The way she is Singer Ingrid Michaelson takes an unusual path to success
February 29th, 2008, 8:53 pm Hobbies And Interests
Ingrid Michaelson may have one of the hottest songs in the country, but that doesn’t mean she’s comfortable with the red-carpet treatment. Less than a week into her first tour that hasn’t required driving in a van, Michaelson sounds wiped out by the luxuries of success.”I’m in a bunk in a tour bus,” Michaelson admits sheepishly by phone, struggling against a yawn. “This is only my third day, so I’m sort of not getting the sleeping thing down.”So I got up and showered and got dressed - and now I’m back in the bunk,” she adds with a laugh. “I’m trying to get some sleep, but it’s not happening.”There’s no time for it. Michaelson’s hit song, “The Way I Am” - which many fans first encountered in a popular Old Navy ad campaign last fall - is No. 2 at AAA radio and No. 18 at the Hot AC format. Less than two years ago, Michaelson was a Staten Island, N.Y., singer-songwriter with, as The New York Times noted, “a MySpace page and a dream.” She lived with her parents and taught theater part time to kids. But after a music licensing company approached her on MySpace, Michaelson was shocked to see her music highlighted in “Grey’s Anatomy.” Then came Old Navy sweater ads. Now she’s a rising star on a co-headlining tour with singer-songwriter Joshua Radin. Hence, the big ol’ fancy tour bus, she explains. “I haven’t really gotten to that level just yet,” Michaelson says. “I could (afford a bus) if I didn’t want to make any money at all. I don’t need to be on a bus. I need to start my retirement fund.”It’s a practical concern. Michaelson, 28, is an unsigned musician. A smart and lucky one. Somewhat famously, she’s sold more than 155,000 copies of her album, “Girls and Boys,” without the help of a record label. Billboard magazine put her on its cover with the headline: “Ingrid Michaelson Flips the Script.”"The fact that I’m making a living doing music is pretty outrageous,” Michaelson admits. “I have to stop and think about it every once in a while.”But isn’t Michaelson concerned that she won’t get the, um, benefits that come with a record label contract - like, say, a special Sony Records 401K Plan or something?”Oh, I don’t need that stuff,” Michaelson says. “I have Roth … IRA. And I have” - she laughs - “a diversified portfolio. I have, um, what is it called, uh, not mutual funds? I have money in the money market! I don’t know what any of these things mean. I just know what I have.”One might guess that Michaelson’s financial savvy was inspired by the fact she was was featured in a Wall Street Journal article that focused on her unusual path to national exposure. But no - “I have a financial planner that I’ve had for a few years now,” Michaelson says. “And I only used to put $100 in a month. So now I can do a little more than that. Because I’m convinced that all this is going to come crashing down! So I have to plan for my future.”Like the stock market, young music careers plunge quickly in the 21st century. Yet Michaelson could be an exception, at least partly because her back story is interesting. “At first I was the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ girl, then I was the Old Navy girl, now it’s, ‘She’s doing it herself without the label thing,’” Michaelson says. “Which I think is the best angle of all of them to have. But eventually, all those things melt away. As you gain fans, you just kind of become you, and your music embodies you, and that’s what you’re known for. Hopefully, that’s going to happen.”Locally, “The Way I Am” is the No. 1 record at 94.9 FM “The River” in Boise, where listeners have responded to the song’s lyrics. River music director Tim Johnstone says, “There’s no pretensions to it. I can totally see some ordinary mid-20s girl walking down the street thinking these very thoughts.”At its essence, Michaelson’s sweet, short song is a grocery list of love notes: Wanting to buy Rogaine for your lover when he loses his hair; offering him a sweater if he’s cold; and, ultimately, cherishing the emotional warmth of having someone return such unconditional devotion.Michaelson admits that she was somewhat surprised that “The Way I Am” wound up being her breakout tune. But she doesn’t question it, even if lack of sleep isn’t helping her analytical skills. (”Do I sound crazy?” she asks at one point.)Michaelson’s other songs - especially “Keep Breathing,” which was heard by 25 million viewers during the 2007 “Grey’s Anatomy” season finale - seem like equally strong candidates. But “The Way I Am” has a personal touch that has resonated deeply with fans.”Some things connect instantly and last, and some things are just kind of like a quick burst, you know?” Michaelson says. “And I feel like that one, for some reason, is lasting. I don’t know how long it will last. I don’t know if any of the other ones will, but … who knows? I’m on a tour bus.”Michael Deeds: 377-6407
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