Melissa Ferrick

Melissa Ferrick
Melissa Ferrick performing on September 10, 2008
Background information
Born	September 21, 1970 (1970-09-21) (age 38)
Origin	Massachusetts, United States
Genre(s)	Folk-Rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)	Guitar, bass guitar, vocals, percussion, flugelhorn
Years active	1991-present
Label(s)	Atlantic (1992–1995) W.A.R.? - What Are Records? (1997–2000) Right On Records (2000–present)
Website	www.melissaferrick.com www.myspace.com/melissaferrick

Melissa Ferrick (b. 1970) is an American singer-songwriter.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]} 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

External links

• Official website
• Melissa Ferrick interview on The Lesbian Podcast
• Melissa Ferrick at Allmusic
• Melissa Ferrick on Whole Wheat Radio
• Goldenrod Music