Jordan Mark Witzigreuter of The Ready Set is Living His Dream

Singer and Songwriter Witzigreuter Talks New Album, Perth, Hiking And Cars

The Ready Set, the electro-pop solo project of 26-year-old Jordan Mark Witzigreuter started his incredible career as a musician in 2009. Since then, he has gone on to record four full-length records. His debut album, I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming, reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, thanks to the platinum-selling success of the LP’s first single, “Love Like Woe”, while his 2014’s The Bad & The Better album charted at #75 on the Billboard 200. He recently dropped his new album I Will Be Nothing Without Your Love released via Hopeless Records.

“The new record as a whole feels like a reinvention of myself,” Witzigreuter remarked. “I stripped everything down and produced the whole thing by myself from top to bottom, so it could feel 100 percent true to what I wanted it to be. It’s a fresh start.”

Witzigreuter talked about his journey through his musical and personal side of life. He also shared some travel tips and his secrets to maintaining a balance between work, family, writing, performing, and personal time.

Congratulations on album No. 4! Seems like 2016 is shaping up to be your year. You must be over the moon by the reception.
Very good! Thank you! [Smiles.] I’m happy with how the album turned out and so far the reaction to the new songs has been great.

Tell us more about the songs included on I Will Be Nothing Without Your Love.
It’s a little more moody and less conventionally pop than some of my older stuff, but it is distinctly me. I produced the whole record on my own so it came from a very natural place from the ground up. The album is a little more chilled out than my previous record as well.

What’s your favorite The Ready Set music video that you’ve ever made? What about your favorite song that you’ve ever written?
I like the way the new video for “Disappearing Act” turned out, just visually it feels really cool to me. I also have a soft spot for the original “Love Like Woe” video since it was the first one I ever shot. As for favorite song, I think right now it’s “See You”, which is the last song on the new album.

Your fans sure miss you a lot. What are you looking forward to touring this year?
A lot of touring! I know I have 2 U.S. tours lined up, but I’d love to get overseas this year too.

How do you prepare yourself for touring? Is it easy or difficult to live and work on the road?
It’s actually pretty easy. Sometimes I feel more at home on the road than I do when I’m actually home. As long as I get enough sleep, all is well!

Do you still listen to your own music (or play your songs) when you travel?
Occasionally. It’s usually when I’m trying to figure out changes I need to make or critiquing. I’ve only listened to the new album through twice!

You must have tour and visited a lot of cities and countries already. But can you share us your top favorite travel destinations in the entire world and why?
For shows, my favorite cities to play (so far) are New York, Manila, and Los Angeles (just because it’s home!) if it’s just to hang out, I really like Maui, Paris, and again, New York.

You have played and toured in Australia, what were your favorite cities, or memorable places you have enjoyed visiting?
I really liked Perth. We spent a day off there and it was really pretty and serene feeling. All of the cities were cool though, and the festival we were playing was a blast. It was a really busy couple of weeks.

What are your favorite snacks to eat on the tour when traveling?
I eat a lot of almonds, they’re sort of the only snack I actually eat.

Since you’ve been given the chance to travel and see the world – can you tell us why you think these are significant for you?
It was my dream from the start, so getting that opportunity feels like a successful thing to me. It’s amazing to get to see fans enjoying my songs around the world!

“I hope my music connects with people in some way. I want to be someone who’s songs stand the test of time”

What’s your top 3 favorite road trip albums and why?
1. Copeland’s Beneath The Medicine Tree
This is the album that made me want to try writing and singing. There was always something about the melodies on this album that stood out to me, and it’s been at the top of my list for years now.

2. Alkaline Trio’s Good Mourning
I’ve been listening to this album since I was 13. It’s one of those albums all of my friends grew up with too so it’s always agreed upon if we are on a long drive or something.

3. Saves The Day’s Stay What You Are
This album is classic to me because it was the album that got me into pop music. Every song is so catchy and cool; it’s got this awesome balance where it never feels cheesy though. That’s super important.

Do you like being out in nature? If yes, mountains or beaches?
I live near mountains so I like going on hikes! I also live close to the beach too, but I don’t often go.

When traveling, what’s your ultimate travel must-have?
An extra phone charger. I always lose those!

Do you have your dream car?
My dream car is a refurbished Land Rover Defender 90 – they are really hard to come by in the U.S.

What is your favorite car to drive around the city and during long travel?

My favorite car to drive around town is definitely my own car, a Range Rover. I don’t know much about cars but they always stood out to me, so I got one! [Smiles.]

What recommendations would you make for those of us who are trying to maintain a balance between work, family, writing and performing, and personal time?
Look at everything as part of the whole! I find that when I don’t put things into categories of what I need to balance, things are a lot less stressful. I just don’t worry about it much, there’s always time for things you care about.

When it’s all said and done, how would you like to remembered?
I hope my music connects with people in some way. I want to be someone who’s songs stand the test of time. [Smiles.]

“It’s amazing to get to see fans enjoying my songs around the world”

You can connect with Jordan Mark Witzigreuter of The Ready Set on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; or visit his official website at www.thereadyset.com for the latest news, merchandise and tour dates.

Looking for more celebrity interviews? We think you may also enjoy our chat with Ben Barlow of Neck Deep, who recently premiered two new versions of their hit track “December”, released by Hopeless Records.