Singer Melissa Ferrick combines many genres of music with a strong background in music as a child who was classically trained, including two years at the Berklee College of Music.
She released two albums and opened for Morrissey before launching her own record label. The out and proud lesbian songstress released her own music after that, and continued an exhausting tour schedule with such acts like the Indigo Girls and Ani Difranco.
Andersonville has the opportunity to check out her live show at the Back Lot Bash and hear new music from her latest the truth is that was released this month.
Windy City Times: Hey, Melissa. Tell me your musical history. It sounds intriguing from what I have read.
Melissa Ferrick: Well, I started when I was really young—like, 5 years old. I was a classically trained musician all the way through until I went to college. I ended up playing trumpet in elementary school and it was really hard to excel at that. I ended up going to the conservatory in Boston for a couple of years when I was in high school for their extension division. That was really when I started to write songs. My aunt gave me a guitar my junior year in high school. That is when the wheels came off of my classical world. I discovered Berklee and went to school there as a trumpet player. I got a scholarship as a songwriter.
I think I was on the dean's list the first year because I had an amazing teacher there. By my second year I was immersed in songwriting. I was starting to play live already. The guitar really took over my life at that point.
WCT: How many instruments do you play?
Melissa Ferrick: A lot! How many do I play well? I'm a really good bass player. I studied that for a long time and it is not that far from guitar. I definitely hear bass lines and play a lot of bass. I sing. I play trumpet. I'm a closet drummer. I do play drums on this record. I work hand in hand with my drummers a lot. I'm not a versed, fluid drummer but I hear parts. I'm an arranger so I definitely lean toward being a producer. I have gotten good at it the last five years.
WCT: So it is an ongoing experience learning instruments?
Melissa Ferrick: Yeah, especially working with other artists now. I'm feeling more confident sitting in the producers chair. I feel that is one of my strengths and I will definitely do more of that as I get older that is for sure.
WCT: Talking about other artists, you worked with Paula Cole on this new album, the truth is.
Melissa Ferrick: Paula is an old friend of mine. We went to Berklee together. That from 1988 to 1990 so that was before either one of us were signed. We both went off in our own worlds. Last year we reconnected again through Berklee. I was teaching a summer program and Paula came in to do a special thing as an alumni. We met again and had dinner. She was making this indie album. She had a lot of questions about doing her kickstarter and did a show together in Boston. I met her partner and he's amazing. We even live pretty close to each other. It is a nice little circle.
I have always loved her and held her in high regard. She was finishing up her record and I was starting to make mine. I asked her to sing on a few tracks and asked her to sing on mine. She picked "Wreck Me" so I had her come and sing on that.
WCT: I've been lucky to meet her and she is really nice.
Melissa Ferrick: She is the salt of the earth. She's a great writer. Here's a quick story: When it was my first semester and I was 17, I was really afraid and I felt like I didn't belong. I couldn't find anybody who was doing what I wanted to do. I walked into an ensemble room at the school and Paula was singing "Sorry" by Tracy Chapman. I was mesmerized. I knew that was the reason I was there and needed to be friends with her. After that we became friends and had a lot of friends in common. It was crazy.
WCT: The new album was finished in different parts of the country. That must have been interesting.
Melissa Ferrick: It wasn't on purpose. I knew I wanted pedal steel on the record and wanted Matt Pynn. As soon as I met him I knew he was my guy. He played with Lucinda Williams and Norah Jones. He's an amazing musician and great player. The vision of the album sonically really worked this time for me. It was way more cinematic and legato. This is what I wanted to do. It was how I wanted to be heard and the songs should sound.
When I hired Trina Shoemaker to mix the album I didn't realize she lived in Alabama. I had created her as a city girl in my head because she had worked with Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow. I thought more New York or Chicago. When I talked to her it was a woman with a southern drawl who had spent years in New Orleans. She took the project on and loved the record. Then she called me and wanted to use her guy in Nashville to master the album. When I found out he had worked with Emmylou Harris and John Prine then I knew I was in the right place with this record. So it made perfect sense.
WCT: There is an album title song called "the truth is," so is this your truth?
Melissa Ferrick: The fact that this record was written over a very condensed period of time in about six to eight months, which is a short period of time. I wrote "Go Easy On Me" in the studio so I wrote the last song when I was making the record. It is about a very particular point in time when I was single and had a fabulous weekend-long affair while I was on tour with Ani. I went back to the relationship I was in only to find out I had been cheated on the entire freaking time. It was horrific. It was a really bad break-up.
You know when you pick up the other person's phone and see shit you are never going to stop seeing? It was like that—not good!
So I had "Wreck Me" written in November; then the shit hit the fan in December. I wrote the really sad song "Everything You Were." I wrote things in order. I then wrote "Pity Song" then "Overboard" about someone I had been in a relationship before and I couldn't believe was back in my life. It was a whole resurrection of my life and my friends. It was a coming back to life for me.
WCT: What an outlet for you.
Melissa Ferrick: Yes—a total outlet, I know! I end the record with "Take in All the Plants" that is an incredible second-person narrative. It was very difficult to write. I was writing how I was feeling as a complete metaphor, which was really new for me. I am very proud of that lyric.
I always feel like the last songs on my records are indications on where I am going next for my hardcore fans. Hopefully I will get better at removing myself a little more or removing the first person vibe from my writing.
I know that only having two angry songs on the record is a huge step for me!
WCT: Sounds like this album was very cathartic.
Melissa Ferrick: Oh my God, yes. It was necessary. I didn't think was going to happen. In January 2012 I didn't think I could even write let alone in September be in a total different place full of happiness and love.
WCT: To perform this live must take you back through all of these emotions.
Melissa Ferrick: Well, I do love to play "Wreck Me." That whole thing is not a bad thing. That person is in my life and it is great. There is no sadness and I love that song. The hardest song to play is "Everything You Were" just because that is so sad. It hits me really hard and is slow. I'm not in an anger place but a place of surrender really. "Pity Song" and "Overboard" are really strong groove wise.
WCT: How do you celebrate Pride month? Are you running around playing live everywhere?
Melissa Ferrick: I am busy teaching at Berklee the full semester and the five weeks students that are younger, which I love. I do gigs in Florida, Chicago and Toronto for Pride. I'm ridiculously excited to bring the whole band. That is going to be awesome for me. I did the Back Lot Bash a few years ago when I was solo so I am excited to bring my five piece band this time. If my family wasn't here I would live in Chicago. It is one of my favorite places to play. I can play outdoors, have lush music on North Clark Street, and bring the alternative country to y'all!
The Back Lot Bash, located at 5238 N. Clark St., celebrates 10 years with an acoustic evening and Ferrick on June 28 at 9 p.m.Visit www.backlotbashchicago.com for tickets and information.
Follow Ferrick at www.melissaferrick.com .
