Read more: 20 greatest Fueled By Ramen bands

Dashboard last released All The Truth That I Can Tell, their eighth album, in 2022. It came in at No. 5 on our list of Dashboard Confessional albums, ranked. Boys Like Girls released Sunday At Foxwoods, their first album in 11 years, last year.

Dashboard Confessional 2024 tour dates
May 3-5 — Claremont, NC – Lovin’ Life Festival%
Sun May 5 — West Palm Beach, FL — Sunfest%
Thurs May 30 — Dewey Beach, DE — Bottle & Cork
Fri May 31 — Crownsville, MD — Let’s Go! Music Fest%
Sat June 15 — Manchester, TN — Bonnaroo — The Dashboard Confessional Emo Superjam
August 23-24 — Oro-Medonte, Canada — All Your Friends Fest%
Tue Sep 10 — Asbury Park, NJ — Stone Pony Summer Stage
Wed Sep 11 — Boston, MA — MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Thu Sep 12 — New York, NY — The Rooftop at Pier 17
Sat Sep 14 — Wallingford, CT — Toyota Oakdale Theatre#
Sun Sep 15 — Philadelphia, PA — The Met
Tue Sep 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
Wed Sep 18 — Grand Rapids, MI — GLC Live at 20 Monroe
Fri Sep 20 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
Sat Sep 21 — St Louis, MO — The Pageant
Sun Sep 22 — Indianapolis, IN — Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
Tue Sep 24 — Omaha, NE — Steelhouse Omaha
Wed Sep 25 — Des Moines, IA — Val Air Ballroom
Thu Sep 26 — Minneapolis, MN — Uptown Theater
Sat Sep 28 — Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Fri Oct 04 — San Diego, CA — SOMA
Sat Oct 05 — Anaheim, CA — House Of Blues
Sun Oct 06 — Los Angeles, CA — Hollywood Palladium
Wed Oct 09 — Wheatland, CA — Hard Rock Live Sacramento
Fri Oct 11 – Forest Grove, OR – McMenamins Grand Lodge
Sat Oct 12 — Spokane, WA — The Podium
Sun Oct 13 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
Tue Oct 15 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex
Wed Oct 16 — Denver, CO — Fillmore Auditorium
Sat Oct 19 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival%
Sun Oct 20 – Las Vegas, NV – When We Were Young Festival%
Tue Oct 22 — Phoenix, AZ — Arizona Financial Theatre
Wed Oct 23 — Albuquerque, NM — Revel Entertainment Center
Fri Oct 25 — Houston, TX — Bayou Music Center
Sat Oct 26 — Austin, TX — Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
Sun Oct 27 — Irving, TX — The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

nonfestival dates with Boys Like Girls and Taylor Acorn unless otherwise noted
# – without Boys Lke Girls
% – festival date

Since their first album debuted in 2006, Boston’s Boys Like Girls proved to be been a force to be reckoned with in the alt-pop space. After five years of hit-making, however, the band decidedly took a hiatus. But 11 years later, in October of 2023, BLG reemerged with sparks flying, releasing their first album back on the scene, Sunday at Foxwoods. With a tracklist stacked with swooning love songs (and a few breakup bangers) alongside sticky, pop-punk-inspired anthems, the album offers a fresh take on the punchy, high-energy pop sound the group have always been so proficient in producing.

Read more: Fan poll: 5 best Boys Like Girls songs of all time

“I remember the first time I heard the term ‘power pop,'” Martin Johnson says. “It was 2003, and a VJ on MTV was talking about ‘Stacy’s Mom’ by Fountains Of Wayne. I wasn’t entirely sure what it meant other than softer guitar pop with a sheen on it that sounded like it was inspired by the Cars. While we were busy writing the first Boys Like Girls album in 2005, the Click Five came along wearing matching suits and promising to restore the power-pop sound to greatness, and it felt like a good time to avoid those sounds for a little while, at least on a creative level, no matter how much of an absolute banger ‘Just the Girl’ or ‘Catch Your Wave” were. While it’s never been my essential ‘go-to,’ as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized some of my favorite songs of all time are technically considered part of this subgenre that dates back to the Beatles and the Who.”

We sat down with the Boys Like Girls vocalist and lead guitarist to discuss the top five songs that have impacted him.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – “American Girl”

This song makes me want to make hooks more simple. I’m sure “The Outside” might be a dead giveaway of the influence this song has had over me. I think my favorite part is that absolutely nothing in the chorus has anything at all to do with being American lyrically, yet the payoff is just as potent without the double down. 

Cheap Trick  – “I Want You to Want Me”

The first time I heard this song was the Letters to Cleo cover in 10 Things I Hate About You and assumed they wrote it for years. I later saw Cheap Trick opening for Aerosmith, in maybe 2003, and they closed with it, fully equipped with a guitar that had five necks. One of the godfathers of the subgenre in a lot of ways.

Rick Springfield – “Love Somebody”

Somewhere a few seasons into binge-watching DVDs of Californication on the tour bus in 2009, a guest appearance led me to the conclusion that Rick Springfield was the man and I deep dove into his catalog for the first time. In this era of music in general, most of my favorites are soundtrack songs because the artists pushed themselves out of the box they kept the album cuts in.

Weezer – “Buddy Holly” 

I didn’t entirely understand what type of music I was listening to when I bought their “Blue Album” on tape in ‘95. I was listening to a lot of mainstream rock and grunge at that age, 10 or so, and it just felt “dorkier” to me. Interesting how certain albums grow on you with time and others fade away with time. I don’t know when I last put on STP or Soundgarden, but I can tell you the last time I spun the “Blue Album,” for sure. It was recent.

Gin Blossoms – “Til I Hear it From You”

The sound of the radio in my youth, this one hits the nostalgia button, for sure. Something about that walk-down across the title melody plays me a montage in my mind every time.

The band just released Sunday at Foxwoods — their first new album in 11 years — and you can grab our exclusive, limited ruby vinyl edition in the AP Shop. You can also watch their new video for “Miracle” below.

Read more: Fan poll: 5 best Boys Like Girls songs of all time

In other news, their tourmates State Champs just announced a pair of shows celebrating the 10th anniversary of their 2013 debut album, The Finer Things, in their home state of New York. They take place at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge on Dec. 7-8. Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. ET.

Reflecting on their career in an interview with AP last year, State Champs vocalist Derek DiScanio said, “We put a lot of pressure on ourselves over the past two albums. After the first album [2013’s The Finer Things], we had to beat that, and then we did [with 2015’s Around The World And Back]. Then we thought, ‘How do we beat the second one?’ There’s less pressure now. People are gonna listen to this, so let’s make sure we like it because if we don’t, we’d be doing it for the wrong reasons. It’s important for us to stay true to who we are and make a statement that makes us feel good about what we’re doing. Ultimately, what we’re showing the world and sharing with everyone needs to mean more to us than it ever did before, nowadays especially.”

Boys Like Girls are back. With the pop-rock outfit announcing their new album — their first in over a decade — Sunday At Foxwoods, they stirred up a ton of excitement and nostalgia. To coincide with the release, Boys Like Girls are also preparing to head out on their upcoming tour in September, including support on select dates from State Champs, Four Year Strong, the Summer Set, and Say Anything’s Max Bemis, among others.

Read more: 10 most criminally underrated the All-American Rejects songs

To celebrate their return, we asked our readers what the best Boys Like Girls songs are of all time. From “Hero/Heroine” to “The Great Escape,” find the top fan picks ranked below.

5. “Heels Over Head”

“Heels Over Head” is deep within the tracklist on Boys Like Girls’ debut LP, but the song has remained a fan favorite over the years. The track sums up the beginning stages of a crush accurately, as Martin Johnson sings that he’s “the first to fall and the last to know.” Its accompanying music video is like a time capsule for the late 2000s, rife with digital cameras, homemade merch, and tight tees. If the visual proves anything, it’s that Boys Like Girls can pack a room — something that’s certain to happen again on their fall tour.

4. “Love Drunk”

Here’s a throwback for you, as “Love Drunk” felt inescapable during the summer of 2009. Though its introduction hints at classic-rock grandeur, the song quickly transitions into a pop-rock anthem that’s meant for driving with the top (or windows) down. With an unforgettable music video — starring Ashley Tisdale as the one to impress — to match, this song still hits for anyone swept up by its massive hook. All these years later, “Love Drunk” is the epitome of an earworm. 

3. “Hero/Heroine”

Another song from the band’s first record, “Hero/Heroine” remains beloved for a reason. The track possesses the kind of lines meant for scribbling on your Converse (“I keep a sinister smile and a hole in my heart”), as well as a cute story about a bubbling romance. Ultimately, it’s easy to see why fans hold this one close.

2. “The Great Escape”

The distinctive single from Boys Like Girls’ 2006 debut album remains one of their catchiest songs ever. The track bubbles with bouncy energy and endless optimism — and put the band on the map for countless teenagers in the mid-2000s. Its slick production, courtesy of Matt Squire, shines, too. No doubt this cut has soundtracked many summer nights and road trips.

1. “Thunder”
The beginning of “Thunder” is deceiving. With Johnson strumming an acoustic guitar, the song appears to be a somber ballad. However, that delicacy soon transforms into a volcanic chorus. The music video, meanwhile, reflects teenage youth, including scenes of food fights, late-night hangs, and swimming pool makeouts that were shot throughout California.

Read more: The Maine break down every album in their catalog

Boys Like Girls previously released three songs from the album — “The Outside,” “Language,” and “Blood and Sugar” — and today they’ve shared a fourth single, “Cry.” Speaking about it, vocalist Martin Johnson says:

I’m not really a campfire style singer, but on my third or fourth date with my now wife she asked me to play her a song. I don’t know why, but I picked up the guitar and started playing ‘CRY’ in front of someone for the first time. A crazy thing happened…I felt the song in the way I had always wanted to. I meant the words I was singing…and I meant them for her. To me, every song is a living, breathing thing. Some are born before their time. Some are just supposed to make you feel good, some have great purpose. Sometimes when you write, you’re telling a real story, but sometimes it’s a made up one. Sometimes the words just sound good and you figure it out later. This one took years to reveal itself.

My hope is that ‘CRY’ finds its purpose and meaning to the listener a bit quicker than it took for me. More importantly, my hope is that it finds the ears of those who need it. A couple weeks ago Beef and I were sitting in my truck outside the studio, critically listening to mixes of our first album together in a dozen years. At the end of “CRY,” I looked to the passenger seat and the toughest man I know had tears running down his face and into his beard. We hugged and cried together in the car, two old friends still making music together, still pushing each other to be better musicians and men 20 years after we met in 2003. Even if this one is just for us, I know in my heart that it was worth waiting until the time was right. And after 10 years of waiting, I’m finally ready to sing it, and we’re finally ready to share it with you. The time is right.

Listen to all four currently released singles below.

Boys Like Girls also have an upcoming tour, including support varying by date from State Champs, Four Year Strong, the Summer Set, 3OH!3, LOLO, the Ready Set, Say Anything’s Max Bemis, and more. See all dates on the tour poster below.

Sunday At Foxwoods tracklist
1. “Sunday At Foxwoods”
2. “The Outside”
3. “Language”
4. “Blood And Sugar”
5. “New Love”
6. “Miracle”
7. “Cry”
8. “Monday Morning”
9. “Physical”
10. “Hourglass”
11. “Story Of A Lifetime”
12. “Brooklyn State Of Mind”
13. “Lost In Wonderland”

“It’s the silent languages that say the most. Body language, love languages, the language of the spirit, and other nonverbal communications can be the deepest connections we have as humans. With the language of attraction, there tends to be a moment where you both figure it out. You know. You feel safe, you feel seen, you feel excited. You pray you’re not crazy. A little touch, OK, you’re not crazy,” vocalist Martin Johnson says of the song.

Read more: 10 most criminally underrated the All-American Rejects songs

Later this year, Boys Like Girls will also hit the road. Dubbed the “Speaking Our Language Tour,” the run kicks off Sept. 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The group will make stops in over two dozen cities before wrapping the tour Nov. 1 in Raleigh, North Carolina. State Champs will open the whole run, whereas Four Year Strong, 3OH!3, LØLØ, the Summer Set, the Ready Set, and Max Bemis will appear on select dates. Grab tickets here.

Listen to “Language” below.

Dubbed the “Speaking Our Language Tour,” which is presented by Emo Nite, the run kicks off Sept. 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band will then make stops in over two dozen cities before concluding the tour Nov. 1 in Raleigh, North Carolina. State Champs will open the whole run, whereas Four Year Strong, 3OH!3, LØLØ, the Summer Set, the Ready Set, and Max Bemis will appear on select dates.

Read more: 10 most criminally underrated the All-American Rejects songs

Presales will run throughout the week, with general tickets going on sale Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. local time. Alternative Press readers can get exclusive early access to tickets today (May 31) starting at 10 a.m. local time via Live Nation using the code ALTBLG.

See the full list of dates below.

Boys Like Girls 2023 tour dates:

09/17 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore+
09/18 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl+
09/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle+
09/21 – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans+
09/23 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution+
09/24 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues Orlando+
09/26 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater+
09/27 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center+
09/28 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory#
09/30 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren%
10/01 –  Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium&
10/02 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues Las Vegas&
10/04 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA%
10/06 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic†
10/08 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom†
10/10 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom†
10/11 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre†
10/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot†
10/14 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium†
10/16 – Minneapolis, MN @The Fillmore Minneapolis†
10/18 – Madison, WI @ The Sylvee†
10/19 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom@
10/21 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues Cleveland@
10/22 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit@
10/23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre@
10/24 – Toronto, ON @ HISTORY^
10/26 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall Fenway†
10/27 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom†
10/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia†
10/31 – Silver Springs, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Springs†
11/01 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz†

+ – Four Years Strong and LØLØ
# –   Four Years Strong, LØLØ, Max Bemis
% – 3OH!3, LØLØ
& – 3OH!3, LØLØ, the Ready Set
† – The Summer Set, LØLØ
@ – The Summer Set, LØLØ, Every Avenue
^The Summer Set, LØLØ, SayWeCanFly

Today, the pop-punk band dropped their first song since 2012, “Blood and Sugar” (out on Fearless Records/Concord). It’s a welcomed return from the Boston-bred group, and as indulgent as its lyrics about an intoxicating, if unfulfilling relationship, are — featuring hyped up percussion, guitars, and production resonant of ’80s glam rock.

Read more: Every All-American Rejects album ranked: From worst to best

In a press release, vocalist Martin Johnson said the song is about “an empty calorie
relationship that’s so delicious you don’t care” and are “willing to deal with the crash.” He said, “I think everyone has an infatuation with something bad for them. Cigarettes.
Sports gambling. Porn. Internet validation. Pills that change the way you feel. Buying too
many shoes. I know I spend a lot of time trying to fill the empty hole where drugs used to be. I
spend most of the time trying to fill that hole with ‘perfection.’ But in the end … nobody’s
perfect. Hey. we’re only blood and sugar, right?”

It’s not all we’ll be hearing from the pop-rock foursome either. Boys Like Girls have confirmed that they’re working on new music, with more updates — including announcements of a tour — coming soon.

In the meantime, you can listen to “Blood and Sugar” below.

Producer and songwriter Sam Hollander always knew that he was a little bit different or a black sheep, if you will, looking for a chance to have the opportunity to turn his wildest dreams and creative fantasies into reality. After a painstaking 15 years of ups and downs and career setbacks, Hollander was finally given the opportunity and platform to achieve success at 35 years old. With an ever-present survival instinct and obsessive perseverance, Hollander experienced a major commercial breakthrough in the late aughts, penning widely successful records and singles for young artists at the time such as Boys Like Girls, All Time Low, Metro Station, and Gym Class Heroes, among many others. Eventually, he positioned himself as one of the most sought-after producers and songwriters in pop and alternative music — and wasted no time in leaving his creative mark on a series of compelling projects from major artists such as Weezer, Panic! At The Disco, blink-182, The Beach Boys, and Ringo Starr. 

Now, in 2022, with a lifetime of stories, insights, and wisdom obtained through years of hard work in the pursuit of creativity, Hollander is releasing his debut autobiography 21-Hit Wonder: Flopping My Way To The Top Of The Charts. The book, out December 6, is a staggering and transparent memoir that fuses everything from experimental creative nonfiction to downright vulnerable and at times self-deprecating humor that feels entirely heartfelt and authentic in every sense of the word. 21-Hit Wonder: Flopping My Way To The Top Of The Charts is a guidebook more than anything for young creatives to read while beginning their own journey in the pursuit of art — and is a testament that while the road may seem long to the top, patience and timing is everything. 

Read more: 40 pop-punk albums from the 2000s that’ll make you grab your old Chucks

Hollander, who has always been a torchbearer for youth culture and the next generation is now in the midst of a major college tour, speaking at a wide range of institutions, where he’s been offering students support and sharing his expertise to anyone who has a passion for music. Additionally, Hollander will be donating all proceeds from the book and tour to the Musicians On Call charity, an initiative that aims to bring music and renowned artists directly to patients and healthcare workers in need. Alternative Press spoke to him about the new release and book tour, his career, and more.

When did you decide to finally take the plunge and write your first book? 

In 2015, my parents both passed away back-to-back, and I come from a very small family. I ended up inheriting my dad’s laptop, and when I opened it up, I saw all of these sticky notes and folders full of content and instantly flashed back to when I was 7 years old when my dad announced that he was writing a book to our family. As a kid, it was the greatest flex to say my dad was writing a book. Through the years the topic would come up and he’d always say “I’m making headway,” but when he passed, there was no book. My initial idea was to[put his book] together, but realized it was so beyond my comprehension. It broke my heart because my parents both lived these incredible fascinating lives within the arts, but there was little documentation of it. I felt, for my own kid, it would be a great little keepsake for her to have my story. This is a story about the grind, the hustle, and the creative survival that I had to endure to get through this. 

I love that you bring up the aspect of “survival” because I feel like that is the theme of your story more than anything else. 

I read a lot of books about artists and there tends to always be a brief narrative about their struggles — but it’s usually just 3 pages, and then everything is great and they’re spiking the proverbial ball to the end zone, From that point on, it’s all just one big humblebrag. I didn’t have that kind of career — it was completely different. I had my first hit [song] at 35-years-old. When you struggle for the first 15 years of your career, you out fail everyone. Truth be told, I was really bankrupting labels, companies –– just anybody that got into business with me. I was like a walking Seattle Winter. [Laughs.] At some point, I caught the proverbial break and it has been magical ever since. But that’s less interesting to me –– it’s the other end of the game that shaped me. 

What I have always loved about you as a person and as a writer is that you are not afraid to be the perfect level of self-deprecating, even down to the title of the book. 

I’m innately snarky, and self-aware enough to know how stupid this all is at the end of the day. I write songs as an aspirational tool to find some form of catharsis for my own broken soul. I have to write a lot of up-tempo songs to balance any sort of black clouds inside of myself — but I will tell you, I have to laugh through all the heartache, or else it will be utter brutality. 

You have obtained validation from esteemed writers, musicians, and creatives in droves, does this feel surreal after so many years of just wanting to be heard? 

I’ve been perennially thirsty and just wanted to be noticed, and always felt there was something different about me. It can take a long time to articulate that and when you know there is something cool within your DNA but other people don’t get it, it’s completely frustrating. For me, academics were a disaster so the notion of sitting in a classroom didn’t work with my wiring, so I had to chase [creativity] aggressively. Getting validation from legends from every genre has been more fulfilling than anything else and is what gets me up in the morning. 

What has been the most fulfilling moment from your recent college book tour? 

It’s been emotionally heavy and it can range from 250 people in a theater to 15 kids in a classroom. The thing that brings me a lot of hope is how much diversity there is in the industry now. The kids effortlessly flow together and there is this really nice energy that I don’t remember feeling back in the day. I’m meeting so many badass kids and Gen Z’s energy is exhilarating. There are also so many more music programs for songwriting and production than when I first started, so it’s cool to see how it’s all developed. 

As a generational songwriter, what would you say are the projects and songs that define you? 

I’m emotionally invested in all of my projects, but there are definitely a few that define my journey in many ways. There’s Boys Like Girls, We The Kings, and Gym Class Heroes on one end because those three records set me up to do this for the rest of my life. hen there are the projects I did with Train, Fitz and The Tantrums, and Panic! At The Disco,  where people finally were able to connect the dots on what I had achieved to date. It took [Panic! At The Disco’s 2018 hit] “High Hopes” for people to look back 20 years into my past and assemble the journey that I’ve had. [Panic! At The Disco’s 2018 album] Pray For The Wicked is probably my favorite album I’ve ever done. It was so free, loose, and a great moment where the music intersected with an artist who was in the zeitgeist at that time. 

What’s next? 

I can only hope that this book is optioned in Hollywood and David Schwimmer plays me to the best of his abilities. [Laughs.]