Michigander by Erick Frost
There’s loving where you’re from, and then there’s loving where you’re from so much that the connection entwines personally and professionally. Take the city of Midland, a county seat in central Michigan, population 42,663, that’s given birth to a outsized number of American athletes as well as Sonic Youth’s long-running drummer Steve Shelly. But none of these fine folks have embraced their Wolverine State roots quite like Jason Singer, the singer-songwriter behind the indie project Michigander.
Midland-born and now Nashville-based, Singer plies heartland narratives with an alternative edge and uplifting instrumentation. Initially formed as a band in 2014, Singer’s solo-with-friends venture has almost 400,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and has garnered more than 60 million global streams following the viral success of a 2016 debut single, “Nineties.”
Singer’s reflective lyrics and anthemic melodies continued to evolve over a trio of EPs, with 2019’s Where Do We Go from Here introducing lush, soaring sounds, 2021’s Everything Will Be Ok Eventually bringing themes of hope and resilience, and 2023’s It Will Never Be the Same further showcasing a refined and dynamic musical growth.
Backed on tour by fellow guitarist Jake LeMond, bassist Connor Robertson, and drummer Aaron Senor, Singer is preparing the band’s first full-length, a self-titled set due in February. Early singles such as the heartfelt “Broadcast,” the jangle-driven head-bopper “Emotional,” and the sprawling “Peace of Mind” are a hint as to what may very well be one of the best albums coming out in 2025.
Special guest Sydney Sprague brings an equal amount of artist-driven indie energy to her work. Making “music for the end of the world,” as her bio says, Sprague balances angst and alt-pop with driving guitars and catchy melodies that set a surreptitious interplay with lyrical existential dread, Sprague signed with Italian punk powerhouse Rude Records in 2020. She’s released a pair of well-received albums, 2020’s maybe i will see you at the end of the world and 2023’s Somebody in Hell Loves You.
Michigander, with special guest Sydney Sprague, play 7pm Saturday, January 25, at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. michiganderband.com ~ Abel Folgar
