Andy Grammer

Biography

Andrew Charles Grammer (born December 3, 1983) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been signed to Mushroom Music Publishing since March 2022.
His debut album, Andy Grammer, was released in 2011 and spawned the singles "Keep Your Head Up×Keep Your Head Up12 October 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Keep Your Head Up3:09" and "Fine by Me". His second album Magazines or Novels×Magazines or Novels5 August 2014 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Honey, I'm Good.3:192Back Home3:193Pushing3:094Forever3:395Holding Out3:296Remind You4:287Masterpiece3:358Sinner3:419Red Eye3:3610Blame It on the Stars3:1211Kiss You Slow4:1612Co-Pilot3:05 was released in 2014, and featured "Honey, I'm Good×Honey, I'm Good2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Honey, I'm Good3:19" which is his most successful song to date, peaking at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. This single has been certified triple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and was ranked one of the ten best-selling songs of 2015 by Nielsen SoundScan.
The Magazines or Novels album also featured the certified gold single "Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)×Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)20 November 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)3:09".

Early Life & Childhood

Full Name: Andrew Charles Grammer
Born: December 3, 1983, in Los Angeles, California
Parents:
Father: Red Grammer — a well-known folk and children's singer-songwriter and former member of the folk trio The Limeliters
Mother: Kathryn Willoughby Grammer
Ancestry: German and English
Though born in LA, he was raised in Chester, Orange County, New York, where he grew up in a musical household surrounded by artists
He described himself as an athletic kid — played basketball, football, and hockey on a pond behind his home

Musical Beginnings

First instrument: Trumpet as a young child, then taught himself guitar and piano
Started writing songs at age 15 — music was always a natural part of his life thanks to his father's career
Graduated from Monroe-Woodbury High School in Chester, New York

Education

First enrolled at Binghamton University in upstate New York. At age 20, he auditioned for the prestigious a cappella group The Binghamton Crosbys but wasn't accepted — a setback that led him to leave and return to Los Angeles
Back in California, he attended California State University, Northridge, earning a B.A. in Music Industry Studies in 2007
During and after college, he began busking on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, playing for tips and honing his stagecraft — the foundation of his professional career

Key Influences & Values

Grew up immersed in music and the arts; has said, "I grew up around artists who wrote music for a living, so I had a hands-on understanding of the business"
Raised in the Bahá'í Faith, which has shaped his focus on positivity, unity, and optimism — themes that run through his songwriting
Musical influences early on included Jason Mraz, Coldplay, and hip-hop lyricists, which he blended into his own pop/soul style

Musical career

Grammer started as a busker on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. He was discovered by his manager Ben Singer in July 2009 and signed with S-Curve Records in April 2010. Grammer's popular songs include: "Honey, I'm Good×Honey, I'm Good2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Honey, I'm Good3:19.", "Keep Your Head Up×Keep Your Head Up12 October 2010 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Keep Your Head Up3:09", "Fine by Me", "Fresh Eyes×Fresh Eyes29 July 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Fresh Eyes3:18", "Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)×Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)20 November 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)3:09", and "Don't Give Up on Me".
His debut video "Keep Your Head Up", which featured actor Rainn Wilson, was an iTunes Video of the Week in 2010, and won MTV's "O Music Awards" for the most innovative video on April 25, 2011. He performed the song on The Rachael Ray Show on November 17, 2010. It has since debuted at No. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 Grammer's debut album sales for the first week earned him the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart. He opened for Plain White T's for the second leg of their "Wonders of the Younger" tour in the spring of 2011. In January 2011, he was named an "Artist to Watch" by Billboard magazine. He performed at SXSW 2011, playing BMI's Acoustic Brunch, where he was one of the artists contributing to a recording produced by Hanson to benefit the victims of the 2011 Japan earthquake.
Grammer credits his music influences to three genres of music: guitar players like Jason Mraz, John Mayer and Jack Johnson; modern bands like Coldplay, The Fray, and OneRepublic; and hip-hop vocalists like Common, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, and Kanye West.

2011–2013: Andy Grammer

His debut album, Andy Grammer, was released on June 14, 2011, on S-Curve Records. The self-titled album was produced by Matt Wallace from Maroon 5, Matt Radosevich, Dave Katz, and Sam Hollander of Gym Class Heroes.
On the new album, Grammer said:

My ultimate goal is to try to be real. It just so happens that I'm usually more happy than sad when I'm writing. And in general I think that life is pretty great, and it's cool to be here, so that comes through in my music. I don't have a dismal outlook, but I don't aim to make positive music. It's just what I am.
He joined Natasha Bedingfield on her Less is More Tour, which began June 2011, and Colbie Caillat on her US and Canada tour, which began August 2011. The Grammy Museum, in Los Angeles, featured him in the first installment of its homegrown local artist series starting in May 2011.

2014–2016: Magazines or Novels

On March 25, 2014, he debuted "Back Home×Back Home8 April 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Back Home3:19", the lead single from his second album, Magazines or Novels×Magazines or Novels5 August 2014 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Honey, I'm Good.3:192Back Home3:193Pushing3:094Forever3:395Holding Out3:296Remind You4:287Masterpiece3:358Sinner3:419Red Eye3:3610Blame It on the Stars3:1211Kiss You Slow4:1612Co-Pilot3:05. The song, co-written with Ryan Met from the group AJR, was released to iTunes on April 8, 2014. The album was released August 5, 2014.
On November 11, 2014, he released his biggest single to date, "Honey, I'm Good×Honey, I'm Good2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Honey, I'm Good3:19." which peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified triple-platinum by the RIAA.
On August 31, 2015, he was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on the 21st season of Dancing with the Stars. He was paired with professional dancer Peta Murgatroyd until an ankle injury forced her to withdraw. His new partner was Allison Holker. Grammer and Holker were eliminated on Week 8 of competition and finished in 7th place.
In addition to his stint on the show, he released a new single "Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)×Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)20 November 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah)3:09" on August 24, which was another gold-certified hit for him, and was included on a re-issued deluxe version of his Magazines or Novels album.
On October 27, 2015, he performed the National Anthem prior to the start of the opening game of the World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. In January 2016, he performed an a cappella version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Denver Broncos–New England Patriots AFC Championship Game in Denver.

2016–present: The Good Parts, Naive, and Monster

On July 29, 2016, Grammer released a new single titled "Fresh Eyes×Fresh Eyes29 July 2016 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Fresh Eyes3:18", which was another platinum hit for him that reach #19 on the Spotify Global Viral 50 Chart.
On June 9, 2017, Grammer released his new single featuring LunchMoney Lewis titled "Give Love×Give Love9 June 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Give Love3:27". Grammer also wrote and performed the song "A Friend Like You" for the animated film Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.
The third single from his album The Good Parts×The Good Parts1 December 2017 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Smoke Clears2:592Freeze3:083The Good Parts3:394Spaceship3:005Fresh Eyes3:196853:227Always3:028Workin on It3:349Grown Ass Man Child3:0810This Ain't Love3:2511Civil War3:2512Grow3:0713Give Love3:28, titled "Smoke Clears", was released on November 3, 2017. The album was released on December 1, 2017.
On February 21, 2019, Grammer released his new single, "Don't Give Up On Me", from the soundtrack of the film Five Feet Apart. It is also the lead single from his fourth studio album, Naive×Naive17 July 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1My Own Hero2I Found You3Some Girl4Wish You Pain5Don’t Give Up on Me6She’d Say7I Am Yours8Spotlight9First Time10Stay There11Born for This12Best of You13Naive, which was released on July 26, 2019.
In March 2022, Grammer announced he had signed with Mushroom Publishing.
In 2024, he announced his upcoming fifth studio album, his first in nearly five years, titled Monster×Monster4 October 2024 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Monster2:372Without You3:123Magic3:114Bigger Man2:455I Do3:156Unforgivable3:057Save A Spot In The Back For Me3:248Blind Spots2:249Still Smiling2:3610Not The End (Lisa’s Song)2:2711Friends and Family3:34, which was released on October 4, 2024.
In 2025, Grammer competed in season thirteen of The Masked Singer as "Boogie Woogie" which resembled a hairy orange monster in disco clothes. He finished in second place and did an encore of "Don't Give Up on Me".
In June 2026, Grammar announced Greater Than Pt. II: A One Man Show, which will begin on November 3, 2026, in New Hampshire, reprising his 2025 Greater Than: A One Man Show concert series. This will follow his Big Stupid Hearts tour, which will begin on July 25, 2026. On July 10, 2026, he released the single "Best Hearts×Best Hearts10 July 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Best Hearts3:512Big Stupid Heart3:11", ahead of his upcoming album, Big Stupid Heart, set to be released on October 16, 2026.

Personal life

While at college, Grammer met Aijia Guttman, whom he would marry in July 2012 in Fullerton, California. He and Aijia have three daughters, born in 2017, 2020, and 2026.
Grammer and Aijia adhere to the Baháʼí Faith. He meditates, and memorizes and recites Baháʼí prayers. Grammer finds that being outside and going on walks, hikes, or runs has many mental health benefits. When he is stressed, he visualizes zooming out and seeing himself as a soul in the Baháʼí context.

Songwriting credits

Grammer also co-wrote Galantis's single "Bones" (featuring OneRepublic).