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Break Free with Katie Ferrara |
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Katie Ferrara has been a friend of Riveting Riffs Magazine for more than
a decade and it fair to say that we have watched her grow as a
songwriter, her voice become richer and fuller as a singer and her
musicianship as a guitarist has continued to compliment both well.
During the course of relating this interview / conversation we are going
to break with typical journalistic style and instead of referring to her
by just her last name, we will often just call her Katie. You will want
to pay close attention during the course of this conversation however,
as she recounts an interesting story about her surname.
It had been more than three years since we last sat down to chat and
this time the nature of our conversation focused on Katie Ferrara’s
current album Break Free, her tours in Europe in recent years
and whatever happened to that cute little dog from a previous music
video, and finally where does she find all those cute guys that are now
appearing in her videos.
“I did write some love songs before (she laughs lightly), but they
weren’t romantic songs,” she replies.
That brings us to the song and video
“Living in Black and White,” and she laughs a lot when we
ask her where she keeps finding these great looking male actors.
“Yeah, Anthony is really good looking. He is a musician and he acts as
well. He played guitar with me on a couple of gigs and I thought he is
very charismatic, so I asked him if he wanted to be in a music video
with me.
We shot the video at the Riverside Festival of Lights in December. Louie
Gooey (That really is his name folks!) shot (the cinematographer) that
one as well.
I wrote the song, before the New Year of 2018 and I was feeling a little
sad, but happy at the same time. I was nostalgic and I felt like
everything was moving quickly. I wanted to capture that feeling in a
song. I had the melody first and then the chords. I then brought it to
my friend Tom. He was playing guitar with me and we were jamming on it
and then he said something about turning over a new leaf. I asked him
what it meant to him and he said it meant the starting of something new.
It inspired me and the lyrics came to me when I was driving. I sent him
the lyrics afterwards and he said they were really awesome and totally
fit the song. We started playing that out and I had him play on the
record as well. I wanted to film the video before the new year at
Christmastime, because that is the vibe of the song.
I played at the Festival of Lights on the Benjamin Franklin stage in
2016 and 2017 and when I played there I would think this is a great
place to go for a stroll or to spend time with family or to shoot a
video. Anthony and I went to the Mission Inn and we pretended it was our
anniversary (she is laughing really hard). We filmed a scene of
us eating dinner. People were really nice and they did not say to us you
can’t film. Anthony was really into it. They let us go on the Ferris
wheel too. It was on a Monday, so there were not a lot of people around.
I think the waiters believed it was our anniversary, but then Anthony
said (she deepens her voice) we have been together for five years
and we have five kids. I said we don’t have five kids!
We also wanted to film up on the balcony at the Mission Inn and they
were only letting hotel guests go up. Anthony was being really cutesy (she
changes her voice again) it is our anniversary and we don’t have a
reservation here. We were just having dinner. The guard at the elevator
said, okay nobody is looking, so I am going to let you guys up, but
don’t tell anybody (more laughter),” she says.
The song “Lost in Your Ocean Eyes,” and the accompanying video, which
was filmed in Malibu, California is a pretty song that showcases Katie
Ferrara’s vocals. It is also a song drawn from her life experiences.
She explains, “I wanted all of the songs to flow with each other. People
want an authentic artist and not something that you formulated just to
fit some kind of a trend that is going on. It was a tough (decision) to
include the song. I am glad that I wrote it, before I decided to do the
album, because then I could separate myself from it.”
Katie it says in the credits that the cinematographer for the
“Lost in Your Ocean Eyes,” video is named Louie
Gooey. Come on that cannot really be his name!
Bursting out laughing she says, “No it is not his last name, It is his
production name.”
We joke for a few moments about how Louie Gooey is a cinematographer is
a guy who will stick with you until you get what you want or how once
you try Louie Gooey you will stick with him.
Louie Gooey (I cannot believe we just wrote that) filmed the beach
scenes at Malibu.
The other cinematographer was Josh Kirkwood who filmed the underwater
scenes.
“I had a visual in my head and I wanted to (have it take place)
underwater to show myself diving into something. Most people do not film
in the ocean they film in pools. Josh had a friend who has a pool and he
also had experience filming underwater. I hired him for those shots. It
was a long journey getting that done. If I am making a video I need to
be the director and I need to be the one who has that control over my
music. There are a lot of producers out there who try to change the way
that you look and they make you wear makeup or make you look a certain
way. There are producers out there who do things that do not make you
seem authentic and they do not respect the artist’s vision.
My idea for the video was to show what happens when you dive too quickly
into a relationship. When you are collaborating on a project sometimes
you want everything to work out the first time. Sometimes a song grows
when you give it time to breathe. You have a good idea, but maybe you
need to meet the right people to bring it to the next level. They (Josh
Kirkwood and his partner) started that seed with their ideas, but to
take it to the next level I needed to bring it to somebody else (Louie
Gooey). Art doesn’t have to be finished when you say it is finished,
there is always room to grow and there is always room to make it better.
I have ideas and I just need people to help me to execute those ideas. I
hired somebody to do the video and then hired someone else to edit the
video. Videos can change, you might film a scene and it doesn’t turn out
the way that you would like it to be and so you have to change the
storyline a bit to fit the footage. When you hire a different editor
they have a different eye and I think that is really important. It is
the same with mixing, when you track your music with one person you may
want someone else to mix it, because they might have a different ear. It
is important to have different people working with you,” says Katie.
Let us take a moment and talk about your vocals Katie, “I change the
keys for a lot of my songs, because I feel that it brings out my voice
in a different way. I was doing a lot of live gigs with a friend who has
a lower voice than me and the range of the songs made me transfer into a
lower register. I think that transferred into my songs. I just tried
playing in a different key. I also keep my guitar a whole step down, so
I can continue to write the same chord shapes that I have been using on
guitar. I don’t have to worry about transposing anything. It brings out
another aspect of my voice that you wouldn’t normally hear.”
With the song
“Picking Apples,” Katie Ferrara takes us on a journey
through her childhood memories and the home she grew up in. The word
pictures are not stark, but more like a Monet, painted in pastel colors.
“It is a song that was inspired by my childhood house. You reach a point
when you say goodbye to the first home that you grew up in. I wanted to
write about that. My mom was thinking about selling the house. As I
walked through, I was thinking about all the memories in there. I wrote
the song for my mom, because I wanted to share with her how I was
feeling about the whole situation. It inspired the record, because after
I wrote that song I wrote the rest of them. I am an adult, but I don’t
think people mature until the reach the age of 28, 29 or 30. You look
like a grownup person, but I think there are life experiences you go
through that really help you to mature. That is what the album really
is. It was the kickoff point and it is my spiritual journey. I had a lot
of things that I wanted to share with people about growing up, maturing
and finding real love.
I wrote the lyrics first for that song and usually I come up with the
melody and the music first. I think it is easier to create that visual
when you just focus on the lyrics. It is interesting the way that songs
are created, because sometimes for me the lyrics and the music come at
the same time. Sometimes it is just music. Other times I leave the door
open for collaborations with people,” she says.
If we roll back the calendar, before live streaming of concerts and
artists putting their music videos online the rule of thumb was that
songs were usually kept below three minutes in length to fit the format
of radio stations. With more people sourcing their music through
artists’ websites or other legitimate websites that no longer seems to
apply.
Katie Ferrara provides her perspective, as it relates to her music, “I
think for an album it is nice to have longer songs. EPs are more about
showcasing your best material and the same thing with a single, so I
think you would want to keep them to three minutes. With an album a lot
of people like to listen to a song for a while that tells a story and
that links to other songs. It doesn’t have to be perfect and there will
be songs that are super catchy. They stick out. Then there are going to
be songs that later on you will listen to them again and you will fall
in love with them. You don’t want to fall in love with every single song
at first sight. It is like a relationship (she laughs) maybe it grows on
you. They don’t always have to be a hit. They are for building the
album.” We talk about the interesting title of another song on this album, “When it Rains in L.A.,” and this writer reminds Katie Ferrara it does not rain in Los Angeles, or at least not often, to which she replies, “It doesn’t.”
“The song has a funky vibe to it. A lot of it is Paul Redel and his
playing. He came up with the guitar parts. Originally, I was just
playing that with my acoustic guitar, but then when I got into the
studio with Patrick Joseph (producer and engineer) my guitar was
conflicting a bit with Paul’s guitar, so we just decided to use his
guitar. That changed the whole vibe of the song and I guess I wanted
something that was a bit laid back,” she says.
The song “Skin,” had a long journey to making it on the Break Free
album, “I started that song in 2010 and I managed to finish it in 2018.
It took me eight years to write, because I wanted to get over the
relationship that it was about. I needed that time to reflect on it.”
The song “Weightless,” is a fusion of Katie Ferrara’s music and who she
is personally.
“That song is a co-write that I did with my friend June. I like when you
say fusion. It has some of her influences and what she wanted to put
into the song. “Weightless,” really captures the feeling that I had when
I was at a festival in Switzerland. I felt like I could do anything
(versus) in L.A. where everything is stressful and everyone is trying to
make it. It is competitive (here) and I feel like the music industry can
be toxic in some ways. When I was over there it was nice to be just me
and not have to put on a show or anything. When I wrote the song with
June, I think she understood the feeling that I had. That is where the
lyrics came from.
Production wise I think it reflects who I am as an artist as well. It
has a singer / songwriter vibe to it.
The video was shot outside of the city of Chur,
Switzerland and the festival that I played at was in Chur. The other
part of the video was shot in Braunschweig, Germany, where I played at
another festival,” she says.
This provided us with a nice segue into talking about Katie Ferrara’s
European European tours in recent years and a funny story.
The last time Katie Ferrara toured Europe was in 2018. I have always
been drawn to Europe, because I have dual citizenship with the U.K., and
I lived in England for a couple of years (more than a decade ago). That
is really when I got started in music. I met a producer when I was
living in England and he started recording my songs.
I have always wanted to go back to England, but it was hard for me to
stay there, because I kept getting fired from all of my jobs. I was
always broke. When I came back here, I thought I am going to be a
teacher, because music sucks and I am not making any money at that. I
completely failed in my life (Well those days are behind you!). I
came back here ten years ago and then after a couple of years I thought
no I don’t want to be a fulltime teacher (note: Katie still teaches,
but not fulltime).
That is how I got into busking, because I thought if I was going to get
into music, I just needed to dive into it. That is the only way I was
making money. When I was in England I worked at Starbucks in London and
it sucked! I was barely being paid anything and I couldn’t pay my rent.
I came back here, and I started playing. I made a hundred bucks in an
hour playing on the street. I thought this is wayyyy better than
Starbucks! (note: For those who do not know, rocker K.T. Tunstall
started out by busking). People were buying the EP that I made and
now I cringe when I listen to that EP from 2011. I sound so different
and there is just something so different about what I wrote, but people
picked up on it and they bought it.
I was looking for a place where I could (sing) and I didn’t care where,
as long as I was singing. I was out there and enjoying myself and people
were supporting me. I was not working like an animal for a corporation
(she laughs out loud).
I miss being in England. You could walk down the street and there were
people on the street and people on the tube. You could go to a pub and
meet people that way. In L.A. you get on the freeway and you drive to
some place and it is hot. People are separated here, but Europeans are
really friendly. If you meet somebody in a pub they will invite you to
their home.
I would like to go back to Europe again, especially to Germany where
they are very supportive of artists. A lot of the bars like music
(performed) in English. There is a big market for American music over
there. I definitely want to go back and go to some different countries,
like Spain or go to France. Now that you are asking me all of these
questions I realize that a lot of my inspiration comes from over there.
I think my heart wants to go over there,” she says.
We wondered if spending time in Europe changed Katie in any way.
She relates an interesting conversation with someone in the United
States, “The videographer that I worked with on the “Weightless,” video
said to me you have really evolved your personality in the last couple
of years. At first, I was offended when he said that, evolved my
personality? Wait a minute! What is that supposed to mean? I think he
meant I had grown in the last couple of years and that was just his way
of saying it. At first, I was taken aback and then I realized he was
trying to give me a compliment.
Every time that I travel, I feel more open. I feel more forgiving of
myself and I feel less judgmental. When you are in another country you
are around so many different things. When you immerse yourself in
(another culture) it changes your perspective about what you thought was
normal in your own country. It doesn’t matter where I travel. It could
(even be) to Florida or New York. Every time that I get on a plane it
puts a new perspective on my career. It really puts things in a new
(light), so I can see things clearly.
Not everybody has the chance to travel. Not everyone has that
opportunity. When I am older I may not want that and there are other
ways you can gain that perspective without ever leaving home. It is
something I have to face now. We are in quarantine and we can’t go
anywhere. Last year I didn’t go anywhere. When I am on tour or writing a
record or traveling somewhere I am the kind of person who is able to
adapt, and I like the challenge.”
It is fitting then that one of the songs on Break Free is titled
“How We Learn to Love.”
“With that song I was reflecting upon relationships and how people find
real love. We all learn from our parents and we all are trying to get
over the scars that we have from our childhood. Sometimes the things we
are attracted to are not always the healthiest for us. I really wanted
to write a song about that journey and really the only thing that heals
most people is time. I think you also have to be a big person in a lot
of situations. You have to be aware of the things that you are attracted
to and if you are attracted to them for the wrong reasons.
I think people connect with a lot of my songs, because they are going
through similar things. What makes a good song is if you are in touch
with your lyrics then other people are going to be in touch with them
also,” she says.
For the record, we agree with that cinematographer, you have evolved a
lot as a person and as an artist Katie Ferrara, in the years that we
have known you and we mean that as a compliment! Give us a scoop here,
is Ferrara really your last name or did you change it for that festival
in Italy? (wink) We already know the answer to that question.
Check out Katie
Ferrara’s current album Break Free and purchase it on
her website. You
can also follow Katie
on Twitter on her
YouTube channel and you can check out
her Facebook page.
#KatieFerrara #KatieFerraraMusic #CaliforniaMusic #RivetingRiffs #RivetingRiffsMagazine #ChuraSwitzerland #CaliforniaSongwriter #BraunschweigGermany #FerraraItaly #IndieMusic #SingerSongwriter #CaliforniaMusic #LouieGooey #PatrickJoseph #AnthonyMarks #JohnGreenham #BuskingStories
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Break
Free is an album amply populated with love songs, but not the kind
of mushy Pop songs that substitute hooks for substance, but rather
missives that cause you to reflect on relationships you may have
experienced in your own life. We wondered if perhaps we had forgotten
love songs she had previously written.
“Ferrara
is Italian. There is a city called Ferrara in Italy. I played at a
festival there in 2016 and 2017. When I met people in their town they
said your last name isn’t Ferrara (she starts laughing hardly being able
to finish the sentence). You changed your name for the festival and I
said no I am actually a Ferrara. I’m Italian,” she says.