“The most interesting thing overall is that I never fully felt like I became ‘big.’ I think as things grew, my mind was always so heavily focused on the next step.”
You remember The Ready Set from your middle school dances and your angsty playlists, but Jordan Witzgreuter has been creating an even wider portfolio of music in the years since then, preparing to release some of it on his own to earn some producing credits. Read on to see how the electronic-influenced artist reflects on his past, feels about the present, and hopes to move forward in the future.
You’ve been involved in music for a long time, but do you remember why you first fell in love with it?
I think it was always there. I remember being obsessed with this live video of Michael Jackson concert when I was like 4. I watched it all the time and got extremely hyped. I think my parents caught on before I did. They suggested I take drum lessons when I was 10 and that started the whole thing. At that point I quickly got into music, playing it, and the culture surrounding it. I wanted to play the fastest stuff I could find, so that being the case, I got really into punk and some heavier stuff. I played drums in a bunch of bands, but my whole life I’ve always been obsessed with pop melodies though, so over time I sort of shifted into wanting to make that type of thing.
Your first single, “Love Like Woe,” was massively successful. What was it like to become so big so fast?
Very unexpected. A lot of pros and cons. I think the fact that it happened so quickly after signing made it so that I didn’t have much of a chance to really develop who I wanted to be as an artist. I fell head first into the radio thing, which was amazing, but I’ve never felt that “Love Like Woe” was the best representation of what I wanted to be. That being said, it changed my life entirely and opened an insane amount of doors for me. I’ve worked with some of the best writers and producers in the world and learned more than I ever thought i would, which is really beneficial now. It was a wild jumping off point, and I wouldn’t change anything. Fun fact about “Love Like Woe,” I wrote it in about 30 minutes with GarageBand stock sounds (before the final version, of course). The most interesting thing overall is that I never fully felt like I became “big.” I think as things grew, my mind was always so heavily focused on the next step. I’ve always felt that there is a lot more I have to do before I finally relish in that feeling of major success.
Back in the 2000s, you were also considered a bit of a heartthrob. Do you have any fun and odd memories of things fan used to do or say to you?
Yeah, I’ve had some interesting interactions for sure, but what stands out the most to are the notes I’ve received from fans. A lot of really cool personal stories about how things I’ve made have helped them get out of dark places. It’s a humbling thing because a lot of the time when I’m writing music it feels almost self-indulgent; I’m writing words and melodies that make ME feel good, so to see that others are finding their own joy in that is incredible. I guess that’s a bit more serious, so i’ll leave it with an odd one. I have a fan whose mother got a tattoo of a chicken I drew on her. I’m not a professional chicken artist, FYI.
You were part of the Vans Warped Tour for years, and that scene was huge for a lot of people who are now young adults. What did it mean to you?
The first time I went to warped tour i was 13, it was to see AFI and Anti-Flag. At that point it was the biggest show I had ever seen, and the first time I saw that scene of music all physically in one place. It was always the goal from then on, in whichever band I was in, to play the tour. Fast forward 8 years, and I got to do it as TRS (and a second time after that). At the Indianapolis date in 2014 I walked around the venue by myself really early in the morning while everything was getting set up. That will always stand out to me, thinking about how years ago I would have never known I’d end up doing what I’m doing. As far as TRS goes, I never fully felt that i fit in with the Warped Tour crowd entirely since my music is so much more pop-centric than a lot of the other bands, but I didn’t think it was ever a negative thing. I’ve felt like an outsider in pretty much every corner of the music industry I’ve been a part of, so I guess that’s probably just a matter of my own perception. I do know that they were some of the most memorable shows I’ve played thus far and if I could have, I would have definitely done the final run this year.
Over the years, your sound has evolved and included more electronic elements. What inspired that?
I’ve always been predominately electronic based. I don’t think I had an organic instrument in any of my tracks until 2 or 3 years into the project. Over the years I guess I’ve just developed a more specific taste, and in turn style of sounds I like to use. I have always played with a live band though, which switches the vibe of the songs up a lot and makes them feel a lot more organic.
You’re gearing up to release a new EP. What can you tell us about that?
It’s called V1, and it is the first EP of two that I have coming out. I’m releasing it completely independent, so there’s no saying I won’t put out a bunch more stuff as well!
You produced this record entirely on your own. What was that experience like?
It was awesome! I produced my last album as well, and co-produced the previous ones, but this was the first one that I fully mixed and mastered, too. It basically entailed me driving myself crazy over details nobody would ever notice. I still don’t even feel like it’s done. I could have messed with EQ and effects for weeks. But I doubt any producer ever really feels like the work is done.
Are there any tracks off the EP that you consider your favorites?
Yes! i love “Life in Pink,” which was the first single, but I am also really excited about the first track. It’s called “No Halos” and it’s definitely the most pertinent to me and my life. I guess I’m actually really excited for everyone to hear all of it. All of the songs are pretty different from each other, which I think is good. I’ve had a lot of people tell me it reminds them of very old TRS stuff, which is really cool to me. It makes me feel like I’ve tapped back into something without trying, and that’s awesome.
What else is coming up next for you?
Just releasing a bunch more music. I’d love to get back on the road. I haven’t toured since 2016 and it’s starting to feel like something is missing. The past few weeks have been really eye opening for me, the amount of excitement I’ve been seeing about the new stuff is so amazing and makes me want to get back face to face with people, but for now I’m just going to focus on making more cool stuff, both for TRS and my other projects until the time is right to tour. I’m ultimately just excited for everything, and whatever happens next.
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Rachel A.G. Gilman is a writer, a radio producer, and probably the girl wearing the Kinks shirt. Visit her website for more.
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