Andy Grammer

Bad boys may traditionally get more attention, but Andy Grammer proves there’s a lot to be said for nice guys, too. On hits like “Honey, I’m Good.” and “Fresh Eyes,” the amiable singer/songwriter—born in Los Angeles, in 1983—exudes a welcome abundance of easygoing charm and warmhearted sincerity. Grammer shares both qualities with John Legend, Jason Mraz, and Jack Johnson, three artists who influenced his own creative development. It’s just as easy to hear how Grammer’s experiences as a busker on the streets of Santa Monica gave him the skills he needed to win over listeners, including the manager who helped him land a deal with S-Curve Records. Thanks to his songs’ sunny mix of folk, pop, and rock with a little bit of R&B, Grammer was a mainstay on adult contemporary radio stations through the 2010s; indeed, along with such acts as Bebe Rexha and Judah & The Lion, Grammer helped give the once-musty format a fresh appeal and a new audience. An AC radio fave that crossed over to Billboard’s pop chart in 2014, “Honey, I’m Good.” is a cozy and endearing celebration of monogamy, a good-dude song subject if there ever was one. On his 2019 album, Naive, Grammer carefully maintained his fundamental appeal even as he expanded his stylistic template to include more adventurous collaborations with the Christian rapper Swoope and the iconic South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.