AJR

AJR—the brother trio of Adam, Jack and Ryan Met—started out playing the streets of their New York City home in 2005 when Jack, the youngest, was only eight. Soon enough, the busking money was spent filling their family’s apartment with the instruments and recording equipment that would pave their way to a full-time music career. AJR’s first break came in 2012 when their single “I’m Ready” caught the eye of Sia, leading to a deal that spawned their 2015 major-label debut, Living Room. It proved that the multi-instrumentalists love big beats, harmonies and choruses in the style of the Jonas siblings, Fun. and a bit of Broadway flair. They grew both bolder and more vulnerable on 2017’s The Click with “Weak”, a confessional shout-along about succumbing to temptation, the Rivers Cuomo-assisted “Sober Up”, and the triumphant “Burn the House Down”, which became an anthem for the gun violence movement March for Our Lives. The brothers’ lyrics and sound matured even more on 2019’s Neotheater and the 2020 single “Bang!”, blending lyrics about heartache, paying taxes and refusing to throw away their Lego sets. It perfectly sums up AJR: they write and perform like they’re wise beyond their years, but they won’t give up on their youth.