Martin Johnson (musician)

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Martin Johnson
Johnson in 2009
Johnson in 2009
Background information
Birth nameMartin Bennett Johnson
Born (1985-09-09) September 9, 1985 (age 38)
Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instrument(s)
Years active2005–present
Member ofBoys Like GirlsThe Night Game
Spouse(s)Naomi Johnson
Websitemartinjohnsonmusic.com

Martin Bennett Johnson (born September 9, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the bands Boys Like Girls and the Night Game.

He has written and produced for various artists, including Avril Lavigne, Daughtry, Jason Derulo, Christina Perri, Gavin Degraw, and Hot Chelle Rae. Johnson is credited with having several RIAA-certified multi-platinum songs ("The Other Side", "Here's to Never Growing Up", "Two Is Better Than One" (with Taylor Swift), "Love Drunk", "The Great Escape," "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home"). Songs he has written have sold over 10 million copies and he has had nine top 40 charting singles.[1]

Personal life[edit]

Martin Johnson was born in Andover, Massachusetts, on September 9, 1985, and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is of English descent.[2] He is married to singer-songwriter Naomi Cooke of the American country music group Runaway June.[3] They have 1 child together.

Career[edit]

Boys Like Girls[edit]

Johnson performing with Boys Like Girls

Johnson is the lead singer and plays guitar for the band Boys Like Girls. The band, which consists of Johnson, Paul DiGiovanni, John Keefe, and Morgan Dorr (as of 2011) was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 2005. Since releasing their debut album in 2006, the band has sold over a million albums and has accumulated over one hundred twenty million plays for their music on MySpace.[4] Johnson produced the band's 2012 record, Crazy World. The group then went on hiatus with Johnson saying the band hasn't broken up and may continue writing and recording.[5] The band has since resumed recording and are expecting to release their fourth studio album in the fall of 2023.

The Night Game[edit]

Johnson performing with The Night Game in 2018

Johnson currently helms the new wave band The Night Game. The band released two singles in 2017, "The Outfield" and "Once In A Lifetime", and toured as an opening act with John Mayer. They also collaborated with Kygo on the song "Kids In Love". On February 1, 2018, The Night Game released a version of "Kids In Love" without Kygo and announced plans for a tour.

Songwriting[edit]

Johnson co-wrote, with Taylor Swift, the song "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" from the Hannah Montana Movie soundtrack.[6] Most recently, Johnson produced and co-wrote Avril Lavigne's "Here's to Never Growing Up", Jason Derulo's "The Other Side",[7] Karmin's "Acapella", Mike Posner's "The Way It Used To Be", Gavin Degraw's "Best I Ever Had", and Christina Perri's "Human". In 2016 he collaborated with a cappella group, Pentatonix.

Selected discography[edit]

Credits primarily adapted from AllMusic.[8]

Year Artist Title Album Label Role Notes
2006 Boys Like Girls "Hero/Heroine" Boys Like Girls Columbia Writer Debut single, No. 21 at Top 40, sole writer
"The Great Escape" Single, No. 8 at Top 40, RIAA-certified Platinum
"Thunder" Single, No. 22 at Top 40, sole writer
2009 "Love Drunk" Love Drunk Lead single, No. 7 at Top 40, RIAA-certified Platinum
"Two Is Better Than One" (feat. Taylor Swift) Single, No. 4 at Top 40, RIAA-certified Platinum, sole writer
"Heart Heart Heartbreak" No. 32 at Top 40
Hannah Montana "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" Hannah Montana: The Movie Walt Disney RIAA-certified Platinum
2010 Taylor Swift "If This Was A Movie" Speak Now (Deluxe Package) Big Machine
2011 Ariana Grande "Put Your Hearts Up" Non-album single Republic Debut single
Hot Chelle Rae "Why Don't You Love Me" (feat. Demi Lovato) Whatever RCA
The Cab "Bad" Symphony Soldier Z Entertainment, Universal Republic Producer, writer Lead Single
2012 Megan and Liz "Bad for Me" Bad for Me Collective Sounds Debut single, Top 30 Mediabase (CHR)
Papa Roach "9th Life" The Connection Eleven Seven Writer Deluxe edition bonus track
Allstar Weekend "Life As We Know It" The American Dream Diggit Single
Boys Like Girls "Be Your Everything" Crazy World Columbia Producer, writer Lead single
Victoria Justice "Make It in America" Victorious 2.0 Nickelodeon / Sony / Columbia Single
The Used "Getting Over You" Vulnerable Hopeless Writer
2013 Christina Perri "Human" Head or Heart Atlantic Producer, writer Lead single, RIAA-certified Platinum
Daughtry "Baptized" Baptized RCA
"Waiting for Superman" Lead single, RIAA-certified Platinum
"Battleships" Single
"Wild Heart"
"Long Live Rock & Roll" Promotional single
"18 Years"
Gavin DeGraw "Best I Ever Had" Make a Move Lead single
"Everything Will Change"
Avril Lavigne "Rock n Roll" Avril Lavigne Epic, Sony Producer Single
"Here's to Never Growing Up" Producer, writer Lead single, RIAA-certified Platinum
"17"
"Hello Kitty" Single
"Sippin' on Sunshine"
Emblem 3 "Just for One Day" Nothing to Lose Columbia/SYCO
"I Love LA"
Mike Posner "The Way It Used to Be" Non-album single RCA Single
Karmin "Acapella" Pulses Epic/Sony Lead single, RIAA-certified Gold
"Neon Love"
Jason Derulo "The Other Side" Tattoos and Talk Dirty Warner Bros. Lead single, RIAA-certified Platinum
Escape The Fate "Forget About Me" Ungrateful Eleven Seven Writer
"One for the Money"
Heaven's Basement "Lights Out in London" Filthy Empire Red Bull
"Welcome Home"
2014 Mat Kearney "One Black Sheep" Just Kids Columbia, Republic
"Billion" Single
Olly Murs "Beautiful to Me" Never Been Better Syco, Epic Producer, writer Single
Betty Who "Glory Days" Take Me When You Go RCA
"A Night to Remember"
"Dreaming About You"
Gavin DeGraw "You Got Me" Finest Hour: The Best of Gavin DeGraw Producer Lead single
Jacob Latimore "Heartbreak Heard Around the World" (feat. T-Pain) Non-album single Producer, writer Single
Timeflies "All We Got is Time" After Hours Island
Alex and Sierra "Scarecrow" It's About Us Columbia Debut single
2015 Pentatonix "Sing" Pentatonix RCA
"New Year's Day"
Elle King "America's Sweetheart" Love Stuff Single
Flo Rida "Once in a Lifetime" My House Atlantic Writer
2016 Hunter Hayes "Yesterday's Song" Non-album single Atlantic, Warner Music Nashville Lead single
Delta Goodrem "Heavy" Wings of the Wild Sony Music Australia, HouseOfOZ Producer, writer Single
2017 Kygo "Kids in Love" Kids in Love Sony Music, Ultra Records Writer Single
2021 Lady A "Like a Lady" What a Song Can Do Big Machine Single
Elle King & Miranda Lambert "Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)" Non-album single RCA Producer, writer Single
2023 Taylor Swift "If This Was A Movie (Taylor's Version)" Non-album single Republic Writer Re-recorded song

In addition to the above-listed, Johnson (co-)wrote every track on the following Boys Like Girls albums: Boys Like Girls (2006), Love Drunk (2009), and Crazy World (2012).

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Boys Like Girls: Boys Like Girls: Music". Amazon. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  2. ^ "Martin Johnson News - Latest Pictures of Martin Johnson". Seventeen. 1985-09-09. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  3. ^ "Runaway June's Naomi Cooke Marries Martin Johnson in Maine: See the Wedding Photos". People. 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  4. ^ "Boys Like Girls | Music Videos, Songs, News, Photos, and Lyrics". MTV. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  5. ^ "Concert Spotlight: Interview with The Night Game". Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  6. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-11-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Hot Chelle Rae - Whatever - Album Review". AbsolutePunk.net. 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  8. ^ "Martin Johnson | Credits". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 11 October 2016.