2024 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1Bon Voyage3:172Come Too Far3:113Something Amazing3:174Can’t Stand The Mourning3:215Save Tonight3:076Daisies2:547My Last Dime2:38", came out on September 20, 2024. Call Your Mother came out on October 18, 2024.

In other media

The American Authors song "Hit It" is featured in the EA Sports game FIFA 14. Their song "Best Day of My Life×Best Day of My Life19 March 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Best Day of My Life3:13" was used in an MLB Fan Cave commercial and is the title music of Sky Sports News' My Special Day feature. It has also appeared in a television spot for the movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, in an episode of the television show The Vampire Diaries, and in the 2013 Boston Red Sox World Series championships. The song was ranked number one on Billboard's 2014 Adult Pop Songs chart. The song "Home" was featured in a trailer for the movie This Is Where I Leave You and in a video honoring troops and their families.
American Authors' second single, "Best Day of My Life", was featured in, among other things, a Lowe's television advertisement in the United States, a Hyundai television advertisement in the United Kingdom, an advertisement in South Africa for Castle Lager, and a Telecom New Zealand advertisement. It appears in a trailer for the film Delivery Man, in the Konami video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2015, in the opening sequence for ESPN's 2013 World Series of Poker coverage, in a trailer for Earth to Echo as well as How to Train Your Dragon 2, in the film Humpback Whales, and a trailer for St. Vincent. The track is also featured in the video game Guitar Hero Live. The song won the newly established Sync Music Award at the SESAC Pop Awards 2015. American Authors band members also had cameos in the TV show Bar Rescue.

Festivals and events

The group has appeared at various music festivals and events, including Lollapalooza, SXSW Music Festival, Firefly Music Festival, Reading Festival, Leeds Festival, Bunbury Music Festival, Freakfest, Grammys on the Hill (an awards ceremony honoring artists and legislators who have improved the environment for music creators), BottleRock Napa Valley, Keloorah, Pukkelpop, and Polartec Big Air at Fenway.

Band members

Current

Zac Barnett – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2006–present), lead guitar (2021–present)
Dave Rublin – bass, backing vocals, keyboards (2006–present)
Matt Sanchez – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2006–present)
Past

James Adam Shelley – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, banjo, mandolin (2006–2021)