Photo courtesy of Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge is a survivor. For starters try coming out publicly as a lesbian in January 1992 at a time when entertainers didn’t do that kind of thing, surviving breast cancer and most recently, losing a child to an opioid overdose. This kind of reclamation of self and survival over the trauma and tragedies real life throws at people are a central tenet of Rise, Etheridge’s new album and first collection of original material since 2019’s The Medicine Show. She performs at Wisconsin State Fair on August 9.
For the Kansas native, it was also a chance to get back to making the kind of music she was cutting back in her late ‘80s/early-to-mid-‘90s heyday.
“When it comes to albums, every couple of years I would write an album that was a marker of where I was physically, emotionally, spiritually and as a woman and musician,” Etheridge said. “After Medicine Show, the events unrolled from losing my son to the pandemic, which was a big part of the whole thing. And then there was coming through all of that, doing a Broadway show about my life, writing a book and going deep into my life. I felt like I’d cleaned up everything and past and it was time to talk about where I was right now.”
She added, “I wrote the song ‘Rise’ after the L.A. fires last year. We’re going to fall to the earth sometimes and we’re going to taste the dirt, but you’re going to rise. We’re going to come out of it. I wanted it to be inspirational. I wanted it to be a respite from the insanity that people are seeing and feeling. I wanted it to be one of those albums that people put on, drive down the highway listening to. I just wanted it to be a Melissa Etheridge album.”
Creative Partner
Helping with the heavy lifting was producer Shooter Jennings, who Etheridge found when researching where to find an ideal creative partner who would be more about honoring her songs versus being a slave to social media algorithms and trends. The quest took Etheridge to Music City.
“I wanted to make a record in 2025, and it would be a Melissa Etheridge record, meaning that it would be about the songs,” Etheridge explained. “It’s about recording a song I can just take the stage and play—boom. I didn’t need to explore anything. I just wanted it to be great songs. I really looked around me to see who was making albums that way and what they were doing. Of course, most of it was coming out of Nashville. I really looked at a lot of the artists and a lot of the producers. I found that Dave Cobb and Shooter actually did a lot of the projects. I ended up talking to Brandi Carlile, who is a friend of mine, and found that Dave Cobb would have been great, but he’s really busy.”
Jennings proved to be a better match, given that he had a recording setup in nearby Hollywood, CA, where Etheridge had recorded her sixth studio album back in 1999. The geographic convenience meant the guitar-playing singer-songwriter could make a quick commute from home while getting to use her own musicians. Meeting up with Jennings sealed the deal for an experience that turned into a two-week session of live-in-the-studio jams.
Sunset Sound
“When I met Shooter, I went to go see him at his studio and it’s at Sunset Sound,” she said with a laugh. “I made “Breakdown” at the very same studio and that really brought me back. Just meeting him was everything, from his heart and soul for music and inspiration from his father (country icon Waylon Jennings) to how much he loved his pop. And the stories, we got along instantly with him and his wife. I don’t want to do albums with anybody else now. I just want to work with Shooter.”
The 11 songs Etheridge and Jennings recorded give off an old-school, outlaw country vibe that is miles beyond whatever bro-country seems to have a stranglehold on both on the charts and the airwaves. Highlights include the rollicking “Davina” and its combination of countrypolitan piano runs and rich harmonies, the anthemic autobiographical opener “Bein’ Alive” and “The Other Side of Blue,” the latter of which Chris Stapleton only wanted to be involved with as co-writer until Etheridge convinced him otherwise (“I told Chris the world needed to hear us sing together,” she said.)
But the song that cuts to the heart of Etheridge’s message of resilience in the face of darkness is “Call You,” a heartfelt love letter to her late son Beckett.
“The first song I wrote was ‘Call You,’ which is about my son,” she said. “I needed to put this out and write a song that says I miss him, and the loss is so great that I can’t even explain it. But also, I’m not going to stop. I’m not going to stop living. I’m not going to stop trying. I will keep you in my heart forever and ever and ever. Wherever you are in the nonphysical, you want me to be happy and to thrive. And that’s what I’m going to do.”
Plenty of Fireworks
With a healthy song catalog from which to draw, Etheridge promises plenty of fireworks when she hits the stage. As someone who has rightfully earned a reputation for her dynamic live show, she also says it’s the best way for her to connect with concertgoers, diehard fans and otherwise.
“As an artist, I understand that I’m going to be more accessible and better live—I just am,” she said. “So, you’re going to hear your favorite songs. I’ve got five wonderful hit songs I love to share with everybody, so I’m going to do that. We’re going to pump our fists in the air to ‘I’m the Only One’ and ‘Come to My Window.’ And then you’re going to hear a good chunk of the (new) album. Then I’m going to talk about the songs and what they mean so I can bring people in. That’s what I used to do. When I’d make a new album, I would play some songs and tell people about them. If people hear it, then maybe they will go and check out the whole album. Then I’ll play a couple of really deep tracks from old albums and then that’s the show, man. We’re going to rock your toes off.”
