Melissa Ferrick
(b. 1970) is an American singer-songwriter.
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Early life
Ferrick was raised in
Ipswich, Massachusetts. Her
father John was a well-liked public school teacher who managed several
free-jazz bands on the side. As a child, Ferrick would often accompany her father to clubs on
Boston's North Shore to watch the bands play.
[1] She began taking
classical violin lessons at the age of five, and then moved on to the
piano. In elementary and junior high school, she learned the
trumpet and
bass. Altogether, she received 12 years of formal music training, including two years each at the
Berklee College of Music and the
New England Conservatory of Music. Ferrick taught herself to play the acoustic guitar at Berklee, and dropped out after two years to pursue her music career.
Music
Ferrick began her career singing and playing in coffeehouses in the
East Village,
New York.
[2] She received a great deal of publicity in 1991 when she replaced, at the last minute, the opening act for the singer
Morrissey on tour. She was subsequently signed to a recording contract with
Atlantic Records and released her first studio album,
Massive Blur
, in 1993.
Ferrick's relationship with Atlantic was rocky. She was dropped when her first two albums did not meet the producers' financial expectations.
In 1996, she -- in her words -- "bottomed out", drinking and "taking a bunch of pills".
[3] After sobering up, she returned to music, signing with the indie label
W.A.R.? - What Are Records?. Ferrick released three albums on this label.
In 2000, Ferrick founded her own record label,
Right On Records. The first studio album released on her own label was
Valentine Heartache
. Since her departure from Atlantic, the rise in her popularity has been driven by her fan-base, by reviews in the independent and
alternative press, and by word-of-mouth.
In the Eyes of Strangers
, released in
October 2006, was the sixth album released on her own label. Ferrick partially financed the recording costs for
In The Eyes of Strangers
with
digital downloads of acoustic versions of select songs which fans could purchase directly via her website.
[4] Her fourteenth album,
Goodbye Youth
, was released September 2008.
[5]
During live performances, Ferrick mostly accompanies herself on a Collings OM3 SB acoustic guitar. She has also experimented with loop pedals and a range of accompaniments, including, in particular, brass instruments.
Ferrick's rigorous touring schedule generally includes more than 150 shows per year.
[6] She plays solo gigs in small to medium-sized clubs and numerous festivals, as well as larger venues accompanied by a band. In 2007, she performed at the
Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, and opened for
Indigo Girls and
Ani Difranco.
Her musical inspirations include
Bruce Springsteen,
Joni Mitchell,
Simon and Garfunkel,
Earth Wind and Fire,
The Beatles,
Tori Amos,
Coldplay,
Radiohead,
Dave Matthews,
Ryan Adams, and
Ani DiFranco.
[7]
Personal life
Melissa Ferrick is openly
gay,
[8] and some of her lyrics deal with
lesbian themes. Her album
Everything I Need
was named 1999 Album of the Year by the
Gay and Lesbian American Music Association, and she has received positive reviews in the queer publication
The Advocate
. In interviews and articles she speaks openly not only about her
sexuality, but also about her love life, and her personal life in general.
[9] [10]
Discography
- 1993 - Massive Blur
- 1995 - Willing to Wait
- 1996 - Made of Honor
- 1997 - Melissa Ferrick +1 (Live)
- 1998 - Everything I Need
- 2000 - Freedom
- 2001 - Skinnier, Faster, Live at the B.P.C. (Live)
- 2001 - Valentine Heartache
- 2002 - Listen Hard
- 2003 - 70 People at 7000 Feet (Live)
- 2004 - The Other Side
- 2006 - In the Eyes of Strangers
- 2006 - Decade
(video)
- 2007 - Live at Union Hall (Live)
- 2008 - Goodbye Youth
References
- Behind the Scenes - Melissa Ferrick
- Today's Top Stop: Melissa Ferrick
- Interview with Melissa Ferrick
- Don't call Melissa Ferrick a folkie - she's a rocker
- Melissa Ferrick: Grammy nominee to show talents on Monroe stage
- An Interview with Melissa Ferrick
- Melissa Ferrick to play Pride in the Park
- Why did Melissa cross the road? Melissa Ferrick talks about taking risks to put out her latest CD, The Other Side
- Another Side : An interview with Melissa Ferrick
- Rockin' Out Interview: Melissa Ferrick