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WEHM All Access - EHM Breakfast Show w/ Harry - Artist Voices - Jason Singer, Michigander · WEHM All Access

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to WEHM All Access.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: My name is Harry Waring, and welcome to Artist Voices, a chance to go in depth with EHM Artists.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_01: On this episode, today's guest is Jason Snayer, the mind and voice behind Michigander.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: Their new album, Over Before You Know It, comes out Friday, July 31st.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: And we caught up with Jason to see how the last year has been, and of course, all about the new record.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_01: We'll talk music, milestones, and what's next for Mitchigander.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_01: Take a listen to Jason Snayer.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's the HM Breakfast Show with Harry.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Looking forward to a new record coming out from Michigander.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: It's Friday, July 31st, Over Before You Know It.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: And we want to welcome in Jason Stainer.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: Jason, how you been?
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm good.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to remember how many times I've been on the show, but I think one day I would like a trophy.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh if if I reached like maybe five.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_01: I think maybe my fourth.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think this might be four because we met during the pandemic and you were great.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_01: And it's fun to watch.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: This was before you even put out your first record, uh, and we were kind of talking about it and teasing it.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: And now you're you're on to number two.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: What's uh how are you feeling heading into the release?
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm feeling great.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: I feel uh the most exciting I've ever felt for a record.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're supposed to say that every time, and I probably have said that every time, but this time I mean it.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: I don't wanted this to sound bad, but was it nice to kind of get the first one out of the way?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so I've put out I'm trying to think here.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: I did four EPs, and then I did my self-titled record, which came out last year.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um But yeah, I think in a way it was it's like I was really proud of that record and still am, but it is like it is very congratulatory to myself, I feel like, and very uh it was definitely made for me.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I feel like I got that out of my system in a way, and this one I thought about the audience a little more, which is you know, that's the job of the artist is to convey a message to an audience, and that's the reason why if it was only for the artist, they would just keep it to themselves.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: So anybody who says this one's just for me, they're they're usually uh they're lying because you you put it out there for people to hear and experience, um, and obviously to make tons of cash, which is the the artist's way nowadays, as you probably know.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: It's just rolling in it, yes.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Fat wallets all the time.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: Where do I spend this?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I have too much money.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um as you can tell by my messy room, I'm just uh living in luxury.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: What story do you did you want to tell with this record that you didn't necessarily do with the first one?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: The first record, I think I built it up so much in my head that this thing was gonna change my life.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: And like this record is going to be the moment that I've been working for for 10 years.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: And then I think when that record didn't like perform the way I was hoping, or you know, didn't like stream as much or whatever, I got really depressed, just to be very honest.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we were in Europe and I just remember like a year ago and just being like so down, like why isn't this working?
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Why isn't like why aren't people just like loving this record?
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: And and not saying that people not like there's a lot of people who love it, and I'm really grateful for those people for listening to it.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: But I just really hit a really low point, I think, like last summer, and um my manager was like, hey, you should start working on the next one, and I was like so upset by even hearing that.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: And uh I got a deadline, I got it to work on it, and it was like really healing and really pulled me out of a funk, and it kind of helped me like re-evaluate and renegotiate my feelings around this job that I have, and kind of realizing like it's amazing that I get to do what I'm doing.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Nothing gets better than the feeling of just like pulling up to you know Pier 17 in a car with guitars and going and playing.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's the most amazing feeling.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: No matter what the show is, there's something really special about it and magical about it.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: And now going into like this record is like I really want to be um very aware of the journey and where I'm at like right now, talking to you about the record because like this is so cool that you care, that your listeners care, that you're playing the songs, and like all of this, like this is rare.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean such a small percentage of musicians that get the opportunities that I have, and it's like it's just really important for me to like recognize and realize that.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_01: What was do you remember the first song you wrote for this record after after getting the deadline?
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Uh well it was funny because the song Freaking Out, I think was the first song, but originally that was written for another artist.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so I wrote this song, and I thought this other artist was gonna cut the song, and I was like, Man, I really love this song.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I think you should put it out.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: And she was like, No, I don't I don't think it's for me.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, uh I was like, you I was like, this song's a big one, you're gonna love you gotta do this.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then she just didn't, and so I was like, you know what?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: That song feels so personal to me, I'm gonna put it out.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: And that was like the first song um that was like kind of destined for the record, and then other ones came along after that.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: But the title track was the last song over Before You Know It.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um What inspired that?
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um I just seen Oasis.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: I was just coming out of this horrible depression, and I was realizing like the best part of life is like the part you're in right now, because that's all you have.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have tomorrow, you're not guaranteed anything.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: And hearing and like reali and coming to terms with that was just really important for me because I I needed to hear that more than anything.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's like I knew what I knew I wanted to call the record over before you know it, but I didn't have that in the song.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_00: And then I was actually up in Connecticut writing, and I wrote that song up there like right before we finished recording.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: What did you want the uh the production to feel like on this record?
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: What were there differences from the first one that you kind of learned from and thought, alright, I want to try this now?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Hmm, great question.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um I really just wanted to not overthink anything.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: On the last record, I had this luxury of like living in the same town where I'm recording, and I've never had that before, and so it was just kind of like I'll just go over to Jeremy's and we'll work on the tunes, and just like they just had they were just overdone.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um and too much thought went into every little thing.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: This time it was just like get my best friends in the room, let's just go and not overthink it and trust our instincts and trust what we want to do with it and just pile it all on and then we'll carve it out later, and that's that's what we did.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: I think we recorded the whole thing in like like if it's actual days, maybe 15, 20 days.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Oh wow.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um start to finish.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um kind of scattered around, but like quickly.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh last time I think we spent months.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: So this time it's it was just like let's get in, make it happen.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Did you enjoy that?
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: That it was quicker, or did oh, yeah.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: It it was the first I felt like it felt like how it felt when I first started making music.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um you always hear that certain producers, I think Dan Hour Back is one of them, where they they'll just they'll get everything done in a couple days and it'll be done.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: And it's the overthinking thing is the enemy.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: It it really is.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: I I mean, yeah, that's that's really true.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: I would agree.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: Is there something different, um, songwriting-wise, that you did for this album and that would that kind of change the way you kind of wrote the lyrics?
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um I felt like the collaborators I worked with on these songs were really good at interpreting and documenting the weird things I'm saying and trying to get out in the sessions.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Cause like when you're writing a song, it's oftentimes like you have this you have this idea for how it's supposed to sound and what it should sound like, and you're kind of just making up words and kind of like trying to get them out.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I felt like this time my dumb ideas ended up being like the right idea.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: And the writers who worked with me, who were also like who do almost everything with me, they really helped me carve out the right things to say and and narrow it down, which felt really freeing and good.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Who were those collaborators and the producers on this one?
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh Jeremy Latito and Trent Dabbs.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Jeremy produces most of my music, and then um I worked with um Colin Pastor and Jake Finch, and they did some stuff with like you know uh Lucy Dakis and Boy Genius and stuff like that, and then a couple other Sam Hollander and my guitar player Jake Lamond.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: We all just kind of you know, different sessions and just really trusted the process this time.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: How do you uh how do you imagine these songs like translating to the to live?
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: Uh did you consider that when you're you're writing them, or is that just something it's kind of another way another chance to reinvent them?
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: I used to always think about that, but I think the records are forever the shows for like 70 minutes.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it doesn't really matter what they sound like live.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: I like going to see a show and it's a little different.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: This time specifically is when Michigander first started, the only way you could hear the music was at the shows.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like there wasn't much recorded music that I had out back in 2014.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: It was just people would come to the shows and they kind of knew the songs from the shows.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um and when we put when I went to like go put this record out, I thought, man, I want to do that again.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: But it's a little bit harder now because you have to like tour and pay people and all these things.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: So we decided when we launched the record and the announcement of it that we would just play the entire record top to bottom in full uh for the first time it's ever been heard, and we got to do that over at the Blue Room at Third Man Records, and it was it was so fun because I was so nervous.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, hey, welcome to the show.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: No one knew what it was going to be.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: We played the record in full, and you know, no one knows the songs yet, so that feeling it's really a big obstacle.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: But uh, man, it felt awesome.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_00: And I was like, we've played a few shows here and there, and all these new songs.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm just really excited to have be like full-time members of the set that we get to put together.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: When you when you debuted live, was there a song that you were kind of nervous about to play for the first time, Lev?
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: All I mean, honestly, all of them.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: Just remembering the lyrics and like all the parts and the tones and switching the pedals and the band and all these things.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we never rehearsed more than we did for that show.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: So we're set up for success for the fall tour.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_01: What did you it sounds like you um it was a rough a year ago you mentioned a rough summer, and you kind of had to get right back into it.
• 11:05
  SPEAKER_01: What'd you learn about yourself making this record?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: I that's a great question.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: First person to ask me that question so far.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I I learned that I am constantly wanting more and the next best thing and ready to go.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I often miss where I'm at now.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_00: I think as I'm getting older, and I'm not like I don't know, I'm 35 or 34.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: I don't even know.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm 30 something, 34.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and as I'm getting older, it just feels like time is moving much quicker.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um I think anybody can relate to that at different levels.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm realizing it's like, man, this is what I have right now.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I'll be like even around in five years.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm hoping I will be, I'm assuming I will be.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: But all this like constant thoughts in my head of being like, when are we gonna you know, when are we gonna sell out the next venue?
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: And when are we gonna sell out this venue?
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: And when are we gonna get a big record deal?
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: And when am I gonna all these things?
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's just constantly in my mind, and it's I'm not enjoying where I'm at now, and so I'm trying to slow down and enjoy the life I have because the journey is the only thing that we got.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: What did you want the fans to to feel when you listen to this record?
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh after after going through listening to the first round, this new record, over before you know it, which comes out on the 31st.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_01: What was kind of the what did you want them to walk away from thinking about?
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to make a record that it like exhibits the happiness of life and the sadness of life all in a like I didn't want to over I I didn't want any of the songs to be super long.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted it all to be like this is fast and it's literally over before you know it.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like the record starts and it's just like okay, that's it.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: And luckily you can listen to the record again, but like if it's a comparison, if you're drawing parallel lines to life, it shows that it just shows that life is fast and goes by so fast, and it's weird like seeing your parents get old, it's weird like being gone, coming home, and like there's a new restaurant on the corner or you know, your your nieces and nephews are growing up and you start to see a wrinkle on your face or gray hair, and you're just so like that's me.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's still me.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: What are you um uh coming to uh music called Williamsburg too?
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh November 11th, so you'll be in the city for that show, which is a great venue, which sadly is, I think, closing, but it's nice they're booking a lot of people uh before the end of the year.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: I actually can't wait to see you live.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_01: I caught you on the city.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: I've never gotten to play there.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of cool, and it's a very nice venue, and I'm it's uh it's kind of interesting.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: I saw you on South Street Seaport, I believe you opened up for uh Crowded House, and that was very cool, Pier 17.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_01: What's it been like touring around?
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: And do you I guess going back home to Michigan?
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: Have you been there recently and what's that like to head back from?
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know you're based in Nashville now.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's always so it's so exciting to go home to Michigan.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: Actually going there on Saturday.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know when this will air, but uh we're going home this next weekend to um do a little rally with Bernie Sanders and AOC um back home, which I'm really like honored and excited to be a part of.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and then, you know, we have our Detroit show later this year, too.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: And going home just I mean, I love it so much more now that I'm don't live there.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: And eventually I will move there again, I'm sure.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: But it's been I like feel like we haven't been on the road in a minute, even though we've gotten to do a couple things here and there.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just really ready to get back in the van with the guys and bum around the country playing songs for whoever wants to hear them.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: Very good.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we're looking forward to seeing it in the fall.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_01: It'll come here before as you say it, it's over before you know it.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_01: The year will be over before you know it.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_01: It goes fast.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Summer.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I know and enjoy it.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_01: Congratulations on this record because it's not it sounds like it wasn't easy.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_01: It wasn't necessarily something you wanted to do right away.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_01: And a way you did.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um this is kind of cool.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: Are you already thinking about are you uh obligated for that third one now?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah, I'm already thinking about it.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm already I was really working on it today.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: So out of curiosity, how did you know um because I'd imagine there's some songs that didn't make the cuts.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: Is that a tough choice?
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I for this record, I think there's only like two that didn't make it.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: For the last record, I think I wrote 40, 50 songs, narrowed it down to twelve.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just becoming I'm realizing I have the best success working with people who I'm I just really enjoy being around.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I think in the future, and like this record proves it, is that that's the way to that's the way to keep on keeping on.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: Well, enjoy going home this weekend, at least to Michigan, and looking forward to hearing the rest of the record.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: Over before you know it, Michigan or Jason Singer, thank you so much for coming on.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate it.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, dude.