Sometimes the algorithm gets it right.
For RTL Today Radio, that moment came while scrolling through Threads and discovering a video of Michigander performing Taxi in the back of a car.
The song immediately caught our attention, leading to a deep dive into the band's music and eventually an interview with the man behind it, Jason Singer.
While Michigander might be a relatively new discovery for some European listeners, Singer has spent more than a decade building his career.
Growing up in a small town in Michigan, Singer knew early on that he wanted to pursue music rather than follow his friends to college.
He moved to Kalamazoo, a slightly larger town with a better music scene and began writing songs and playing small shows, eventually giving his musical project a name: Michigander.
That was back in 2014.
"I never have had any huge moments, you know, like viral moments. It's all just been like brick by brick kind of a situation."
"I've just been doing it. A lot of touring, a lot of being in a van, a lot of being on the road in airports, and just making a lot of music. Because that's the job of the musician, believe it or not."
Although Michigander began as Singer's own project, the musicians around him have become an increasingly important part of its identity.
"The guys who play in the band right now, they've been around the longest, which has been really nice because they're like my best friends."
And the band's live sound has developed into something heavier and more guitar-driven than the recordings.
"I don't really want to try to just make the record live. I feel like that's a little boring. So the show is a little more heavy. It's a lot more guitars up front."
After years of singles and EPs, Michigander released two full-length albums in quick succession.
"The first one was done for a while. We had to push it back and push it back, and we didn't want to release it around the election. But then the tour was already happening, and so it was kind of a mess, to be honest."
Once it was finally released, he went straight back to work.
"I think it was just like, let's get working on the next one. And so I just got a deadline of "get it done by Christmas", and we did it."
All the songs on the second record, "Over before you know it", were newly written, rather than leftovers from the first album and Singer believes the results are among his strongest work.
"For a long time as a band, you're just struggling to piece together a setlist, and now it's the opposite problem. It's like, what songs do we cut? To me, it makes it feel like this is probably the best record I've made, because we're playing all the songs off it live at the shows."
One of the songs helping Michigander reach a new audience is Taxi, the track that first caught our attention.
The song has also been selected to soundtrack Apple's iPhone Duo advertising campaign, marking another significant milestone for the band.
Singer explained that he first heard rumours of the opportunity during the summer, before signing paperwork and learning that the song was among several being considered. Eventually, he received confirmation that Apple had chosen it though nobody would tell him which product the song would accompany.
"You don't get to see the video. You don't know nothing. So you just have to watch the keynote."
Singer gathered his bandmates to watch Apple's presentation, waiting to discover where their music would appear.
"We just watched it and I was like, oh my God, that's so crazy."
For someone who grew up watching Apple's famous iPod commercials, it was a particularly special moment. "I remember the iPod commercials as a kid and being like, oh, one of my songs would do really well. And the fact that it got used is pretty cool. It's surreal."
The advertisement is expected to begin airing in January, though is online now, potentially introducing Michigander to millions of new listeners.
"I hope that it gets found by people because of the ad. That would be really, really special."
With a growing catalogue of songs, an expanding audience and more touring ahead, Singer is enjoying the momentum. A return to Europe remains an ambition, although he acknowledged the expense of touring internationally. "I'd love to come back over and do more, but it's just not feasible at the moment."
Nevertheless, he's hopeful and we've invited Jason and his band to play here on behalf of all the venues in Luxembourg so there's at least the possibility that Michigander could eventually make it to the Grand Duchy.
Listen to the full interview with Jason Singer on the Sam Steen Show below.
