09.01.05
She's got a voice like a songbird and a sound that
appealed to us in her album "Slow the Rain."
Naturally, we wanted to learn more about Ingrid Michaelson.
Tell us about where you grew up and how you got into
music.
I grew up in Staten Island N.Y. I actually went to
college for acting, but always loved to sing and was
always involved with music. I guess it never occured
to me that i could compose and write. As soon as a sat
down and tried, I never stopped.
Do you play shows full-time or work a day job, too?
I play out about three times a month, not including
open mics and jams. I am the acting director of a children's
theatre troupe as well.
 Tell
us a little bit about making "Slow the Rain."
Did it come out different than you expected? Who did
you work with?
"Slow the Rain" came out pretty much as i
had hoped for. It was a bit rushed because I just needed
something substantial out there, but overall I was very
pleased with the outcome. I worked with some amazing
musicians that gave so much of their time and talent.
A friend of mine recorded me at McHale Barone studio,
where he works. Basically, I had a huge support system
of people who wanted "Slow the Rain" to be
as much of a success as I did.
Your songwriting is genuine and your sound very
fresh. Where do you see yourself among the other female
vocalists out today, both on the radio and in the indie
circuits?
I always say that I am somewhere between Joni mitchell
and Fiona Apple. But it is so important to find your
own voice. I always worry that I am a cliche, you know,
slipping into part of the sad-girl music scene. My early
music was definatley weepy girl crap. "Slow the
Rain" was a stepping stone for me. I now finally
feel that I am producing music that is genuine.
Tell us a bit about the song "Let Go."
I wrote "Let Go" in about 10 minutes! It
mourns the end of something that never really had the
chance to began.
 Wow,
it sounds so intricate for 10 minutes. And "I'll
See you in My Dreams" is very different from the
rest. Describe it and tell us what it means to you.
Joan, the woman who played the ukelele and sang with
me, played me that song a couple years ago. As soon
as she finished, I said "we are putting that on
my record!". I just love it! I really like what
the engineer did with the sound, making it sound like
an old record. I thought it was a nice closer to the
albumn.
Yes, it was like stepping back in time. So what
artists do you listen to? Any albums you especially
dig?
I have been really in Death Cab For Cutie lately.
I feel very influenced by their writing. It's so simple
and beautiful. Sometimes people get lost in trying to
complicate music. I think there is quiet beauty in the
simplest of songs.
 Where
do you hope to go with your music? Any plans to tour
outside of NY?
All I really want is to be able to make a living off
of my music. I think that would be the coolest. I never
wanted glitz, just a core group of people who like what
I create, who are affected by it in someway.
I have a gig opening for Catie Curtis in Sept. in
R.I. I also am in the middle of making plans to do a
cross country tour with a few friends of mine. After
that, who knows!
Wow! A show with Catie sounds great. Keep us posted,
Ingrid, we're rooting for you!
Interviewed by Kristen Fischer
DiscoveringArtists.com
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