AJR facts for kids

Quick facts for kids AJR
AJR performing in 2023. From left to right: Ryan Met Jack Met Adam Met
Background information
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Genres	Indie pop electropop
Years active	2005–present
Labels	AJR Productions Mercury Republic Black Butter Sony Warner S-Curve BMG
Members	Adam Met Jack Met Ryan Met

AJR is a popular American pop band. It was started by three brothers: Adam, Jack, and Ryan Met. They are singers, play many instruments, and write their own songs. The brothers grew up in New York City.

They began their music journey by performing on the streets. They sang cover songs and even did street tap dancing. Later, they started writing their own music and touring. They record all their songs in their home studio. So far, they have released five studio albums and many popular songs.

AJR wrote the song "I'm Ready" and shared it on Twitter in 2012. The famous singer Sia saw it and helped them connect with music managers. After "I'm Ready" became a hit on the radio, AJR created their own music label, AJR Productions.

They released three EPs (Extended Plays): 6foot1 (2013), Infinity (2014), and What Everyone's Thinking (2016). AJR has written or co-written every song on their five albums. These include Living Room (2015), The Click (2017), Neotheater (2019), OK Orchestra (2021), and The Maybe Man (2023).

Their 2017 album, The Click, featured their first number-one song on the Billboard Alternative chart, "Sober Up". Their 2021 album, OK Orchestra, had their first song to reach the top ten on the Hot 100 chart, "Bang!". "Bang!" also won a Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Song. AJR is a multi-platinum band with seven platinum singles. These include "I'm Ready", "Sober Up", "Bang!", "Weak", "Burn the House Down", "100 Bad Days", and "Way Less Sad".

The Journey of AJR: From Streets to Stardom

Early Days: Street Performing and "I'm Ready" (2005–2013)

AJR started performing in parks in New York City in 2005. They were first known as TB³, which stood for "Tapping Brothers to the Third Power." Before making their own music, they posted cover songs of popular hits on YouTube. Jack Met shared that their cover of "Ho Hey" even inspired pop singer Shawn Mendes to start making his own covers.

In November 2012, Ryan Met sent a link to their first song, "I'm Ready", to many celebrities on Twitter. The Australian singer Sia saw it and told her manager. This led them to Steve Greenberg, a well-known record producer who became their manager.

"I'm Ready" uses a fun sample of SpongeBob SquarePants saying "I'm ready!" from his cartoon show. The song was officially released on August 22, 2013. It was later part of their first album, Living Room, released in 2015. The song became very popular on radio stations and was certified Platinum in America.

First Albums and EPs (2013–2015)

AJR released their second EP, 6foot1, in December 2013. It was later re-released as the I'm Ready EP. They were recognized as "Artist on the Rise" by Clear Channel in 2013 and iHeartRadio's Artist of the Month in 2014.

AJR on Border Crossings in 2015

Their third EP, Infinity, came out on September 23, 2014. It had five songs, including the main single "Infinity." The band decided to release this EP before their first album, Living Room, because they wanted to add some of their newer songs to the album. Living Room was then released on March 3, 2015.

The Click and Growing Success (2016–2018)

On September 16, 2016, AJR released their fourth EP, What Everyone's Thinking. It included the hit song "Weak", which became very popular and earned Platinum certifications in many countries. "Weak" was streamed over 250 million times on Spotify in its first year.

AJR performing "Turning Out" at the White House in 2017

All five songs from this EP were also on AJR's second studio album, The Click, released on June 9, 2017. This album featured "Sober Up", which became AJR's first song to reach number one on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.

The Click album mixed different music styles like pop, hip-hop, electronic dance music, and jazz. To support the album, AJR went on the Click Tour in 2018, selling over 100,000 tickets. A deluxe version of The Click was released in September 2018, adding new songs like "Burn the House Down".

Neotheater and New Sounds (2019)

AJR performing in Amsterdam in 2019

On January 30, 2019, AJR released "100 Bad Days", which became the main song for their third album, Neotheater. A music video for "100 Bad Days" came out in March. The album Neotheater was released on April 26, 2019. It reached number 8 on the US Billboard 200 chart and number one on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. The band also went on the Neotheater World Tour.

OK Orchestra and Big Hits (2020–2021)

AJR performing "Bummerland" at "We the People" in 2021

"Bang!" was released on February 12, 2020, as the first song from their fourth album. It became a huge hit, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This was AJR's first song to make it into the Hot 100 top ten. The album's second song, "Bummerland", was released in August 2020. AJR performed "Bummerland" at a special virtual concert in January 2021.

OK Orchestra was officially released on March 26, 2021. At the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, "Bang!" won the award for "Top Rock Song." AJR also performed "Bang!" and "Way Less Sad" at the awards show. After OK Orchestra, AJR worked with other bands like Weezer and Daisy the Great on remixes of their songs.

The Maybe Man and Recent Activities (2022–2024)

AJR on 96.5 TDY's interview in 2022

In May 2022, AJR signed with Mercury Records/Republic Records. They released the song "I Won't" on July 29, 2022, with a music video. In November, they announced their new album, The Maybe Man, and released the song "The DJ Is Crying for Help".

On April 21, 2023, the band released "The Dumb Song". The next day, a music video showed how they created the song over a year and a half. On July 3, 2023, they released a very personal song called "God Is Really Real" about their family. The band announced the album's title, The Maybe Man, with a release date of November 3. The release date was later moved to November 10, 2023. In November 2023, AJR announced The Maybe Man Tour, their first arena tour, which began in 2024.

On May 24, 2024, the band released an acoustic version of "Inertia". The music video for this version was filmed in Jacksonville, Florida.

Upcoming Music and Tours (2025)

On January 7, 2025, the band announced they would perform at the Sips and Sounds Festival in Austin, Texas on March 8. They also performed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Houston, Texas on March 6.

On March 14, 2025, the band announced the Somewhere in the Sky Tour. This tour features special guests like Cavetown, Goth Babe, and Quinn XCII.

On June 16, 2025, the band announced the What No One's Thinking EP. They released the single "Betty" on July 9, 2025. They also announced that What No One's Thinking is set to release on August 29, 2025.

About the Brothers

The Met brothers are Jewish and describe themselves as "culturally Jewish." Their father, Gary Metzger, was an architect who passed away in July 2023. Their mother, Laurie Marvald, also started as an architect and later became an entrepreneur. Laurie was one of the original founders of AJR Productions, LLC.

The three brothers grew up in Bayside, Queens, before moving to Chelsea, Manhattan, in 2001. Jack attended the Professional Children's School in Manhattan. As a child actor, Jack appeared in the movie The Pink Panther 2 and an episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent.

Adam studied business and philosophy at Columbia University. He also earned a master's degree from New York University and a PhD in International Human Rights Law from the University of Birmingham. Ryan and Jack both studied film at Columbia University.

AJR's Unique Music Style

The brothers are all talented singer-songwriters. They are known as a "DIY" band because they write, produce, and mix all their music together in their living room studio. AJR describes their music as a mix of many different styles. These include dubstep, doo-wop, hip-hop, and even Broadway-style music. People often describe their band as indie pop and electropop.

They also use a special musical technique they created called "spokestep." This is where they cut up vocals and use them over the beat of a song.

Band Members

AJR performing "World's Smallest Violin" with Arnetta Johnson (far right) and Chris Berry (far left)

AJR

• Adam Met – vocals, bass guitar, sampler, percussion, programming
• Jack Met – lead vocals, guitar, sampler, ukulele, banjo, drums, percussion, cowbell, horn, melodica, programming
• Ryan Met – vocals, keyboards, piano, ukulele, sampler, production, programming

Touring Members

• Arnetta Johnson – trumpet, keyboards (2020–present)
• Chris Berry – drums, percussion (2018–present)
• Ginny Luke – violin, Saxophone, strings (2024–present)
• JJ Kirkpatrick – trumpet (2018–2019)

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Studio Albums

• Living Room (2015)
• The Click (2017)
• Neotheater (2019)
• OK Orchestra (2021)
• The Maybe Man (2023)

Extended Plays

• AJR (2012)
• 6foot1 (2013)
• Infinity (2014)
• What Everyone's Thinking (2016)
• What No One's Thinking (2025)

Television Appearances

Concert Tours

Headlining Tours

Other Concerts

• AJR Festival shows (2023) (2023)

Special Online and Drive-In Shows

In 2020, the band had to cancel some tours because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To still perform for fans, AJR announced a special drive-in show called "A night in your car with AJR." This event took place in Philadelphia in August 2020.

In November 2020, AJR also held their first virtual concert, AJR's One Spectacular Night. This online show was interactive, letting viewers clap and change camera views to feel like they were at a live concert.

Opening Acts for Other Artists

AJR has opened for many other artists. These include Andy Grammer, American Authors, Demi Lovato, Fifth Harmony, Fitz and the Tantrums, Hoodie Allen, Imagine Dragons, Ingrid Michaelson, Lindsey Stirling, Melanie Martinez, Sammy Adams, the Wanted, Train, and We the Kings.

Giving Back: Philanthropy

AJR uses their music to support important causes.

• On March 31, 2017, they released a charity song called "It's On Us." This song helped support survivors of violence across the United States.
• For The Maybe Man Tour, $1 from every ticket sold goes to Planet Reimagined. This non-profit organization, co-founded by Adam Met, helps train future climate leaders. It teaches them how to combine ideas and actions to fight climate change and find fair solutions for people and the planet.

See also

In Spanish: AJR (banda) para niños

• List of indie pop artists
• List of bands formed in New York City
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. alternative rock chart
• List of sibling groups