Ingersol, a 25-year-old singer, songwriter will release her debut album, which is drawing comparisons with top female artists. (Photo: Discompany)
Ingersol releases her self-titled, debut album (via JIC Music) on Nov. 6.
The album contains twelve tracks, each possessing captivating intelligence and relevance.
Ingersol worked extensively with Grammy-nominated producer, Alex Salzman, who helped weave her many musical influences with her intimate, honest and often profound songwriting style.
“Ingersol’s multi-faceted musicality and ability to freely express herself lyrically has allowed us to successfully craft a deep retrospective on her life’s experiences in this debut album,” he says.
Ingersol immediately evidences a complexity that is at once compelling and accessible, on songs such as “This Too Shall Pass” and “Chasing Shadows.”
We caught up with Ingersol in rehearsal for an Improper Q&A.
TheImproper: We love the album; one of the best new artist debuts we’ve heard. How’d the project begin?
Ingersol: I’ve been writing music for ages but I’ve always been a bit shy, so I would only play my songs for family and friends. Then, I met Liz (manager) and she made me realize how important sharing it was. She really helped me to hone my musical confidence and introduced me to the incredible Alex Salzman. It all took off from there. I’m always so blown away by my team. They really are the buoy that keeps me tethered.
IM: Who are your influences?
Ingersol: I think the first time I really felt connected to music was listening to Vivaldi when I was little, about 4 or so. I would sing along with the string parts and knew them all by heart. Then I was introduced to rock music and blues by an ever-changing assortment of people in our house. I guess that really plays into my half American, half English upbringing. They would bring all of their cassettes and my big sister and I would sit on the floor, picking out our favorites. Sting was a huge influence, Queen as well. Many of the beautiful, powerhouse women that ruled the ’90s like The Cranberries, Melissa Etheridge, Annie Lennox, Alanis Morissette, and 4 Non Blondes.
IM: The songs are just mesmerizing; are they all recently written?
Ingersol: One of my favorite things about this album is that the songs were written over the course of my teenage years up until now. Re-working them with fresh ears as a “seasoned” 25-year-old made for a really enlightening recording process. The fact that I still identified with those feelings made me think that I hit the nail on the head while writing them in the first place.
IM: Our personal favorites are “This Too Shall Pass” and “Chasing Shadows.” Tell us what each of them is about.
Ingersol: Those are two of my favorites, too! They are all sort of like my kids. You love them all for their different moods and personalities. “This Too Shall Pass” was written at a time when life kept throwing me curveballs that I didn’t think I could handle. I wrote it as life advice for myself really. A reminder that everything is temporary, you adapt and change to your current situation in order to survive and evolve. I didn’t know a song like it so I made one.
“Chasing Shadows” was written about a boyfriend that I had. It was actually originally a slam poem that I wrote to get my frustration out but it really blossomed into a totally different feel. It’s about the loop you get trapped in sometimes when you are in a relationship where you are blatantly not right for each other but no one wants to pull the plug. Well I pulled it and it was like I was burning chapters of my book and putting it all behind me so I wrote it.
IM: Tell us about some of the musicians on the album:
Ingersol: I have never in my life met more talented people. Everyone on the album was so knowledgeable about music, the industry, and life as a musician and I feel so lucky to have met and worked with all of them. There is such a great feeling being around people who absolutely love music like I do. And to be able to learn from them, and have them on my album? Truly the best time in my life. I really hope they liked the way it turned out!
IM: The songs are all immediately accessible; how did you hook up with the producer Alex Salzman who was very definitely in sync with you.
Ingersol: My manager Liz and I were looking around for producers. She had worked with Alex before on other projects and really thought I should meet him. I drove up to New York and had lunch with him. We recorded a few quick songs in his studio. We have an appreciation for a lot of the same music and he is so supremely talented. You know when you meet someone for the first time and something clicks and you say “We should be friends.”? It was almost exactly like that.
IM: The video for the first single “Comfort Comfort” is a cinematic success; tell us a little about the making of it.
Ingersol: Creating “Comfort, Comfort” was a wild experience for me. I had only been to L.A. once in my life so that alone was really crazy. Working with [Director] Erik Palladino was incredible. He is very professional and has that creative flare that really elevated the song to the next level. He knew exactly what he wanted to happen and his vision just happened to be a mini-movie that I really love.
IM: The cover of the album is one of your paintings, and it’s really striking. Have you always been painting?
Ingersol: I’ve been painting and doing art with anything I could get my hands on since I figured out how to make a mess: peas, mashed potatoes, mud; you name it and I’ve painted with it! I went on to get a BFA at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. I focused on oil painting there and had a lot of opportunities to discover art as another creative outlet.
IM: The album is being released on indie label JIC; did you want to have it happen that way rather than a major label?
Ingersol: I think for now releasing on JIC Music is the smartest way to kick off my career. Who knows what the next album will bring! Being independent is something I’m very proud of and allowed me to do this on my own terms. My team and I would welcome the opportunity to partner with any individual or company that shares strong feelings for my songs.
IM: What are your feelings on having the record being a major success; I can see it happening quite quickly:
Ingersol: I would be thrilled to have people listening to my music. I just like to think that maybe someone will really get something from the songs that they can connect with. That’s ultimately my biggest goal in music. Since music played such a large part in my life, I wanted to give some of it back to everyone else.
For more on the artist, check out her Web site, and be sure to follow IM on Twitter for the latest news on up and coming artists.