Andrew W.K.

"I'm trying to make the most exciting music possible."--Andrew W.K.
Age 4 Born in California and raised in Michigan, Andrew W.K. begins classical piano lessons. Encouraged by his parents, he continues to play piano throughout his young life, eventually taking up the drums in his teens and playing in numerous Detroit punk and metal bands.
Age 17 Begins recording solo material.
Age 18 Moves to New York City. Early recordings are circulated among record labels with the help of friends.
Age 20 Andrew plays dozens of shows up and down the East Coast, equipped only with a CD player, keyboard and microphone. Girls Own Juice, a debut EP culled from the early solo recordings, is released on Bulb Records.
Age 21 A second EP, Party Til You Puke, is released, also on Bulb. Andrew plays another series of one-man shows--including two support slots for Foo Fighters and a Belgian arts festival--before returning to New York to focus on forming a band. Members are assembled: Guitarist Jimmy Coup, formerly of Minnesota's Coup de Grace, drummer Donald "D.T." Tardy, late of Obituary, bassist Gregg R., and guitarists E. Payne and Sergeant Frank. The crew moves to Florida. Andrew signs to Island Records.
Age 22 Andrew W.K.'s debut album, I Get Wet, is recorded in Michigan, Los Angeles, New York City, Colorado, Minnesota, Florida. On October 29th, Mercury UK releases the "Party Hard" single, which enters the British charts at 14 as Andrew plays a series of sold out shows and appears on the cover of NME (twice!).
March 26, 2002 I Get Wet is released in the U.S. "This record is about 'not stopping' in every sense of the word, and every aspect of life, and it was created with determination that reflected that. Whatever you do in life, if you go full bore you're bound to get wet--with blood, sweat, urine, semen or girls' lubricant. This record is about cutting in to the heart of existence and getting wet. But it's also about having no fear, experiencing intense emotions - from passionate feelings of love and excitement to the most anger filled, hateful rages, and everything in between - embracing life and other people, and coming together as a party in celebration of possibilities, potential and opportunity. It's an explosion of human life."

The Future
"I like things to be strong because I feel that other people can derive strength from that themselves. And I try to reflect that strength, and purity, truth and passion for what we are doing in everything you see and hear. How it's not a fucking joke and that what we mean is very serious to us. I guess you could say this is a cause, but if so, it is a cause that is undertaken simply for its own sake."

Not just a party animal but a party guerrilla, Andrew W.K. burst onto the scene with a hybrid of metal, pop, and dance that parodied and paid tribute to the cheesiest, sleaziest aspects of all three styles. The California-born, Michigan-bred W.K. -- the initials stand for everything from "White Killer" to "Women Kum" to "Wilkes-Krier," the surnames of his mom and dad -- began classical piano lessons at age four and moved on to playing in Detroit punk and metal bands, including the Pterodactyls. By age 17, W.K. was recording his own material. After moving to New York City a year later, his friends passed his demos on to various labels, including Bulb, who released W.K.'s debut EP, Girls Own Juice, in early 2000 and that fall's Party Til You Puke EP. The buzz around W.K.'s hedonistic, so-dumb-it's-smart rawk resulted in a gig opening for the Foo Fighters as well as deals with Island/Def Jam in the U.S. and Mercury in the U.K.; his first major-label release was 2001's anthemic Party Hard EP. In particular, the U.K. fell in love with W.K.'s ironic trailer-trash look and sound, inspiring critical raves from NME and Kerrang! as well as hysteria at his live shows; he was hospitalized after a fan head-butted him as he crowd-surfed at his London debut at the Highbury Garage. The full-length I Get Wet arrived in late 2001 in the U.K. and in spring 2002 in the U.S., where his "It's Time to Party" was used in a TV commercial for the travel website expedia.com. Andrew W.K. also gigged extensively that spring, both on his own and as part of an MTV 2 package tour. He returned in 2003 with The Wolf, a bigger, lusher album than his debut that earned mixed reviews. The following year, W.K. hosted an advice show on MTV 2, Your Friend, Andrew W.K. He also maintained his busy tour schedule, and released the concert film Who Knows? in early 2006. Andrew W.K.'s third album, Close Calls with Brick Walls, was released in Japan and South Korea that summer, and was issued in the U.S. as a vinyl-only album by Load Records in 2007. That summer, he also appeared as a guest star on Kathy Griffin's television show My Life on the D List. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide