Biography

Michaelson is half Swedish, 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. 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. She is a graduate of Staten Island Technical High School and Binghamton University, where she received a degree in theater. 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 and received positive reviews from critics. 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.

2008-10: Be Ok and Everybody

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. 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

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.

2014-present: Lights Out and It Doesn’t Have To Make Sense

On February 4, 2014, Michaelson released the single "Girls Chase Boys," the first from her album Lights Out. The song reached #52 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Afterlife" and "Time Machine" were released as the second and third singles, to moderate commercial success. On April 25, 2014, Michaelson released Lights Out which includes 14 songs. The deluxe edition, which was released in November later that year, contains an additional 6 bonus tracks.

She released "Hell No," on April 29th, 2016. On May 17th, it was revealed that the album's name would be "It Doesn’t Have To Make Sense" and is due out in the summer of 2016. Several tour dates to support the album have been announced for the fall.

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.

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."

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. 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," saying that she expects to release her next album, "probably in the middle of next year."

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." She has also appeared on the Nerdist podcast with Chris Hardwick.

Personal life

Michaelson married fellow musician Greg Laswell in 2011. On February 27, 2015, following a rough year (Michaelson struggled with stomach and throat problems, as well as the death 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."

Around June 2015, Ingrid started seeing "Nashville" star Will Chase.

Michaelson identifies as a feminist.

Discography

Main article: Ingrid Michaelson discography

• Slow the Rain (2005)
• Girls and Boys (2006)
• Be OK (2008)
• Everybody (2009)
• Human Again (2012)
• Lights Out (2014)
• "It Doesn't Have to Make Sense" (2016)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]