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Sierra Ferrell

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Sierra Ferrell
Ferrell in 2022
Ferrell in 2022
Background information
Born (1988-08-03) August 3, 1988 (age 36)
Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • fiddle
LabelsRounder
Websitewww.sierraferrellmusic.com

Sierra Elizabeth Ferrell (born August 3, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from West Virginia, whose music incorporates elements of folk, bluegrass, gypsy jazz, and Latin styles such as tango and calypso music.

After self-releasing the albums Pretty Magic Spell in 2018 and Washington by the Sea in 2019, she released Long Time Coming in 2021 with Rounder Records, to critical acclaim. Accompanying videos for singles "The Sea", "In Dreams", and "Bells of Every Chapel" (featuring Billy Strings) were uploaded to her YouTube channel in the weeks and months preceding the Long Time Coming's release. Ferrell stayed with the label for her fourth album Trail of Flowers in March 2024.

Early life

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Sierra Ferrell was born in West Virginia.[1] After her parents divorced when she was around 5 years old, she lived with her mother and one of her two siblings in a trailer.[2][3] This led to her spending less time with electronics and more time exploring outside.[4] Despite her home state's deep-rooted history in bluegrass music, Ferrell instead grew up listening to 90s music of various genres, listening to and taking interest in cassette tapes of 10,000 Maniacs and Tracy Chapman that her mother owned.[5][6]

Ferrell's musical journey began in childhood, playing clarinet and singing choir in school, eventually learning to play guitar and even once, performing Shania Twain covers at a local bar. In her teens, she joined a Grateful Dead cover group as a vocalist, but after feeling constrained creatively, she departed the band to independently pursue her musical aspirations.[6]

In her early twenties, she adopted a nomadic lifestyle, hitch-hiking, freighthopping, and living in her van, with the majority of her time spent busking between Seattle and New Orleans. By this point, Ferrell had turned her attention towards playing folk music and its various offshoots, with fellow busking group Yes Ma'am making a particular impression on her musical style.[6][7] It was also during this time that Ferrell was in the throes of drug addiction stemming from her wayfaring way of life, claiming to have died "five times" from narcotics overdoses. After these experiences, she decided to get clean and change her lifestyle in favor of improved health and positive relationships.[8]

Career

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Ferrell self-released two albums, Pretty Magic Spell in 2018, and Washington by the Sea in 2019, which she sold while busking. In addition to these albums, she posted an assortment of covers, original material and live performances to her YouTube channel. In 2018, a recording of her song "In Dreams" was recorded and posted by the YouTube channel "GemsOnVHS", attracting millions of views.[9] Around the same time, she was also frequently performing at "Honky Tonk Tuesday's" hosted at Nashville's American Legion Post 82, eventually capturing the attention of Gary Paczosa, a producer best known for his collaborations with Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton.[10] With the help of Paczosa, she signed to Rounder Records for a three-album deal in 2019.[11][12]

Ferrell performs at the Hollywood Theatre in Vancouver, Canada, March 9, 2022

Following the release of singles "Jeremiah" and "Why'd Ya Do It",[13] Ferrell's album Long Time Coming was released in August 2021. Co-produced by Paczosa and featuring a number of established bluegrass musicians, including Sarah Jarosz and Billy Strings, the album received critical acclaim, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart.[14] The album received a five-star review from UK-based publication Country Music People, a rating of 7.6/10 from Paste magazine[15] and 7.6/10 from Pitchfork.[16] Varsity UK said "Long Time Coming will easily be the only album of its type emerging from the music city of Nashville this year", adding that Ferrell "shines brightest when she leans furthest into her own distinctive brand of jazz-inflected bluegrass".[17]

In 2022, she performed backing vocals on The Black Keys album Dropout Boogie.[18] and collaborated with Ray LaMontagne's track "I Was Born to Love You", which landed itself a position on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay.[14]

Ferrell collaborated with American country star Zach Bryan on the track "Holy Roller" from his self-titled fourth studio album. The song debuted at number 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.[19] That same year, she collaborated with Shakey Graves on the fourth song from his album, Movie of the Week, titled "Ready or Not". The song, which was recorded in two hours, peaked at 15th on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.[20]

On March 22, 2024, Ferrell released her fourth album, Trail of Flowers. In her own words, she aimed to make people "feel nostalgic for the past, but excited about the future of music."[21] Preceded by its singles "Fox Hunt", "Dollar Bill Bar", "I Could Drive You Crazy", and "American Dreaming", the album continued to build upon Ferrell's genre-bending sound, and was met with general praise, with Paste magazine noting Ferrell's songwriting to be "more vibrant than ever."[22] In September at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards, Trail of Flowers was awarded "Album of the Year", with Ferrell winning "Artist of the Year".[23] A few days later, Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin declared September 28th "Sierra Ferrell Day" in West Virginia, presenting the award to the singer during her show at the Clay Center.[24]

Throughout the course of the year, Ferrell featured on tracks with several artists, including "Never Love You Again" with Post Malone,[25] a bluegrass-style cover of Adele's "Someone Like You" with Lukas Nelson (son of Willie Nelson),[26] as well as other collaborations with Hogslop String Band and Colony House.

Discography

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Albums

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Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Nominated Work Result Ref.
2022 Americana Music Honors & Awards Emerging Artist of the Year Herself Won [28]
2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards Artist of the Year Herself Won [23]
Album of the Year Trail of Flowers Won

References

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  1. ^ "Home". Sierra Ferrell. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  2. ^ Whisenand, Madison Emily (2023-11-19). "Country Singer Sierra Ferrell Had A Legendary Rise To Fame". The List. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  3. ^ George, Varga (2022-02-27). "Sierra Ferrell honed her music busking on street corners and playing for fellow travelers on freight trains". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  4. ^ "Introducing: Sierra Ferrell | Holler". holler.country. Archived from the original on 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2022-06-18.
  5. ^ "Sierra Ferrell's Genre-Bending Bluegrass". Garden & Gun. 2021-08-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  6. ^ a b c Chiu, David. "Sierra Ferrell On Finding Magic In Traditional Roots Music And Playing The Grand Ole Opry". Forbes. Archived from the original on 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
  7. ^ "Sierra Ferrell's Captivating New Album 'Long Time Coming' is Out Today". Rounder Records. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  8. ^ MUSICNEWS·, Mary Claire Crabtree·COUNTRY (2024-01-24). "Sierra Ferrell Reveals She Has Died 5 Times In Candid Conversation About Drug Abuse: "My Soul Left My Body"". Whiskey Riff. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  9. ^ Siegel, Jacob (2018-08-08). "GemsOnVHS: Meet the YouTuber Who's Spearheading a New Wave of DIY Americana". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  10. ^ "Gary Paczosa Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  11. ^ Dongray, Emily (2021-08-17). "Sierra Ferrell "Long Time Coming"". Americana UK. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  12. ^ Hurt, Edd (2021-04-19). "Sierra Ferrell Mines for Country Gold at American Legion Post 82". Nashville Scene. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  13. ^ "Sierra Ferrell's "Jeremiah" and "Why'd Ya Do It," Out Today, Offer Intriguing Preview of Forthcoming Album". Rounder Records. 23 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  14. ^ a b Zellner, Xander (2023-09-06). "Hot 100 First-Timers: Sierra Ferrell & The War And Treaty Debut With Zach Bryan Features". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2024-01-14. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  15. ^ "It's a Long Time Coming, But Sierra Ferrell Has Figured Herself Out". Paste Magazine. 2021-08-19. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  16. ^ "Sierra Ferrell: Long Time Coming". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  17. ^ "Sierra Ferrell spans genres in debut album Long Time Coming". Varsity Online. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  18. ^ "The Black Keys Keep The Rustic Blues Flame Roaring On Dropout Boogie". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  19. ^ Zellner, Xander (2023-09-05). "All 16 Songs From Zach Bryan's New LP Debut in Hot 100's Top 50, Led by No. 1 'I Remember Everything'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  20. ^ Niesel, Jeff. "Indie Rocker Shakey Graves Gets Cinematic on New Album". Cleveland Scene. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  21. ^ "Sierra Ferrell announces new album, 'Trail of Flowers'". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
  22. ^ "Trail of Flowers Finds Sierra Ferrell's Songwriting More Vibrant Than Ever". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-03-24. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  23. ^ a b Nicholson, Jessica (2024-09-19). "Sierra Ferrell, The Red Clay Strays & More Win at Americana Honors & Awards". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  24. ^ REPORTS, STAFF (2024-09-27). "Sierra Ferrell Day to be declared in Charleston during singer's hometown show Saturday". WCHS. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  25. ^ West, Jay Stahl and Bryan. "Taylor Swift praises Post Malone, 'Fortnight' collaborator, for his 'F-1 Trillion' album". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  26. ^ Piner, Chris (2024-05-29). "Lukas Nelson Enlists Sierra Ferrell for the "Cover We Didn't Know We Needed", Tells Adele "You're Going Country Whether You Like It or Not"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2024-10-23.
  27. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of April 6, 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  28. ^ Freeman, Jon (2022-09-14). "Billy Strings, Allison Russell Win Top Prizes at 2022 Americana Honors & Awards". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2023-10-19. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
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