Friday Night Boys interview with Andrew Goldstein
by Amber Hartman – 2009
When and how did you form the band?
I didn’t form an actual band until 2007. I just started it by myself, just recording songs on my own. Then I wanted to play some shows, so I contacted some guys I knew from previous local bands that we had all played in the area. The guys were all from the same basic area I am and I called them up one day and was like, “hey, man I’m starting this band”, and then I sent them some songs and asked if they wanted to play some shows and it went from there.
Is there any story behind the band’s name, Friday Night Boys?
It’s because it’s the start of the weekend and we’re all sort of like party animals. It’s like every Friday, the end of the week and you’re done with work, you’re done with school, and its time to go out and chill with your friends.
Who else is on the Guys, Guys, Guys tour?
Sing It Loud, Artist Vs. Poet, The Morning Light and The Summer Set
How many different bands have you been on tour with?
We’ve actually only done two tours before. Our last one was with Automatic Love Letter and before that we did a short tour with All Time Low and The Audition. Those are the only tours we’ve actually done. We did one other one with Hit The Lights in the summer, but that was for like two weeks. We haven’t done any extensive national tours, this is our first one.
Did you really start writing Friday Night Boys songs as a joke?
Not entirely. I started writing the songs for fun. I was in a different kind of band at the time, more of an indie band, but I’ve always like pop music, like radio stuff. So, I originally started writing, just to see if I could do it and I ended up getting really into it. I got some good responses from people online with Myspace and iTunes sales when we were unsigned and pretty much just kept at it. I am the primary writer for the band.
Is there anybody in particular that you write for, for example with the song, “That’s What She Said?” Do you have a person in mind?
Every song I write has some kind of story behind it. It’s about something that either happened to me or happened to someone I know or something I hear about. Usually, it is about someone I know or something that happened to me, so yeah. “That’s What She Said,” is actually about somebody I know.
Who has been your biggest musical influence?
Our biggest influences are probably Third Eye Blind and Oasis. Those are like my two favorite bands. I really love their songs. They’re great song writers and bands overall. I also really like Jimmy Eat World, All American Rejects, all those bands have had a huge influence on me.
Who is your favorite band on the radio right now?
I really like All American Rejects, I like Lady Gaga, to tell you the truth, I honestly enjoy her songs. I like this other girl named Shontelle. I don’t know how much she’s on the radio, but she has that song called, “T-Shirt,” that I really liked. I got her album and it’s really good. I’ve also been listening to the band Tokio Hotel, they’ve got really cool stuff.
Is there any band that you guys are hoping to tour with?
I would love to tour with All American Rejects. I’ve just always loved them, they’ve been a huge influence on me.
What’s been the biggest struggle for you guys since you started the band?
The biggest struggle has just been touring and getting out there. We have toured the extensively yet, this is our first national tour. We put a huge emphasis on connecting with the people, so the biggest struggle has been connecting with new people and being heard in different areas. The internet can do a lot, but it’s really helpful when you get to talk to the people personally. We spend a lot of time at the merch table before and after shows to talk to people because we want to know what they think about our music and their opinions about what they like. If you can understand what the fans like, then you can fulfill their needs better.
