Martin Johnson

Martin Bennett Johnson (born September 9, 1985) is an American musician, 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").

Early life Martin Johnson was born in Andover, Massachusetts, on September 9, 1985, and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He is of English descent. Johnson attended Andover High School, where he began writing songs around that time. He also started playing guitar at the age of six and later played in a band called The Drive, as a drummer. . In both fourth and fifth grade, Johnson dressed up with his friends as The Beatles. Johnson was John Lennon, while his friend, Alex Toyoda, was Ringo Starr.

Career

Boys Like Girls

Johnson is the lead singer and plays guitar for the band Boys Like Girls. Johnson, along with drummer John Keefe and former bassist Bryan Donahue played together in various bands around Boston, before coming together to form Boys Like Girls in 2005. Keefe met guitarist Paul DiGiovanni while working on a demo for a mutual friend, and recruited him to the band to complete the line-up. Releasing their debut studio album Boys Like Girls in 2006, it was primarily written by Johnson, many of it is semi-autobiographical. Their second studio album Love Drunk was released in 2009. Johnson produced the band's third studio album Crazy World, released in 2012. The group then went on hiatus with Johnson saying the band hasn't broken up and may continue writing and recording. The band has since resumed recording and released their fourth studio album Sunday at Foxwoods in 2023.

Since releasing their debut album, the band has sold over a million albums and has accumulated over one hundred twenty million plays for their music on MySpace.

The Night Game

Johnson formed the new wave band The Night Game, the name is based on a Paul Simon song. 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 their American Nights tour.

With the Night Game, he released two studio albums, The Night Game (2018) and Dog Years (2021).

Songwriting Johnson co-wrote, with Taylor Swift, the song "You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home" from the Hannah Montana Movie soundtrack. He also co-wrote Ariana Grande's debut single "Put Your Hearts Up", as well as providing backing vocals. Most recently, Johnson produced and co-wrote Avril Lavigne's "Here's to Never Growing Up", Jason Derulo's "The Other Side", 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 2015 he collaborated with a cappella group, Pentatonix.

Personal life He is married to singer-songwriter Naomi Cooke, formerly of the American country music group Runaway June. They have two daughters together.

Johnson previously resided in West Hollywood, California, and has lived in Hollywood Hills.

Selected discography Credits primarily adapted from AllMusic.

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, RIAA-certified Gold "The Great Escape" Single, No. 8 at Top 40, RIAA-certified Platinum "Thunder" Single, No. 22 at Top 40, sole writer, RIAA-certified Gold 2009 "Love Drunk" Love Drunk Lead single, No. 7 at Top 40, RIAA-certified Platinum "Two Is Better Than One" 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 Platinum2010Taylor Swift"If This Was A Movie"Speak Now (Deluxe Package)Big Machine 2011 Ariana Grande "Put Your Hearts Up" Republic Debut single Hot Chelle Rae "Why Don't You Love Me" 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" 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" 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" 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)" RCA Producer, writer Single 2023Taylor Swift"If This Was A Movie (Taylor's Version)" RepublicWriterRe-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).