Exclusive: Melissa Ferrick discusses her new record label and album

Melissa Ferrick describes her music as a combination of Bruce Springsteen and Joan Armatrading, a pretty accurate self-assessment. Ferrick, 40, has been in the music industry since 1991 when she was opening for Morrisey and had a record deal with Atlantic Records. A lot has changed since then, and Ferrick has recently signed a new three album deal with MPress Records. She graciously took a break from her studio time to give me an interview so that my readers can get to know this hard working singer/song writer/guitarist.

Examiner: Melissa, I hear you have a concert in Dallas March 16 at Poor David’s Pub. I’m looking forward to it! Will you also be playing at SXSW in Austin?

Melissa: Yep, I am! I’ll be doing the Dallas show on a Wednesday and then I’m flying to Austin for a few gigs during SXSW. I’m playing at Stephen F’s Bar & Terrace on Saturday around 11pm and I’m also playing at the MPress Records showcase on Saturday. I’m also playing at a GoGirls event on Friday, it’s an acoustic thing. I’ll be pretty busy.

Examiner: Sounds like it! So, you were on your own record label, Right On Records for many years and now you signed on with MPress Records. What are your expectations for that partnership?

Melissa: There are a lot of things that are just great about it. I will certainly have more finance behind me to help promote the album and to make the record. I’m able to go into the studio and have other musicians play on the record, so that’s been a huge load off my back. They have a great staff and an office in New York…their distribution is better than what I had, so hopefully people will be able to find the record in more places. It’s so much better than trying to have one person, write the songs, make the record, tour and try to do the promoting…that got to be too much after 10 years of doing it. I feel like it’s a step up with this label.

Examiner: When can we expect your new album to drop?

Melissa: Late August or early September. It’s called Still Right Here and I have a song on the new album called "Still Right Here", so that helps. (Laughing).

Examiner: How long will you be in the studio working on the new album?

Melissa: It’s taking longer than I thought but MPress is behind me and are allowing me to continue working on it. I’ve been in the studio for almost two months now. I’ll be in Brooklyn for the next five days recording with Alex Wong and then I’m heading back to Boston to start mixing the record. I’ll hand the record to the label in April and then we start art work and sending it out for people to hear.

Examiner: I’m looking forward to your new album! I think you’re one of the hardest working musicians out there. You are on the road so much that I wonder how you can stay motivated to put on a great show for your fans?

Melissa: I love to play live…the waiting is the hardest part before I play, but once I’m on stage something else takes over and so I don’t have to do much to stay motivated to play. Once the doors open, everyone is psyched and you can feel the energy and excitement building. It doesn’t matter if it’s 800 people there or 35, it’s always the same feeling of anticipation, and I love that!

Examiner: How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it?

Melissa: I usually say it’s kind of a combination of Bruce Springsteen and Joan Armatrading. Those were the people I loved growing up and those are the people I really admire. I write a lot of songs about love, loss and fear, I really only write from my own life and perspective. When I sing lines and I see people agreeing with it, it makes me feel better, like I’m not the only one that feels this way. It is a fun show; it’s not a bummer because there is a lot of energy behind it. The best compliment I got at a show came from a dude who told me the whole time I was playing all he wanted to do was get up and leave, but he couldn’t. I thought well that’s just how I feel about life! (Laughing). He said he felt uncomfortable but in a good way.

Examiner: So other than Joan and Bruce, who have been your musical inspirations?

Melissa: I love Ben Harper, Ani DiFranco, and I like more current bands that I don’t sound anything like. I like Snow Patrol and Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists, and I really love Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, pop stuff, R&B and Hip-Hop I love to listen to as well.

Examiner: Well I listen to a lot of your music when I’m on road trips, so what do you listen to on road trips?

Melissa: When I’m traveling for work I don’t listen to a lot of music. I sometimes listen to Classical but my cohorts that I travel with love to listen to really loud hit radio…then I find myself playing shows and jumping into whatever the most popular song on the radio is that they play 30 times a day.

Examiner: I know you’ve written many great songs, but what’s your favorite so far?

Melissa: Right now it’s a new song on my new record called “You Let Me Be”. It’s a slower ballad, a love song about the person you are with leaving you alone when you want to be in your own space…and to understand and know it’s not about them. That’s a gift of real love.

Examiner: How has your song writing evolved since you started in the early 90s?

Melissa: The essential elements of my song writing haven’t changed…I think I’m better at writing now and the songs are more well structured and don’t stray. Song writing is difficult because you have a very short period of time to tell the beginning, middle and end of a story. I’ve gotten better at working hard at song writing, sticking with it and making sure the lyrics are what I want.

Examiner: That’s cool. So, you and I are members of Generation X and I am wondering what makes you feel proud to be part of our generation?

Melissa: I like the fact that I can still remember what it felt like not to be able to get money out of an ATM machine! I also like the fact that I’m computer savvy and that our generation seems to have a foot in both realms, understanding what it’s like to play Pong but who also has no trouble utilizing the internet. We’re young enough to still remember what it was like to not have everything at your fingertips all the time. We didn’t grow up being instantly satisfied, but we also can appreciate how awesome it is to get the answer to a question instantly on Google! This new young generation has to be taught that you can’t have everything you want all the time, but they are like, yeah I can! (Laughing).

Examiner: Is there anything Generation X can do better?

Melissa: I don’t know, that’s a difficult question. I don’t think I can answer that question…which is why we’re Generation X, cause that was always our answer, “I don’t know.” (Laughing). Maybe we can be less uninterested and less of a slacker?! (Laughing)

Examiner: Ah, we shed that label! (Laughing). Well is there anything else you want your fans to know?

Melissa: I’m as excited to get this record out as I think my fans are to hear it, and patience is something I still have to learn. My fans should understand that not only do they have to be patient but that it’s just as hard for me to wait too!

Examiner: Well thanks so much for your time Melissa and good luck on the new album.

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