Andrew VanWyngarden American musician; lead vocalist, guitarist Date of Birth: . Country: USA

1. Andrew VanWyngarden
2. Early Life and Influences
3. Formation of MGMT

Andrew VanWyngarden

Andrew VanWyngarden is an American musician, and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for the band MGMT.

Early Life and Influences

Andrew 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 an editor at the Memphis Flyer. Andrew has fond memories of his childhood in Memphis, particularly fishing and hiking with his father. He was an active child, and his family often went canoeing, hiking, and fishing.

One of Andrew's first musical experiences was hearing his father play "Pinball Wizard" on his Fender Twin Reverb. In seventh grade, he received a guitar and began playing immediately. That same year, he won a talent show at Lausanne by performing "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He was influenced by the music he listened to with his sister, including Nirvana, Ween, and Phish. He often listened to albums by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and The Rolling Stones in his parents' attic. From an early age, he had a passion for musical instruments and hoped to acquire a drum set and banjo in the future.

Formation of MGMT

Andrew and Ben Goldwasser formed MGMT while attending Wesleyan University. "We didn't set out to start a band," Goldwasser clarifies. "We would just hang out and play each other music that we liked." Their first release, under the pseudonym The Management, was the "We (Don't) Care EP" in 2004. They later experimented with noise rock and electronica, with Spin critic David Marchese labeling their style as "psychedelic pop."