The Ready Set’s Jordan Witzigreuter Talks Biggest Influences and ‘Interesting’ Gifts

When people hear the name Jordan Witzigreuter, they may not realize that he is the mastermind behind the sounds of the Ready Set. With a penchant for blending pop, rock and hip-hop elements, the 21-year-old Indiana native has been roping fans in left and right with his catchy beats and infectious hooks.

In just a few short years, Witzigreuter has seen his explosive hit 'Love Like Woe' go Platinum, signed a record deal with Pete Wentz's Decaydence Records and secured a slot performing at the 2011 Vans Warped Tour. Not bad for a guy who just reached the legal drinking age this past November.

PopCrush recently talked with the soft-spoken musician about the new music he is working on, his excitement for the Vans Warped Tour, his biggest musical influences and the very practical items he would seek out if he ever found himself living on a deserted island.

So how did you come up the idea for your 'Young Forever' video?
We kind of went back and forth with a bunch different video directors and stuff like that. We just kind of wanted to do something with freezing time and that whole thing. So it just kind of came together after going back and forth for a while.

When can we expect some new material from you?
Um, hopefully [I’ll release] new stuff in the fall. I’ve got a ton of new songs, a ton of new everything. Hopefully, by like September or October I’ll have a new album or a new EP or something. But there’s a lot of new stuff in the works.

You're currently out on the 2011 Vans Warped Tour. How would you describe your performance to fans that haven't seen it yet?
A lot of energy. That’s the whole theme behind this tour. We’re not doing a lot of breaks or stops or anything. We basically start the set and it’s 30 minutes of [a] non-stop party. No slow songs, just all of the fast stuff and heavier stuff.

Are there any bands that you are really excited to be out on the Warped Tour with?
I’m excited to be out with bands like Less Than Jake and Against Me! because those were the kind of bands when I went to Warped Tour when I was younger -- those were the bands I went to see. So it will be cool getting to be on this side of things with bands like that and we have some friends on the tour. It will be pretty cool … Yeah, like 3Oh!3 and I’m excited to see Jack’s Mannequin.

You're a fun-loving kind of guy. Any bands you plan on pranking on tour?
I don’t know, we will see. We'll see if I have any reason to be vengeful and mess with them [grin]. We’ll play it by ear and see what the deal is. Maybe I’ll make somebody’s day.

Have you had any crazy fan encounters yet?
Nothing too incredibly crazy. Not too much insanity. People tend to be pretty respectful and cool. There’s been some interesting presents and stuff like that.

What is the most interesting present you've received?
The most interesting thing I got was way back when I started a really long time ago. It was like a cake in the shape of a duck with blue frosting, like three dimensional. It was kind of awesome.

Like the blue duck in ‘Billy Madison’?
Yeah! That’s exactly what it was. [laughs]

What artists have really inspired you throughout your career?
I don’t know. There’s like a bunch. I try to be inspired by everything, if possible. The bigger influences for me are like this band called Copeland – they’re a huge one. Saves the Day is another big one. Just a ton of stuff, I kind of grew up listening to more of the rock side of things. So all of that kind of stuff for sure.

Are you into any new music?
Yeah. The thing that I like to do is try to look through the top iTunes charts and things like that and just grab whatever’s up there. Lately I’ve been listening to this band called Two Door Cinema Club a lot, and I’ve been listening to Foster the People. The new All Time Low album is really good. Ellie Goulding -- kind of different stuff.

Finally, if you were stranded on a desert island and could bring three things with you, what would they be?
I’d probably bring one of those things that turns salt water into fresh water. I’d probably bring a bunch of those little astronaut food supplement things that turn into food. And I’d probably bring a genie in a bottle that would grant me wishes and I’d ask for more things.

Watch the Ready Set 'Young Forever' Video