Michael J Woodard: on his Debut EP MJW1
By Willow Pannozzo
Singer and voice actor Michael J. Woodard sat down for a virtual press conference with Universal Music Group’s °1824 on January 23rd, answering questions about his inspirations, artistry, and debut EP MJW1.
On January 12, Michael J Woodard released his debut EP titled MJW1. As a young child, Woodard began singing in church choir, which is where his love of performing took shape. Growing up in Philadelphia and choir culture gave him his initial motivation to become an entertainer, and utilized church to develop his voice and creative expression.
“School and church… introduced me to the stage and what it was like being able to put a performance on for people,” Woodard explained.
His connection with his faith and his community is extremely strong, seeing as he grew up around the church. Having a strong community at home has given Woodard the opportunity to stay connected to who he is wherever his career takes him. Woodard notes how having a strong connection to faith and home helps him stay grounded to who he is as a person through his rise to fame in the past few years.
Woodard’s career first took off when he entered the ABC singing competition show American Idol: season 16, where he placed fifth. In 2021, Woodard signed to Katy Perry’s record label Unsub Records. Becoming close during the show, Perry has been closely involved with Michael’s career since airing. Working with other major producers like Suburban Plaza, Social House, and Gold Space, Woodard had over 200 songs to choose from for his debut EP. Eventually Woodard managed to narrow the 200 to 50, and the 50 down to 6.
He credits being raised in the Christian faith as the biggest way he and Katy Perry, his former judge on American Idol, initially connected. He chose to sign with Unsub Records because he related to Perry’s “hunger” during the beginnings of her career.
“When you love music, you’ll go to the grave to make your dream come true.” Woodard says.
Perry’s ability to relate to him as an artist allows the producing experience to be more nurturing, the opposite of the cut-throat atmosphere that the music industry is known for.
In terms of inspiration, Woodard credits a multitude of genres when talking about MJW1. Noting artists like The Beatles, Coldplay, Tina Turner, Imogen Heath, and 2010s pop as musical inspirations, listeners can hear the diversity of sound layerings and lyrical phrasings. Between the six songs in MJW1, they all cater to different genres and tonally progress from the slow, r&b opener “Hems” to the upbeat, nostalgic pop closer “24 Hours”.
During the press release, Woodard listened to playbacks of “Hems” and "Ruined”, during which attendees got the pleasure of seeing Woodard listen and react to his own music. Woodard was so exciting to watch as he bobbed his head, moved his body in time with the rhythm and caught onto riffs and runs. It was evident that Woodard was nervous, but also so genuinely excited to be showcasing his debut solo project with us in real time.
He reflected on the personal impact of finally releasing MJW1, and how its final release was a huge weight off his shoulders. However, Woodard made clear that over everything else that has inspired his music, love is the most powerful inspiration of all.
“That love you have for music outweighs anything that's coming in between you and your dreams…When you love [music] that's all the motivation you really need” says Woodard on what motivates him to keep making music.
Woodard wants his new listeners to know that everything he puts out is close to his heart. The project “not only tells you where I am now, but is telling you where I was” since signing to Unsub Records three years ago.
MJW1 is a transient project, and listeners will understand Woodard’s growth up until now, yet also see a glimpse into where he's going in the future. “When you're listening to me, you're listening to my heart and that's the truth.” Woodard wantedthis particular project to be a shared experience between him and his listeners. Responding to my question “What do you want new listeners to know about MJW1?” He said “There is so much care and tenderness put into these records…To know that [my music] is really resonating with people, it gives me all the joy in the world.”
Michael J. Woodard has a lot to look forward to in his future. Since American Idol, Woodard has begun a voice acting career, starring as Arlo in the Netflix original movie Arlo the Alligator Boy. As a person, musician and actor alike, Woodard is quite the force and has no signs of slowing down until he reaches listeners around the globe.
EDITED BY STEPH WARE