Melissa Ferrick

Melissa Ferrick is a trailblazing, genre-defying singer-songwriter whose 30-year career has left a lasting mark on the indie and folk-rock scenes. Known for her raw, vulnerable lyrics and powerful live performances, Ferrick rose to prominence in the early ’90s after stepping in last-minute to open for Morrissey — a breakthrough that launched a major-label deal and international tours.

An openly queer artist at a time when few were visible in the mainstream, Ferrick has long challenged the norms of the music industry, paving the way for future generations. She’s released 18 albums, toured with legends like Ani DiFranco, Bob Dylan, and k.d. lang, and remains committed to music’s evolving landscape as a producer, co-writer, and agent at Paladin Artists Agency.

In addition to her artistic work, Ferrick is a Professor of Practice at Northeastern University and holds an Ed.M. from Harvard. In 2023, she signed with Kill Rock Stars and re-recorded her acclaimed 1999 album Everything I Need, set for release October 11, 2024 — stripped-down and emotionally resonant, just her and a guitar. Bonus tracks include her new single “Black Dress” and a cover of Tegan and Sara’s “Where Does the Good Go.”

Through every reinvention, Ferrick remains a bold voice in music — unclassifiable, unapologetic, and unwavering.

Besides her work in the music industry, Ferrick is a Professor of Practice at Northeastern University, where she teaches courses in music business, songwriting, creative entrepreneurship, demo recording and production, live performance, and the psychology of creativity. From 2013 to 2019, Melissa was an Associate Professor of Songwriting at Berklee College of Music. She holds an Ed.M from Harvard University.

Melissa Ferrick is regarded in the industry and by their peers as one of the most prolific, generous, and hardworking people in the business. After opening for Morrissey in the U.S. and UK, Ferrick signed with Atlantic Records at the age of 21 and released her debut and sophomore albums with them. Between 1996 and 1999, Melissa released three albums with the Colorado-based indie label W.A.R. Records. In 2000, Melissa launched the nationally distributed independent record label Right On Records. Ferrick published two critically acclaimed albums with NY-based label MPress Records between 2011 and 2013. She's released seventeen albums over the last twenty-five years and has won numerous awards for songwriting, production, and performance. Melissa has shared the stage with countless acts, some of which include Morrissey, Joan Armatrading, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, Mark Cohen, Paul Westerberg, Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, Ani DiFranco, k.d. Lang, Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, and many others.
*Melissa Ferrick is the named plaintiff of the class action lawsuit Ferrick v. Spotify for willful copyright infringement.