“I was trying to top what I did before for my own sanity,” says Jason Singer, a Midland, Michigan native who recently moved to Detroit to continue his musical pursuits. The artist, who goes by the well-suited sonic moniker Michigander, released his third EP, Everything Will Be OK Eventually on March 19 via C3 Records.
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Written and produced by Singer, with longtime collaborator and co-producer Jake Rye, the six-song collection chronicles an often thankless grind of chasing dreams down never-ending tour routes but tinged with an enduring sense of optimism for the future.
As the songs began to take shape, beginning in November of 2019, the emerging artist was unsure if these tracks were his best work. He says, “I was nervous about the creation of them, but when they finally came together I was like ‘Wow, this all fits perfectly.’”
In learning to trust himself and his creative process, Singer found an authentic artistic voice that he feels makes Everything Will Be OK Eventually his most sonically cohesive collection yet. With the unprecedented pandemic-allotted time, he was able to fine-tune his craft. By the end of 2020, he recalls “it honestly felt like too much time to think about it. Singer continues, “I’m just so psyched to finally get these out into the world.”
His song “Better” proved to be the shining star of his new collection when it broke into the Top 25 at Triple A radio. In tandem with the EP, Michigander dropped an emotive music video for the hit single.
“Better,” was not his favorite song. But everyone he played it for disagreed. He says, “Every time I showed it to someone the response was the same, like ‘that song rocks,’ so I believed them. It feels really good to see it perform so well on the radio. To me, it just looks like people caring about my music.”
“I think it really captures my personality as the video is goofy but also makes you cry. It’s emotional,” he explains. “‘Better’ is probably my favorite song off the new EP. It’s the type of song I’ve always dreamed of writing and sounds the closest to what I think Michigander embodies.”
“Let Down,” another successful single from the project, amassed nearly 2 million streams and was even added to the crazed video game Fortnite.
On “Headlights,” Singer’s first co-write with guitarist Jake LeMond, he employs synths for a different type of sonic story than he usually tells. “I really dig the ‘beeps’ and ‘boops’, but still need to figure out how that one will translate on stage,” he laughs.
The EP comes to a fitting conclusion with “Together.”
“That one is pretty simple, and a nice note to end on,” he says, “If everything sucks, at least we are all sharing this moment. After everything we’ve been through, it feels like an opportunity for more grace.”
As of Wednesday, May 26, the artist confirmed that Michigander’s first major step back will be onto the Lollapalooza stage — what he excited describes as “The Midwest Gem” of music festivals — before hitting Firefly Music Festival and Shaky Knees Music Festival.
Listen to Michigander’s third EP Everything Will Be OK Eventually, here.
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