Andrew VanWyngarden

Andrew VanWyngarden
VanWyngarden performing at Fun Fun Fun Fest
Background information
Birth name	Andrew Wells VanWyngarden
Born	(1983-02-01) February 1, 1983 (age 34) Columbia, Missouri, U.S.
Origin	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres	Psychedelic rock, neo-psychedelia, indie pop, synthpop, progressive rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, percussion
Years active	2002-present
Labels	Columbia, Red Ink, Cantora Records
Associated acts	MGMT, Glitter Penis, Accidental Mersh, Blikk Fang

Andrew VanWyngarden (born February 1, 1983) is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist, guitar player and songwriter for the band MGMT, praised for (according to Interview Magazine) "an uncanny knack for producing pop music that sounds as if it were filtered through a kaleidoscope." One of his (and MGMT cofounder Benjamin Goldwasser's) songs "Kids" (from the Oracular Spectacular album) received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, while the duo was nominated in the Best New Artist category.

Andrew VanWyngarden, was born in Columbia, Missouri, and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where he attended Lausanne Collegiate School and White Station High School. His father, Bruce VanWyngarden, is the editor of the alternative newspaper Memphis Flyer. Andrew fondly remembers his childhood years in Memphis, especially fishing and camping with his dad. "I've always really liked nature and the ocean. My friends and I would go out with nets and make little aquariums with the creatures we'd find," he said. He was active in YMCA outdoors programs, and the family frequently went canoeing, camping, and fishing.

One of his first experiences with music was listening to his dad play The Who song "Pinball Wizard" on his electric guitar with a Fender Twin Reverb amp. In seventh grade, he received a Les Paul guitar and immediately started playing. That same year, he won a contest at Lausanne, playing "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was influenced by the music he listened to with his sisters, Nirvana and Phish in particular, and often went through his parents' record collection in the attic where he found Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, etc. "From then on, all he ever wanted for Christmas was musical instruments; future seasons saw a drum set, a banjo, and a mandolin."