Music comes in waves and it comes in change. Many artists have drawn inspiration from past eras, but some eras haven’t been as focused on as they should be. One of my favorite eras of music was the early 2000s era of Indie rock.
Bands such as Death Cab For Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Strokes, and Arcade Fire ruled my childhood. For years, I’ve been waiting for someone to do that sound, do it well, and make it special, while adding their own flair to it. Michigander made that happen for me, and for those like me.
Michigander has a new EP out today ‘It Will Never Be The Same’. The album features the top 5 radio hit, ‘Stay Out Of It,’ and it’s being pushed by C3 Records.
I was given a very special listen to the album and from the first song, I was blown away. Not only was this a sound that I have been waiting for, but it just fit so perfectly. By the third song, I was captivated. Not only was this a new classic, but it gave me this feeling of nostalgia that I haven’t felt in many, many years for music.
Others feel the same way as I do as well.
Via World Cafe, they stated: “Singer has the most astounding knack for writing anthemic pop songs…It’s all there in his songs; driving beats, shimmering guitars, tug-at-your-heart lyrics, and big hooks…The songs he writes linger in your head and heart long after they’re finished.” – World Café
Brooklyn Vegan also said: “Atmospheric, swinging-for-the-fences indie heartland rock with hints of Lord Huron, The War On Drugs, the last Killers album, and more.” – BrooklynVegan
I was able to speak to the heart and soul behind Michigander, Jason Singer, recently, and we spoke about everything from writing the album, to appreciating fans in the present rather than hoping for millions.
I asked Jason about his time in music and what really made him want to be an artist. He stated: “We didn’t have internet, and the only radio we had was the top 40 style of radio. I listened to and got most of my music at the library. I would hear something that I liked, take it home, and burn it to listen to it.”
This was a really cool look inside of how he got into music because a lot of us can relate to the early versions of sharing and having music.
Jason then stated that the album took a while to finish up. Just over two years was the process behind the EP and there was a lot of living that happened between that – many events of which really helped to inspire the content of the EP. Singer also stated that he loved working with one of his idols from the early 2000’s rock era, which was Andy Hull of Manchester Orchestra, who is also featured on Singer’s EP.
Jason said about working with Andy: “Oh, yeah, it was really cool. Manchester Orchestra are a band I really liked and working with Andy was surreal. I went to Atlanta, and someone at my label knew of Andy – and they knew I liked Manchester Orchestra, and they helped to make it happen. It was really cool.”
A big topic we touched on was mental health in the interview as well. We spoke about how important it is to have someone to talk to when you’re an artist, whether that’s a friend or a therapist because social media is a toxic space much of the time for artists.
It was clear to see how much Jason is grateful for in his career and he loves exactly where he’s at and every fan that he has. For him, that’s the focus right now; focusing on right now and loving where everything is.
He said: “If there’s more, that’s great, and if it ends tomorrow – that would be sad,” as he then spoke on being content being a big focal point in his career.
