Sierra Ferrell is part hippie, part shitkicker — and part fae. How can you not love a gal who explores the fantastical Mammoth Cave in Kentucky — where the moccasins of Shawnee and Cherokee hunters and the likes of Daniel Boone once trod — in her fancy cowboy boots, her Opry belt buckle, and her Waylon Jennings t-shirt?
Sierra Ferrell rode out for Fennario a long time ago. Maybe she was born there and is only visiting the highways and byways of the everyday world.
Trigger over at Saving Country Music describes her well:
If you follow certain primrose paths deep into the enchanted forest, or discover a portal to the past through an antique wardrobe in a house overgrown with vines, or forage on certain mushrooms growing out from the trunks of giant trees, you might stumble upon the realm of Sierra Ferrell.
It’s a world of gingerbread cottages with round doors, fairy tale meadows of singing birds and talking flowers, and creatures of mirth that speak in limericks. It’s beautiful place for sure, yet beguiling and potentially dangerous, leading some who don’t heed the wisdom and warning of the stories told there to their ultimate doom.
Similar to Colter Wall, Sierra Ferrell has taken entirely outmoded and archaic music, and through her weaving of magic, made it more wildly popular and appealing than anyone would ever have imagined it could be in the modern era.
She dropped a new album, Trail of Flowers, on March 22 — and it’s a good un. From the fiddle-driven rave up of Fox Hunter to the wistful reflection of American Dreaming and Wish You Well to the poignant bravado of Dollar Bill Bar, this is just what I need in a chunk of Americana music in 2024.
We hosted Sierra Ferrell a couple of years back for a Sisters Folk Festival Summer Concert in the back yard venue at Sisters Art Works. Fantastic show — the woman throws down — but it won’t be happening again. Within a few months, the world had decided to follow Miss Sierra down the trail to her version of Fennario, and she’s gone out of reach for small outfits like ours. But if you get the chance to see her live, do it. She’s something special.
Greg Marshall says
“entirely outmoded and archaic music”
in other words, timeless.
JimC says
Yep. That’s exactly right.
Cooter Brown says
When Trigger tells you to go see someone while they’re still playing small, intimate venues, because they’re about to blow up, LISTEN TO HIM.
I didn’t and missed several chances to see both Sierra Ferrell and Billy Strings at small clubs and what amounted to back yard parties.
Great move getting her for the festival.
Fortunately there are some videos of Sierra playing those type of shows–her live work is enthralling. Her years of busking helped to develop a wonderful performance presence.
One of my favorites from her recent work is “The Garden”, which is from the soundtrack to the latest Hunger Games movie.
JimC says
Sure enough. SFF has developed a reputation as a “discovery festival,” catching artists that are on the cusp of breaking big. We actually had Billy Strings booked in 2017 for a festival that was cancelled due to wildfire. Bummer that. Hoping to get Vincent Neil Emerson while we still can.