Sprawled across a roomy bed, Melissa Ferrick is staring at, as she jokingly says, "the suckers at the Hyatt." She's a lucky lady. Ferrick thought she and her band would be boarding at a Sheraton. Turns out they had a reservation at a nearby Westin, where she's resting after playing an Indiana gig in support of her latest girl-and-guitar "Goodbye Youth," inspired by Patty Griffin's minimalist approach on 1996's "Living with Ghosts." The 38-year-old's unfiltered voice – this time sparked by a break-up, being "the little guy" as Ani DiFranco's opener and living alone for the first time – sounds as intimate as our revealing convo (she's not a pothead!) with the free-talking lesbian.
So on the new album, 'Goodbye Youth,' you're sorta saying 'bye bye' to your childhood, but it's not that sad. You're still looking forward to the good stuff.
Yeah, totally. (The title) was really as simple as: I needed a title for the record and I couldn't think of one. And then we thought about self-titling it because I've never self-titled a record and because it's the first completely solo record I've made. I did think about just having it be 'Melissa Ferrick' – ya know what I mean? – because it was like, this is me and guitar, this is what I do when I play live, here it is on CD. But then I remembered I was kind of going through the song titles and I was like, 'Goodbye Youth'? Well, that's a cool title, too, because this is also like a statement of saying goodbye to (major) production.
You also talk about leaving behind lust on the title track. So does that mean you're going celibate?
Oh, I did! I tried that for a while. That worked.
It did work?
It lasted for about six months and then I was pretty much out of my mind. I'm currently not celibate. On tour I'm celibate but when I go home I just – I'm dating a couple of people; that's fun. And I've had some fun this summer, no more – it's not like I'm not participating in dating or having affairs, but it was good to take a certain amount of time off. I wanted to take a whole year off, but I couldn't make it.
Now I hate to admit this, but actually the first Melissa Ferrick concert I went to was in April, when you played Eastern Michigan University.
Oh, that's right. That was a great show.
Yeah, it was great. And I had no idea you were so fucking funny. Nobody told me. Where does your wit come from?
I have no idea. I think it's probably just that I'm more like that – that's more me; just hang-out me and I think some times the music – I mean, I love the music I play. I love writing songs … . So I kind of write about the things that I unconsciously think about – maybe fears and insecurities – and then in my everyday regular life I'm pretty easy going and funny and I wanna hang out and have fun with my friends. But when I play … it's kind of nice to lighten it up a little bit. There is an element of a deep understanding on my part that this is – it's not like what I do is the most important thing in the world. I just think that sometimes with art, or with some of the shows I've seen of other people where I get a vibe of like, 'wow, they're just conscious of themselves so much' – that's a turn off for me. I try to just stay equal with the audience.
Who are some of your favorite comedians?
Carol Burnett. I like the kind of brassy – Jenny McCarthy, I love, and I think Christina Applegate is amazing. I really also like Jenna Elfman. I love all of those woman that do like, 'I Love Lucy' – all that stuff, the kind of fall over physical comedy; women who are into that. And I love that about Jenny McCarthy because she's so beautiful but she does that. The other woman is Cameron Diaz, she is really funny.
And she's cute.
Yeah, exactly. That's the thing, I think. That's what I love to kind of watch: quintessential pretty girls, especially the blondes – and they're not dumb either, that's the other thing. All those things the world (has) put on blondes, they kind of smash them. I like funny movies and stuff like that, too.
What's the last funny movie you saw?
Last funny movie I saw was 'Pineapple Express.'
That was hilarious, but I think that it's funnier if you actually smoke pot.
Yeah, you know what? My tour manager does and I don't. So he got to experience it high and then I got to watch him. It's funny to be with somebody who is; it rubs off on you.
Speaking of funny, do you watch the show, 'Little Britain USA'?
I just started watching it because one of my best friends is from Ireland and she couldn't believe it when they made it now for (HBO) … . So I have HBO at my house and I have the on-demand thing. So this is right before this tour – I can't believe you asked me about that – because she came over and was like, 'Oh my god! I have to come to your house because they've got 'Little Britain' for America,' and she of course thinks the English version is still funnier, but it's hysterical.
Did you catch the premiere episode with Rosie O'Donnell in it?
Yes! That's the one we watched.
So since you've seen the skit involving the Fat Fighters instructor asking Rosie about being a lesbian and whether it's because she's fat: Are you a lezzie because you're a folk singer, or are you a folk singer because you're a lezzie?
(Laughs) That's a really good question! Probably neither. I have no idea. That's so funny, but if I was on that show that's what I should do; I should get on that show and do like, 'How to Become a Lesbian Folk Singer.' You could have like the token straight guy who loves women's music there, ya know. Whose wife left him for another woman, so he just goes and watches lesbian folk singers for the rest of his life.
What do you miss about being a kid?
God, I probably – I mean I don't miss any of the hard stuff. I just miss the fun stuff, like riding my bike without my shirt on and building jumps for dirt bikes with my friends in the neighborhood and playing flashlight tag. Summer stuff. Mostly it's just summer, 'cause I grew up – well, you're in Michigan so you know – winters were OK, 'cause I would have fun sledding sometimes, but mostly it sucked. I was always carrying in wood, and making fires – and you're in school. Summers where I grew up were awesome, and I also worked at the beach in my town.
So you got to see all the hot chicks in their bathing suits?
I was very into boys. I wasn't really into girls yet. But I knew where the gay side of the beach was and I could always tell who the gay people were as they were driving up. I probably should've known I had a knack for it then.
Melissa Ferrick with Coyote Grace
7 p.m. Oct. 23
The Intersection, Grand Rapids
8 p.m. Oct. 24
The Ark, Ann Arbor
http://www.melissaferrick.com
