Melissa Ferrick

Biography

Melissa Ferrick is an American singer-songwriter. She is a music professor at Northeastern University and Berklee College of Music.

Early life

Ferrick was raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Her father John was a public school teacher who also managed several free-jazz bands. As a child, Ferrick would often accompany her father to clubs on Boston's North Shore to watch the bands play. She began taking classical violin lessons at the age of five, and later, piano. In elementary and junior high school, she learned the trumpet and bass. Altogether, she received 15 years of formal music training, including two years at Berklee College of Music. She dropped out in 1990 to pursue a music career.

Career

Ferrick began her career singing and playing in coffeehouses in the East Village, New York City. 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 two albums, Massive Blur×Massive Blur1993 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Honest Eyes4:062Happy Song3:033Hello Dad3:464What Have I Got to Lose3:495Love Song3:596Ten Friends2:437For Once in My Life4:108Blue Sky Night4:319Massive Blur4:3110Take Me All3:2211Wonder Why3:4112The Meaning of Love3:1913In a World Like This2:5014Breaking Vows5:22, in 1993 and Willing to Wait×Willing to Wait11 April 1995 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1I Am Not2:322Cracker Jack Kid3:313Faking3:564Falling on Fists3:205Til You're Dead3:326Gotta Go Now4:317Willing to Wait3:378I Am Done2:209When You Left3:0310Trouble in My Head4:2311Somehow We Get There3:1912Time Flies3:07, in 1995.
In 1996, Ferrick experienced what she described as "bottomed out" on alcohol. Following her recovery, she returned to music, signing with the indie label What Are Records?. Ferrick released three albums on the label; Made of Honor×Made of Honor1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Asking for Love2:492Alone3:063To Let You See Me2:594Somebody Help Me2:305Aida4:396Taken a Liking3:047Frog Named Freddy3:318Willing to Wait3:38, Everything I Need×Everything I Need1998 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I Will Arrive3:402It's Alright3:483Everything I Need4:004Fear and Time3:495Particular Place to Be2:566I Like It That Way3:427Stand Still5:348Asking for Love3:119Do It Over4:2610To Let You See Me3:2911Don't Say Goodbye4:07, and Freedom×Freedom14 March 2000 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Freedom4:282Hold On3:223North Carolina3:564Some Kinda Nerve3:075Blind Side3:126Little Love5:407The Stranger4:208Then So It Is3:399Win 'Em Over4:1410This Is Love3:4911Drive6:3512Freedom (remix)5:21, the latter inspired by Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope. Her 1998 album Everything I Need was nominated for Album of the Year by the Gay & Lesbian American Music Awards (GLAMA).
In 2000, Ferrick founded her own record label, Right On Records. The first studio album released on her own label was Skinnier Faster Live at the B.P.C..
In the Eyes of Strangers, released in October 2006, was the sixth album released on Right On Records. Ferrick partially financed the recording costs with song sales via her website. Her fourteenth album, Goodbye Youth×Goodbye Youth10 September 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Heart Beat3:192Goodbye Youth2:093Bad Habit3:244Glycerine3:055I'm Going to Break Your Heart2:356Hypocrite4:057When Thom Sings (Lake Effect Snow)5:098Getting Over You3:199House On Fire3:3510Real3:5111John's Field3:33, was released September 2008. In Spring 2010, she released an album of cover songs called Enough About Me×Enough About Me2 March 2010 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Deathly4:082How to be Righteous3:083Such Great Heights2:424Babylon3:555Creep3:126Call and Answer4:017One3:468Moses3:299Bad Habit3:3010Hypocrite3:25. In 2011, she released the album Still Right Here×Still Right Here2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Still Right Here2:412Headphones On3:423You Let Me Be3:494Seconds Like These3:235One of a Kind3:206Checking In2:497Singing in the Wind2:568I Will Back You Up3:599Weightless and Slow4:1810This Time of Year3:35 featuring original songs.
During live performances, Ferrick mostly self-accompanies 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. She played 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 Ani Difranco. Her song "Drive" from the Freedom album became popularly known as a "lesbian anthem".
In 2017, Spotify settled a class action lawsuit initiated by Ferrick and David Lowery who had alleged the company failed to pay proper royalties to musicians whose songs were streamed on the service. Spotify set aside US$43 million to compensate musicians, songwriters and publishers.
Her musical inspirations include Bruce Springsteen, The Pretenders, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon, Earth Wind and Fire, Tori Amos, Radiohead, Dave Matthews, and Joan Armatrading.

Personal life

Ferrick is queer and gender-nonconforming. In 2021, she said, "I feel pretty genderless, but I don’t feel sad about it. I love the body I’m in. I don’t want to totally let go of 'she' because I love the experiences I’ve had as a woman. It feels powerful, but so does 'they'".