Ingrid Michaelson's unconventional breakthrough is truly a sign of the times, and a reason to hail the Internet as the next great A&R man.
Born in the borough of Staten Island (her mother is a director of the Staten Island Museum, her father is a composer), Michaelson began playing in S.I. coffeehouses after she graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in theater. She self-released her debut, Slow The Rain, in 2005. Still unsigned by 2006, she chose her MySpace page to preview material from her Girls And Boys CD, which she also self-produced. Shortly afterward, a music licensing company tracked her down and soon she was being heard all over television: in ads (that's her swaying "The Way I Am" in this winter's Old Navy sweater commercial) and in programs including "One Tree Hill" and "Grey's Anatomy." The producers at "Grey's Anatomy" felt her feathery heartfelt pop fit so well with the program that it placed several of her songs in shows throughout the 2007 season, including the final moments of the tear-jerky season finale (seen by 25 million people), in which Michaelson's "Keep Breathing" swirled about Cristina after she'd been stood up at the aisle by her man, Burke.
Thanks to the prime-time exposure, Michaelson's smart, gently crafted Girls And Boys became a top-seller on iTunes, and landed on Billboard's album chart. All this has enabled her to hit the road and play live, and re-introduce herself to the world the old-fashioned way.
Provenance: Staten Island, New York
Latest release: Girls And Boys (2007)
© 2007 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
Ingrid Michaelson
