By his own admission, Andy Tongren is an optimist. “I really do try and find the silver lining any
way I can,” says the Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter. “At my core, I feel like there’s nothing
else I can do.”
That sunny disposition is the glowing core of his debut single “So Good.” The easygoing,
compact tune is driven by an acoustic-backed verse before launching a blissful firework of a
chorus that radiates joy and warmth – perfect for a summer playlist or a crucial year-round
dopamine hit.
In one of art’s great ironies, Tongren says “So Good” was born of circumstances that were
anything but. “It’s funny – it kind of came from a dark place,” he admits. “I’m living in a cold, dark
basement on the outskirts of Bushwick, trying to get by day to day…Winter was starting and I
think I just wanted to feel a little bit of warmth.”
Tongren wanted “So Good” to capture a vibe more than anything else. “I wasn’t overly precious
with the approach to writing,” he explains. “All the minutiae that comes with blending art and
commerce…it’s so easy to get caught up in that. On ‘So Good,’ I didn’t think – I just did.
“If it’s a little bit off, leave it,” he continues. “There’s real human elements in this.”
And real human elements are what Tongren’s fans have loved about his work ever since the
Ohio-born musician formed his previous band, Young Rising Sons with a tight-knit group of
friends across the New York-New Jersey border. Their debut single “High” dazzled audiences,
leading to a deal with Interscope Records and a dizzying tour schedule that found the group
opening for The 1975, Weezer, Bleachers, Halsey and more.
With “So Good,” Tongren is starting to write an exciting new chapter of his career, looking to
return to the road and connect with fans who, like him, continue searching for the good against
all odds. “It’s in the fabric of who I am at this point,” he says. “Seeing people react to something
you’ve written or been a part of, there’s no words to describe that. I’ve always found myself
chasing that feeling.”
08/08/2025