Amplify headliner Melissa Etheridge talks music, the South and her next album
MELISSA ETHERIDGE hasn’t yet played for Amplify Decatur, and she’s excited. The rock star known for top hits such as “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One” has family in the Atlanta metro and looks forward to another Southern experience. “Southerners are warm, and they love their rock ‘n’ roll,” she says.
What’s your experience with this area?
I’ve played many shows around Atlanta – Chastain Park, the Botanical Garden, all kinds of places. The people are what I like about Atlanta. I grew up in Kansas, but I have Southern relatives, and I can get down with the food and the pace of life – I love it all. And I look forward to the Amplify Festival. I’m rolling in the day before to check things out in Decatur.
What kind of Southern food do you love?
Anything fried! I like a good breakfast with potatoes. I love soul food with greens, and I love catfish. I gave up red meat a long time ago in the ‘90s, and then, after I had cancer, I realized I needed to cut down on all inflammatory foods. But I still eat eggs and seafood. Now, I’m 20 years cancer-free.
How has music changed with streaming?
It’s SO different. Before the internet, music had gatekeepers. You had to get past one guy to get to the record company, then they had to promote your album, then you had to go on the radio – all these people were along the way before anyone in the public ever heard your music.
And if you got there, you were lucky to be heard. But the internet blew it all apart. Now, musicians can reach people directly.
You’ve said your children love music. What do they love listening to?
My children will dig deep, past Beyonce and Taylor Swift, and then they’ll say, have you ever heard of Sting?! And I’m like, Yes I have!
My daughter is playing Beatles tracks and Steppenwolf, and she’s 17.
Music moves people – that hasn’t changed. They want to find it and have it align with them personally.
Which is your favorite album out of your 16 studio albums?
That’s like picking a child . . . but my favorite is always going to be the most recent one I did. Still, I always look back on my first album and Yes I am – those two albums, I can play them around the world, and the songs happen to vibrate for a large number of people. I’m grateful for that.
Can you share details about your next album?
I can’t get too specific, but I have a live album coming out this summer – a concert that was filmed and recorded at a women’s penitentiary in Kansas. It meant a lot, and I enjoyed doing it. I think it’s important to look at our justice system.
Do you still have music friends from the 90s?
Yes! I’m going on tour with Jewel this year and playing with the Indigo Girls too. Women in music – whether it’s punk, rock or whatever – we’re a great community. And we’re stronger together.
