Ingrid Michaelson

Ingrid Michaelson

Michaelson in 2012
Background information
Birth name Ingrid Ellen Michaelson[1]
Born (1979-12-08) December 8, 1979
Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
Years active 2005–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website www.ingridmichaelson.com

Ingrid Ellen Michaelson (born December 8, 1979) is an American singer and songwriter. Her first album, Slow the Rain, was released in 2005, and she has since released six more albums, Girls and Boys, Be OK, Everybody, Human Again, Lights Out, and her most recent, It Doesn't Have to Make Sense. Her two highest-charting singles are "The Way I Am" and "Girls Chase Boys," at No. 37 and No. 52 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

Biography

Michaelson is half Swedish,[2] and was born to artistic parents. Her father, Carl Michaelson, is a composer ("The Praise of Christmas") and her mother, Elizabeth Egbert, was a sculptor. Her mother was of Dutch ancestry.[3] Michaelson took up piano at age four, and trained until seven at Manhattan's Third Street Music School, continuing for many more years at the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island's Dorothy Delson Kuhn Music Institute. While there she met vocal coach Elizabeth McCullough, who worked with her through high school.[4] She is a graduate of Staten Island Technical High School and Binghamton University, where she received a degree in theater.[4] While at Binghamton University she was a member of the Binghamtonics, a co-ed a cappella group, as well as the Pappy Parker Players, an improv comedy group, and the theatre repertory company under Sue Peters. Her time at Binghamton is mentioned in the song "The Hat." She grew up doing a musical theater group called "Kids On Stage." Later in life, she became a director until she decided to pursue her career in music.

Musical career

2006–08: Girls & Boys

In 2006, Michaelson independently put out her second album, Girls and Boys. The album, like her previous music, was streamed on Myspace. A music producer from the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy found her music online. After being contacted by the music producer, Michaelson began to be approached by several record companies. Wanting to retain all of the rights she had as an independent artist, Michaelson developed a deal with Original Signal Recordings, acting as the marketing and distribution arm for Michaelson's label. Through Original Signal, Michaelson re-released Girls and Boys into mainstream marketing on September 18, 2007. It peaked at #63 on The Billboard charts[5] and received positive reviews from critics.[6][7] Additionally, in 2007, "The Way I Am," a song from her album Girls and Boys, began being featured in an Old Navy commercial. The 30-second ad played on the major networks and most prime-time shows for a few days. In less than three weeks, more than 65 appearances in prime-time had been made, including 17 season premieres.[8]

2008–10: Be Ok and Everybody

Ingrid Michaelson at Melkweg Amsterdam

In 2008, Michaelson released her third album, and first compilation album, Be OK. The album debuted at #35 on the Billboard Charts and received mixed to positive reviews. The album features the single, Be OK, which received a large amount of exposure on several shows and commercials. Michaelson joined the Hotel Cafe Tour that fall in support of the album, whose proceeds went toward cancer research.[9] In 2009, Michaelson released her fourth album, Everybody. Everybody debuted on #18 on the Billboard charts and received positive reviews. It features the single "Maybe", which received positive reviews and was featured on several television programs. Her show in Sydney, Australia at the Metro Theater is available online at MoshCam, a website that shows many pre-recorded concerts.

2010–12: Parachute and Human Again

Ingrid Michaelson at the Wiltern 2012

In 2010, Michaelson digitally released the single "Parachute," a song that she wrote but was used by Cheryl Cole on her album 3 Words. The song has not been featured on any albums, but is available on both iTunes and Amazon.com. In 2012, Michaelson released her fifth album, Human Again. Human Again debuted at #5 on the Billboard charts and received very positive reviews, with critics praising the album's unique sound. Michaelson's first tour leg for the album, The Human Again Tour, was sold out almost every night of the tour. Since the first tour, Michaelson has continued to tour on three other legs, two in North America, and one across the world. The first leg of Michaelson's tour was held from April to May. The second leg, The Human Again Summer Tour, was held from June to August. The Third Leg, The Human Again Fall Tour, began in September. Michaelson also played three shows in Australia, where Human Again was the first formally released record of hers there.

In September 2012, she was featured in a campaign called "30 Songs / 30 Days" to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book.[10]

2014–2015: Lights Out

On February 4, 2014, Michaelson released the lead single, "Girls Chase Boys", from her album Lights Out. The song reached number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Afterlife" and "Time Machine" were released as the second and third singles with moderate commercial success.

On April 25, 2014, Lights Out was released. The deluxe edition, which was released in November later that year, contains an additional 6 bonus tracks.

2016-present: It Doesn’t Have To Make Sense

On April 29, 2016, Michaelson released the song "Hell No".[11] It serves as the lead single from her seventh studio album, It Doesn't Have to Make Sense, which was released on August 26, 2016, through Cabin 24 Records.[12] In support of the album, Michaelson embarked on the "Hell No Tour" beginning October 6, 2016, in Cincinnati, OH.[13]

Collaborations

In 2006, Michaelson teamed up with William Fitzsimmons on his album Goodnight, which was released that same year.

Michaelson and her friend Sara Bareilles co-wrote "Winter Song" which was featured on The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs, a compilation of both original recordings as well as classic holiday tracks sung by a lineup of female singer-songwriters. Michaelson also worked with Bareilles, performing "Winter Song" for President Obama and his family as well as many spectators at the National Christmas Tree Lighting in December 2010. In 2011, "Winter Song" reached number 2 on the Irish Singles Chart.[14]

2009 photoshoot by Deborah Lopez

Michaelson provided back-up vocals on two songs from PlayRadioPlay!'s album Texas, including "I'm a Pirate, You're a Princess" and the title track, "Texas."

She provided back-up vocals on Greg Laswell's album, Take A Bow, which was released on May 4, 2010. Collaboration was done on the songs "Take Everything," "My Fight (For You)," and "Come Clean."[15][16]

Michaelson's band mate, Allie Moss released a 2009 EP entitled Passerby. A single from the EP, "Corner," was picked up in the United Kingdom by British Telecommunications for their BT Infinity television commercials. Other band members include Chris Kuffner (Bass), husband of Bess Rogers (Guitar), Saul Simon-MacWilliams (keys) and Elliot Jacobson (drums).

In 2010, Michaelson co-wrote a song entitled "Parachute" with Marshall Altman which was covered by British singer Cheryl Cole on her debut solo album 3 Words; it peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom. She initially felt the track was "so poppy" that she could not release it herself. However, after the song was reworked by "Everybody" producer Dan Romer to make a more "interesting, funky production," Michaelson released the song as a personal single.[17] To date, the song has received two separate music videos.

Of the release of "Parachute" and upcoming material, Michaelson explained in a 2010 interview with Billboard.com, "I just felt like I wanted to put something out. I'm not ready to put a full album out, so we thought we'd put this out and see how people take it or don't take it." She said that she expects to release her next album, "probably in the middle of next year."[18]

In 2012, Michaelson and Laswell co-wrote and sang the duet "Landline," which appeared on his album of the same name.

Her 2014 album, Lights Out, was very much a collaborative effort. "On all my previous records, I’d written all the songs myself. It was one producer and me locked in a room for months," she said. "Not that that was bad, but I think that everything has a season. I never wanted to kind of give up control. I think I’m letting go of a lot of things – embracing the idea of allowing people to help me in all facets of my life. I think that I was a bit of a control freak, and I’m just more open to letting people be part of things that they weren’t part of before. It’s really liberating. I had the best time ever on the last record. It was just really wonderful to be able to share the success with other people." [19] She has also appeared on The Nerdist Podcast with Chris Hardwick.

Personal life

Michaelson married fellow musician Greg Laswell in 2011.[20] On February 27, 2015, following a rough year (Michaelson struggled with stomach and throat problems, as well as the deaths of her mother and dog), Michaelson and Laswell (who had been separated for months) announced that they mutually decided to split. A joint statement released by Michaelson and Laswell reads: "After careful consideration, and with mutual respect, we have decided to separate. We ask for privacy as we navigate this time in our lives."[21][22]

Michaelson identifies as a feminist.[23]

Discography

References

  1. ↑ Michaelson, Ingrid Ellen Egbert. "Songwriter/Composer: MICHAELSON INGRID ELLEN EGBERT". Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Conversations: 'The Sweater Song' Singer Ingrid Michaelson". The Washington Post. August 30, 2009. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Elizabeth Egbert".
  4. 1 2 Baby, Remember Her Name. Staten Island Advance AWE. (May 24, 2007). Retrieved on August 14, 2007.
  5. ↑ Archived July 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ "Music Review: Ingrid Michaelson – Girls and Boys – Blogcritics Music". Blogcritics.org. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  7. ↑ "INGRID MICHAELSON "Girls and Boys" Cabin 24". Washingtonpost.com. November 16, 2007. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
  8. ↑ Werde, Bill (Jan 12, 2008). "Ingrid Michaelson: The Way She is - the End of the Old Music Business? Or the Face of the New One?". Billboard: 24–26.
  9. ↑ "Ingrid Michaelson - Biography | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  10. ↑ "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide". Halftheskymovement.org. 2012-08-30. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  11. ↑ "Hell No: Ingrid Michaelson: Music". Amazon.com. ASIN B01EPN1TMK. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Ingrid Michaelson: It Doesn't Have to Make Sense: Music". Amazon.com. ASIN B01HI9BW6Q. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Ingrid Michaelson: Tour". IngridMichaelson.com. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Irish Top 50 Singles". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on December 17, 2011. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Greg Laswell - Take A Bow". Archived from the original on February 15, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Greg Laswell – Hello/ The Solo Residency / iPhone App/ Take A Bow". Greglaswell.tumblr.com. 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  17. ↑ Blauvelt, Christian (2010-10-18). "Ingrid Michaelson's 'Parachute'video: An EW exclusive premiere | The Music Mix | EW.com". Music-mix.ew.com. Retrieved 2012-02-10.
  18. ↑ Archived May 31, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  19. ↑ Pound, Kara (February 6, 2015). "Ingrid Michaelson progresses from Indie sweetheart to bona-fide pop star". The St. Augustine Record. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  20. ↑ Rodman, Sarah (May 31, 2014). "Friends help Ingrid Michaelson move ahead". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Ingrid Michaelson and Husband Separate". MSN. February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  22. ↑ "Elizabeth Egbert, director of Staten Island Museum, dies at 69". SILive. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  23. ↑ Tam, Ruth (February 8, 2014). "Ingrid Michaelson: 'I've never called myself a feminist, I just was one since birth.'". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
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