In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick about her current tour and brand new CD which is her 12th original album to date. Ferrick has been performing her deeply personal brand of "rock folk" (as she calls it) for more than two decades. The self-titled album in many ways marks a new beginning was officially released with her two singles “Careful” and “Scenic View” and will soon be available in Vinyl on her own Right On Records label. In her new recording Melissa has simply delivered an eloquent and honest acoustic album with an undeniable level of maturity. For long-time fans this will be a welcome new arrival and for those who are just discovering Ferrick this is a fabulous introduction. Melissa is marking the middle of her career with a perfect solo return to songwriting and to herself as she begins a 16 city US tour from Maine to Florida. We talked to Melissa about her new music endeavors and her spin on our LGBT issues.
When asked what she would like to see happen for LGBT equality in the next few years Ferrick stated, “I would like to see more acceptance, certainly. I would like to see also the inclusion of our trans brothers and sisters more integrated. I’ve felt this way for a long time. I remember when I was part of a lot of the AIDS awareness that was going on, a lot of dinners and fundraisers. I lived in New York in 1989 and I became part of the Act-Up group down there in The Village but I remember there weren’t a lot of women and I remember thinking to myself, you know if we all just came together supporting each other more we could get more done. So I think inclusion and crossing the boundaries between each other would be huge. Less separation and more combining our populations. So I’d love to see more coming together.”
Melissa Ferrick has shared the stage with Bob Dylan, Morrissey, Marc Cohn, Paul Westerberg, Dwight Yoakam, John Hiatt, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, G-Love & Special Sauce, Dan Bern, Ani DiFranco, k.d. Lang, Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Joan Armatrading, Mike Doughty, The Indigo Girls and many others in her twenty year career. Ferrick was also a featured music honoree in OUT Magazine’s OUT100 focusing on artists who make an impact on our community. She is currently embarking on her US tour appearing October 23rd at The Falcon in Marlboro, NY, October 29th at South Orange Performance Art Center in South Orange, NJ, October 30th at Infinity Music Hall, in Hartford, CT, November 6th at One Longfellow Square in Portland, ME, November 7th at Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA, November 8th at Higher Ground in South Burlington, VT, November 9th at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, NY, November 15th at Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA, November 21st at New Hope Winery, in New Hope, PA, December 10th at The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach, FL, December 11th at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall in Ponte Vedra, FL, December 12th at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL, December 13th at Cafe Eleven in St Augustine, FL, December 15th at Cats Cradle Back Room in Carrboro, NC, December 17th at Town Crier, Beacon, NY and concluding at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA on December 26th & 27th.
For More Info: melissaferrick.com
ReplyDeleteI love this interview...Melissa is very cool and I love that she's at Berklee and able to support all of her students including LGBT and be a source of direction for them. Very cool.