NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Singer-songwriter and New York native Ingrid Michaelson is like many fans of pop culture who grew up in the 1980s—she digs nostalgia and found much to love in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. And she took that passion for the show as inspiration for her new album Stranger Songs, which drops Friday, June 28.
Michaelson, 39, who grew up on Staten Island and now lives in Brooklyn, said in a press release that her seven prior records communicated so much from her own POV that she was ready to write songs looking through a "different lens."
"I took inspiration from the show and the characters and all these ideas started to come to me," she said. "Every song on the record includes a reference from the show, some more specific than others, but all of the themes are universal—these are feelings everyone has."
The album features 11 tracks, which seems to be a reference to the character Eleven. Michaelson has released three singles from the record so far: Missing You, Jealous, and Pretty.
"'Jealous' was inspired by the moment in the show when Eleven knocks Max off of her skateboard because she's jealous. She knows it's not like her to do something like that, and I related," Michaelson said. "I admit, I do bad things when I'm jealous, and I thought that was a relatable concept. I think it's good to admit the things you need to work on—maybe even sing about them."
Michaelson timed the release of Stranger Songs (Cabin 24) just ahead of the July 4 arrival of the third season of Stranger Things. You can bet the singer will binge it on that first day.
"There's something about Stranger Things that's really comforting, it brings me back to my childhood," Michaelson said. "It's the best kind of escapism and I find myself seeking that now more than ever."
She will tour in support of the album in the fall. The Dramatic Tour launches in D.C. in September and concludes in her hometown at Webster Hall on October 28 and 29.
Michaelson is keeping very busy; she is currently developing a new musical adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel The Notebook, which was adapted into a 2004 Hollywood tear-jerker starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. #
Follow Michaelson on Twitter @ingridmusic and Instagram @ingridmichaelson.
Get details on The Dramatic Tour.
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Arun Kristian Das is a senior digital content creator for FOX 5 NY. He has followed Michaelson's career for more than a decade. Though a few years older than Michaelson, Das also grew up in the 1980s and, after hesitating for more than a year, finally binged Stranger Things Seasons 1 and 2 recently and is so ready for 3. Follow him on Twitter @arunwithaview.