Q&A with THE READY SET – Talks: Warped Tour, The Pete Wentz Connection and More!

Jordan Mark Witzigreuter, known by his stage name The Ready Set, is an American electro pop  singer-songwriter from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is the lead vocalist and sole member of the act, using a backup band while on tour. Witzigreuter created The Ready Set in the basement of his childhood home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has released three studio albums Tantrum Castle, I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming  and The Bad & The Better, four extended plays and seven singles. Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz signed The Ready Set to his label Decaydance Records, in 2009. He is currently with Razor and Tie Records.

He is best known for the commercially successful single “Love Like Woe” from his major label debut I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming. The rest of his third studio album, now titled The Bad & The Better, was released on May 27, 2014. His most recent singles are, “Higher,” Freakin’ Me Out,” and “Trash Talking Love” with Kitty Pryde, which was released in August 2014. His last tour was Vans Warped Tour 2014, he has since announced a fall co-headling tour with Metro Station and The Downtown Fiction.

Fresh off his Vans Warped Tour appearance, All Access Music writer, Nicole DeRosa had a chance to ask the talented singer-songwriter a few questions. Check out their Q&A below!

Hi Jordan! Where does this interview find you? What’s on the agenda today besides our interview?

Hi Nicole! I’m home in Los Angeles and currently working on mixing a couple songs today, and that’s about it.

I understand that Fall Out Boy bassist, Pete Wentz had a little bit of a role in putting you on the map. How did that relationship come about?

Yeah! He was one of the first people aside from my management team to take an interest in my music. He signed me to his label Decaydance in 2010 through Warner Brothers, which was awesome. He’s a great dude.

 For those not as familiar with you and The Ready Set, how did your music career begin? Who or what was the catalyst or inspiration for you?

I wanted to write songs, so I used a laptop and made electronic stuff in my basement for fun. I put some online and got a good response and thought, “How far can I take this?” By the time I graduated high school, I packed up and went on some self-booked tours, and everything slowly grew from there. Somewhere down the line it became something of a career, and now here I am!

“I’m inspired by everything. One thing I do remember is being really inspired by seeing bands come through town on tours, grinding it out, and then seeing the same band a year or two later on the cover of some magazine, succeeding in a huge way. I thought that was so cool.”

The rest of your third studio album, now titled The Bad & The Better, was released last May and your most recent single, “Trash Talking Love” with Kitty Pryde, was released in August 2014. Who or what was the inspiration for that song? How did that song come about?

It’s kind of got a Bonnie and Clyde vibe about it. I just started messing around making this gritty sounding distorted track and the first melody that came to mind was a weird swingy 1930’s vibe. It just kind of went from there!

You just played the Vans Warped Tour this past year. How was that?

Very good. It was my second time on it, and it was incredibly different this time. Amazing crowds, amazing energy, good party vibes.

Speaking of touring, what has been your most memorable show to date so far and why?

Specifically on Warped, the Indianapolis show was really memorable. I don’t play in my home state often, but everything about that particular show was huge and really surprising. Definitely felt the love that day.

Who are your musical inspirations?

Everything I hear, sometimes nothing. I think I often don’t even realize when something inspires me. I just like to listen to everything and take it all in.

 What was the first album you bought for yourself?

I’m pretty sure it was the Eiffel 65 CD when I was 8.

 Do you remember the name/artist of the first song you fell in love with and why?

Rise Against- Six Ways Til Sunday. I think I was 12 or 13 and I was like, “Well this changes everything”.

Who is in your current playlist? Might there be any artists or genres that we may be surprised to find in there?

Currently: The Griswolds, Ty Dolla Sign, Banks, Copeland, Taylor Swift, Panama Wedding.. I’m not sure if any of that would be surprising or not!

What’s on tap next for you? What are you most excited about in 2015?

I’m working on some new TRS stuff and some new non-TRS stuff that I haven’t spoken much about yet. I think it’s going to be a very awesome year altogether. I feel like there are a lot of opportunities in many different senses.

To learn more, visit THE READY SET website here .