The Ready Set

Starting in 2007, Indiana teenager Jordan Witzigreuter began retreating to his parent’s basement to record songs that straddled the border between melodic emo-pop and bubbly electronica. Although he adopted a name for the project — the Ready Set — Witzigreuter took a solo approach to the songs, which he recorded and performed entirely by himself. Within two years, he’d landed a contract with Decaydance Records, who paired him up with a number of veteran emo producers (including Zack Odom, Kenneth Mount, and Matt Squire) to record a debut album. The result was I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming, which appeared in 2010. For the 2011 EP Feel Good Now, Witzigreuter teamed up with producer Ian Kirkpatrick and the occasional songwriting partner, including Kara DioGuardi.