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The Andrew WK Merch Blog

Who Is Andrew W.K.? The Story Behind the Party

· The Artist

If you have ever shouted along to "Party Hard", you already know the energy. But who is the man in the white T-shirt with the bloody nose? Here is the short story of Andrew W.K.

Where does Andrew W.K. come from?

Andrew W.K. is Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier, born on 9 May 1979 in Stanford, California. His family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, when he was four, and that same year he started piano lessons at the University of Michigan School of Music. The name comes from school: a teacher called him "Andrew W.K." to tell him apart from two other Andrews in his class.

How did the party start?

He moved to New York in 1998. His debut album, I Get Wet, came out on Island Records on 13 November 2001, led by the single "Party Hard". The cover, shot by photographer Roe Ethridge, showed him with blood streaming from his nose, and it became the image fans still link with him.

What came next?

More records, each one different:

  • The Wolf (2003), where he played every instrument himself.
  • 55 Cadillac (2009), an album of improvised solo piano.
  • You're Not Alone (2018), on Sony Music.
  • God Is Partying (2021), on Napalm Records.

Is partying really a philosophy?

For Andrew W.K., yes. He has written advice columns for The Village Voice and Vice, given talks on partying, including a 2014 keynote at the Oxford Union, and posted years of short PARTY TIP messages, like "Just be nice." His idea is simple: celebrate being alive, and be kind while you do it.

Join the party

Our designs carry that spirit, from the bloody nose to the party tips. Shop the Andrew W.K. collection and wear it loud.