Andy Biersack Bio
Andrew Dennis Biersack, known professionally as Andy Biersack, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician best known as the founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Black Veil Brides. Born on December 26, 1990, in Cincinnati, Ohio, he is the only remaining original member of the band, which he launched from a series of earlier local projects. In 2014, Biersack began a solo career under the moniker Andy Black, allowing him to explore a different musical direction outside the band.
Beyond his work in music, Biersack has ventured into acting, film production, and writing. He authored a graphic novel and a memoir, and he has appeared in independent film projects and web series. He is also a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and an avid comic book reader who has cited Batman and Kingdom Come among his favorites.
Early Life and Background
Andrew Dennis Biersack was born on December 26, 1990, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to parents Chris Biersack and Amy Biersack. He grew up in a religious household, attending a Catholic elementary school, an experience he has discussed in numerous interviews. As a child and teenager, Biersack gravitated toward rock and punk acts such as Kiss, the Misfits, Avenged Sevenfold, the Damned, and the Dropkick Murphys, and the way he dressed often set him apart from his peers.
Because of his appearance and taste in music, Biersack was the target of bullying throughout his school years. This difficult experience later became part of the storytelling for the Black Veil Brides music video Knives and Pens, which dramatized the treatment he endured. He has also spoken about the lasting influence of his late grandfather, whose funeral prompted reflections on faith, family, and the kind of life he wanted to pursue.
For high school, Biersack attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, where he majored in drama and vocal music. The school helped sharpen his performance skills and his interest in stagecraft. Two days after he turned 18, he left school before graduating and moved to Los Angeles to chase a professional career in music.
Path to Music
At age 14, Biersack and a small group of friends formed their first band, originally called Biersack, although the project played only one show. That early group eventually evolved into the lineup that would become Black Veil Brides, a band Biersack founded and has led ever since. The transition from a teenage hobby to a professional act required a significant move, and his relocation to Los Angeles marked the first major step toward a full-time career in music.
Once in Los Angeles, Biersack focused on building the band, writing material, and performing wherever possible. The group signed with the independent label StandBy Records in September 2009, which opened the door to wider touring and a proper album release. His training in drama and vocal performance at the School for Creative and Performing Arts also shaped his commanding stage presence, which became a defining feature of his career.
Andy Biersack Career
Early Career (2006-2010)
Biersack began his professional music career in 2006, working with a series of early projects that helped him develop as a vocalist and songwriter. The first major release from the Black Veil Brides lineup came in 2009 with the music video for Knives and Pens, which has since accumulated more than 200 million views online. That same year, the band embarked on their first United States tour, titled the On Leather Wings tour, building a grassroots fan base.
In 2010, Black Veil Brides released their debut album, We Stitch These Wounds, on July 20. The album sold more than 13,000 copies in its first week, reached No. 36 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and topped the Billboard Independent chart. These early results established the band as a rising force in the rock scene and cemented Biersack as a recognizable frontman.
Breakthrough (2011-2014)
The band’s second studio album, Set the World on Fire, was released on June 14, 2011, through Lava Music and Universal Republic Records, marking their first major label effort. The album pushed Black Veil Brides to a wider audience and set the stage for an ambitious touring schedule. On June 18, 2011, Biersack suffered a serious injury after falling from a 15-foot pillar during a Hollywood performance, shattering three ribs and displacing one, an accident that forced the band to miss the opening week of the Vans Warped Tour that year. Later that year, on October 26, he broke his nose on the drum riser during a show in Luxembourg, yet he returned to the stage in London two days later.
The third Black Veil Brides album, Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones, arrived on January 8, 2013, and was supported by the band’s first full-length feature film, Legion of the Black, released on January 6, 2013. The self-titled fourth album followed on October 27, 2014, continuing the band’s commercial momentum. Also in 2014, Biersack revealed to Kerrang! magazine that he had been working on a solo project under the name Andy Black, a side effort influenced by 1980s synth and goth music and produced with longtime collaborator John Feldmann.
Solo Work and Continued Success (2015-Present)
On May 19, 2014, Biersack premiered his first Andy Black song, They Don’t Need to Understand, online with a music video shared through Hot Topic. He formally announced his debut solo album, The Shadow Side, on March 17, 2016, releasing the lead single We Don’t Have to Dance on March 18, 2016, with a music video following on March 21. The Shadow Side was released on May 6, 2016, giving Biersack a space to explore a darker, more electronic sound distinct from the band’s hard rock direction.
His second Andy Black album, The Ghost of Ohio, was announced on February 15, 2019, and arrived on April 12, 2019, with the lead single Westwood Road released the same day. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of We Stitch These Wounds, the band issued a re-recording titled Re-Stitch These Wounds on July 31, 2020, followed by their sixth album, The Phantom Tomorrow, on October 29, 2021. In 2018, Black Veil Brides also released their fifth album, Vale, on January 12, ensuring a steady stream of new music for their audience.
Notable Works and Milestones
Among Biersack’s most recognized projects are the Black Veil Brides albums We Stitch These Wounds (2010), Set the World on Fire (2011), Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones (2013), the self-titled Black Veil Brides (2014), Vale (2018), and The Phantom Tomorrow (2021). On the solo side, The Shadow Side (2016) and The Ghost of Ohio (2019) stand as his signature works under the Andy Black moniker, with singles such as We Don’t Have to Dance and Westwood Road serving as defining tracks.
Andy Biersack Family
Andrew Dennis Biersack was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, by his parents, Chris Biersack and Amy Biersack. His upbringing in a religious household and the influence of his late grandfather are themes he has revisited often in interviews and in his memoir, They Don’t Need to Understand: Stories of Hope, Fear, Family, Life, and Never Giving In, co-written with journalist Ryan J. Downey and released in December 2020.
Personal Life
Biersack was formerly known by the stage name Andy Six, a name he used until around 2011, when he chose to perform under his real name. He is married to singer Juliet Simms, and the couple have publicly addressed personal challenges while continuing to support each other’s careers. Biersack is also a devoted fan of the Cincinnati Bengals and an avid comic book reader with a particular love of Batman and related DC titles.