Ingrid Michaelson’s Album Catalog Acquired for Distribution by Universal Music
By Chris Willman
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Eight albums and EPs from singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson’s catalog of independent album releases have been acquired for distribution by Universal Music Group in a deal with Spirit Music Group, which picked up most of her publishing and master recordings last year. Universal’s catalog division, UMe, will handle the re-release of the albums, with the digital distribution changing over as of today and new CD editions being released May 29 followed by vinyl on June 19.
The reissues cover her recorded output during the years 2006-2017, including the albums “Girls & Boys,” “Be OK,” the EP “Snowfall,” “Everybody,” “Human Again,” “Lights Out” and “It Doesn’t Have To Make Sense.” All of the aforementioned projects will be re-released on digital, CD and vinyl. Additionally, an EP of collaborations that only came out on a limited-edition vinyl picture disc for Record Store Day in 2017, “Alter Egos,” will be reissued solely in that same format.
The music videos and non-album singles Michaelson made during this period are also covered by the Universal/Spirit agreement. The only significant releases missing from UMe’s reissue campaign are her lesser-heard 2005 debut, which the singer was later less than enthusiastic about, and her two most recent projects, the 2018 holiday collection “Songs for the Season” and the 2019 album “Stranger Songs,” which was inspired by the TV series “Stranger Things.”
“Ingrid Michaelson is a fantastic songwriter with a remarkable body of work that has struck a chord with millions of fans through her impressive album sales and countless song placements in some of the biggest TV shows and commercials,” said UME president-CEO Bruce Resnikoff. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to align with Spirit Music Group and introduce Ingrid’s music even further around the world, seeking new opportunities for her catalog of songs.”
Said Joe Borrino, Spirit Music Group’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, “We take great pride in protecting Ingrid’s catalog—and we know that UMe will as well. … I am confident that we are assigning Ingrid’s catalog to the right place for distribution as we work to maximize global opportunities for Ingrid’s stellar catalog of songs.”
Most of the albums making the changeover were previously on the independent Cabin 24 label and distributed by Mom+Pop Music.
Michaelson’s music has long been a magnet for music supervisors, with recurring use in “Grey’s Anatomy” from season 3 forward, along with placements in “Pretty Little Liars,” “Bones,” “90210,” “Nashville” and “The Vampire Diaries,” as well as a prominent Old Navy commercial. She recently wrote an original song for the season finale of “Little Fires Everywhere,” which she and showrunner Liz Tigelaar discussed in an interview with Variety.
In January 2019, Michaelson was announced as the writer for music and lyrics of a musical stage adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ “The Notebook.” This January, a world premiere engagement of the show bearing her song score was announced for a run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater beginning in September, to be directed by Michael Greif.
