Feb. 7, 2024

Interview with Michael J Woodard (Returns!)

We had the pleasure of interviewing Michael J Woodard over Zoom video!

Pop R&B singer-songwriter Michael J Woodard rolls out his intoxicating new single "Ruined" and announces his debut EP, WMJ1. Out Jan 12 on Unsub Records. A gentle rumination on the emotional fallout that follows a breakup, Woodard's latest is a melodic earworm with nuance and insight. It is accompanied by a striking video, which conveys the melancholy and yearning of the lyrics.

“Sky is falling, washing over mid-October," he begins over woozy strings. "Maybe next month I’ll get over the idea of losing things I’m not supposed to.” Woodard then drives home the complex emotions of moving on at the poignant chorus: “I hate to admit it, but I’m still stuck on grieving and seeing you happy just pulls me deeper.” It’s the kind of understated and authentic R&B anthem that evokes a different era.

In the accompanying music video, Woodward brilliantly lends imagery to his ideas as multiples of the artist pose against cinematic backdrops including graffiti-covered walls, an abandoned warehouse, and the streets and bridges around the perennially dried up Los Angeles river.

"This song means so much to me,” the rising artist says. “It really taps into a vulnerable feeling that we may all be familiar with: the feeling of love and losing love. As humans we experience so many glimpses and instances of what it means to be in love and, sometimes, if we lose that love we may not know how to put that feeling into words." Ultimately, Woodard wants the song to promote healing. "I hope it allows people to be vulnerable, to feel, to relate, and to hopefully find joy and a relief to know that someone out there is singing about a familiar part of their journey when it comes to love."

Woodard grew up in Philadelphia, singing in church and at the performing arts elementary school he attended. By the time he was 13, he had sung at high-profile events such as the US Open and performed for Barack Obama when the then-president visited Philadelphia. He developed his vocal chops and songwriting acumen, working in the home studio he created and sharing the results online. After high school, Woodard headed to Hollywood to study at Musicians Institute.

The newcomer soon found himself in the Top 5 on “American Idol,” where he was championed by Katy Perry and later signed to her Unsub Records label. Since then he has voiced the title character in the Netflix animated musical film and TV series, Arlo The Alligator Boy and focused on releasing new music. Praising Woodard, Atwood Magazine said, “It’s a rare treat to find an artist who doesn’t attempt to mask their joy for their craft behind mystique or the guise of ‘coolness.’”With "Ruined," Woodard continues to polish and elevate his sound — delivering a track with heart and hooks.

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Michael J. Woodard

Musician

Michael J Woodard is ready to reintroduce himself. “This is the first thing people will hear from me in terms of a body of work,” he says of his debut EP, MJW1, which comes out January 12 on Katy Perry’s label Unsub Records. The 26-year-old singer-songwriter and producer has performed on national TV and the country’s grandest stages, and now he fully presents his artistic vision of what he calls “the journey and the battle of love” on tracks like the plush single “Ruined.” Woodard flips the idea of pop inside out in thrilling ways, even as he’s grappling with complex emotions—and the seven tracks on MJW1 show those who might know him from his past time in the spotlight how his voice has evolved.

MJW1 is full of moments that display Woodard’s talent and widescreen view of what pop can be. The surrealistic “Face,” which he says is about “the emotions that we see on our face and how troubled it can be putting feelings into words,” matches its fragmented lyrics with an unconventional structure that veers from acoustic folk to soul. The glittery “24 Hours” is Woodard’s love letter to the breezily danceable pop of the early 2010s, a time crucial to his development as a songwriter and music fan.

Growing up in Philadelphia, Woodard realized that music was his future at age five. “My mom heard me singing when she was giving me a bath,” he recalls, “and she was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. Michael can sing.’” He joined his church choir, where he began cultivating his keen sense for harmonic theory; soon he and his mother were spending their weekends road-tripping to New … Read More