Ferron Chats About 'Boulder,' Finding Inner Bitch

Apr 29, 2008
Story by: Dan Weiss
Reprinted from CMJ

Veteran Canadian folkstress Ferron will be putting out Boulder, the 14th album of her 31-year recording career, June 17 on producer Bitch's label Short Story. The oft-underappreciated legend, about whom the Boston Globe has said, "One day Bob Dylan will be known as the Ferron of the '60s," recorded the intimate affair on her own front porch with a laptop and one microphone, capturing all the crickets and even the car pulling into her driveway.

The big story, however, is how much notice the singer is finally getting from a newer generation, as evidenced by the plethora of influential guests on Boulder, from Ani DiFranco and Samantha Parton (Be Good Tanyas) to the Indigo Girls and JD Samson (Le Tigre). It's a mutual admiration society to be sure, although Ferron has found particular kinship with DiFranco and Bitch. "I realized that at some point [DiFranco] was the next personal, political voice," Ferron says. "What I liked was that her rage had a name, and it was about misogyny. I was shocked to know anybody still cared about that."

She was equally surprised with Bitch's passion and dedication to the project, and to the larger cause of strong females making powerful music and continuing to support and learn from each other. "I felt cutting edge in my life, but boy when I walk down the street with [Bitch], I just look like an old lady compared to what she's pushing," says Ferron. "And I wonder who she's gonna walk with in 20 years and have that feeling. But that's what we're doing. We're walking with each other."

Ferron (with Bitch) is expected to tour throughout 2008 to support the record.

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