Kat Harlton
Lead Photo: Provided via artist / PR Team
Andy Tongren, best known as the frontman of Young Rising Sons (with over 225 million streams and tour credits alongside The 1975, Weezer, Bleachers, and Halsey), returns with his anthemic indie-folk single, “Franconia.” Brimming with poetic lyricism and a foot-stomping, sing-along-worthy chorus, the track captures the magnetic pull of falling in love, whether with a person, a place, or both.
I had the opportunity to chat with Andy about his new single, his musical journey so far, and what’s next.
Kat: You describe Franconia as both a place and a metaphor. Have you ever tried to return to a literal Franconia after writing the song and did it feel different through the lens of your own lyrics?
Andy: I’ve been back a few times since writing Franconia. Honestly, it makes it feel even more special. It’s like revisiting a fever dream — a mix of something real and something you’ve romanticized in your head.
Kat: Your writing often explores how moments and emotions become places in our memory. How do you personally map your memories, by geography, by people, by music?
Andy: All of the above, honestly. I think music especially is like a time machine in the way that a song can bring you right back to a specific moment or feeling. But people and places stick with me in the same way. It’s all connected.
Kat: The chorus of “Franconia” feels tailor-made for live shows. When you’re writing, do you ever imagine how a crowd might sing it back to you or does that come later?
Andy: 100% of the time. My favorite live moments are when artists turn a small part of a song into something unforgettable for the show and really make it a moment. Things like that make me hear the song in an entirely new way. So yeah, that’s always on my mind when I’m writing.
Kat: You’ve made music with a band and now as a solo artist. What’s something you can now express in your solo work that felt harder to access in a group dynamic?
Andy: Being in a band is super collaborative, and I love that. But this project has given me space to explore stuff that’s really personal. Where I grew up, what shaped me, the kind of stories that feel uniquely mine.
Kat: A lot of your lyrics tap into a sense of quiet longing. Is there a particular book, film, or piece of art that helped shape your emotional vocabulary as a songwriter?
Andy: Walt Whitman in general is a big one for me. The way he talks about the American experience through this lens of nature, connection, and being deeply human…it hits me every time. There’s so much emotional weight in the simplicity of how he sees the world.
Kat: You’ve been open about the tension between art and commerce. What’s one creative choice you’ve made recently that felt like reclaiming your artistic autonomy?
Andy: For me, it’s been writing from a more hopeful place again. I tend to swing between extremes emotionally, and that kind of mirrors how the industry can feel. But choosing to write with optimism, even when it’s subtle, feels like taking the reins back creatively.
Kat: Do you have a ritual or rule for knowing when a song is “done,” or do you let it breathe imperfectly on purpose?
Andy: I’m definitely a perfectionist by nature, but I’ve learned to let things be a little messy and honestly, that’s made the songs feel more human. It’s easy to over-edit or over-polish, but I think some of the most special moments on a record are the imperfect ones.
Kat: If “Franconia” were a person rather than a place, how would you describe them?
Andy: Someone who helps you zoom out. Who walks into a room and reminds you what actually matters. Calming, grounding, but also full of life.
Kat: Optimism is a big part of your identity as an artist. What does hope sound like to you, sonically?
Andy: I think hope doesn’t always sound shiny or upbeat, sometimes it comes from a heavy place, but there’s still this undercurrent of resilience or curiosity. To me, it’s that mix of ache and forward motion…like, ‘I’ve been through it, but I’m still here.’
Connect With Andy
https://www.instagram.com/andytongren
https://www.tiktok.com/@andytongren