Save Ferris Delighted To Be Back

SAVE FERRIS

SAVE FERRIS play HOB/Anaheim Mar. 26; photo Piper Ferguson

Local ska punk pioneers Save Ferris hit the House of Blues in Anaheim on Mar. 26 with new material to boot! The 5-song EP Checkered Past seamlessly compliments earlier albums such as It Means Everything and Modified.

Original frontwoman, Monique Powell spoke with Concert Guide Live about the excitement of hitting the road again, overcoming health challenges, and of course, grit.

CONCERT GUIDE LIVE: I imagine being from Orange County you’ve played at the previous Anaheim HOB. Are you looking forward to playing the new one?
MONIQUE POWELL: I will certainly miss the old location as I’ve had so many memories there, but I’ve seen early design renderings of the new location and it looks absolutely beautiful…..really looking forward to seeing the beauty that is the new HOB Anaheim!

CGL: Is this current tour one of the longest with the current line-up? What’s the general mood?
MP: This is the first and the longest. We’ve been waiting over three years for this. The mood on the bus is sheer delight, excitement and fun!

CGL: What do you like to do right before you go on stage?
MP: Doing my hair and makeup puts me into a meditative state, I think of my dad a lot and ask him to help us play a great show, then the guys and I huddle up and say something funny or kind to each other in prep for the show.

Save Ferris

Save Ferris; photo Piper Ferguson

CGL: Thinking back over the course of your career, tell me about a memorable concert that stands out.
MP: Vive Latino Concert in Mexico City, 2001. Largest audience I’ve ever played for. 70,000+ people!

CGL: What can fans look forward to when going to see Save Ferris in 2017?
MP: The response from fans has been that this is the best Save Ferris has ever sounded and looked. Our stage show is filled with surprises. Ska is more important today as it’s ever been, we need something to help clear our minds for a few minutes. That’s what we aim to do for the concert-goer.

CGL: In the late 90s Save Ferris released an EP and a couple CDs and now 18 years later, a new EP! How did that come about? And, what was the songwriting process like?
MP: In 2013 I was diagnosed with a degenerative condition that required serious surgery. I told myself if I woke up from the procedure with my ability to walk and to sing still in tact, I was going to bring SF back, coincidentally marking the 10 year anniversary of the last SF tour in 2003.

The songwriting process was interesting. It took me awhile to warm up to it again. I had some emotional obstacles to overcome, but once that was worked through and set aside, it all just flowed.

CGL: How did recording in this “digital age” compare with recording the previous releases?
MP: There’s so many more possibilities, and it all takes so much less time! Everything is more affordable! So refreshing 🙂

CGL: Save Ferris began as a D.I.Y. band, then signed with a record label, and now back to D.I.Y. How has Social Media helped as a tool for doing it yourself?
MP: Social media, aside from helping in a million and one ways, most importantly allowed me to connect with the existing fans and gauge the direction for the band and the music. I was able to see that there in fact still was, a following for Save Ferris.

CGL: What advice do you have for bands starting out today?
MP: I always say the same thing: “get some grit”. Find your inner strength, which only comes from knowing and liking yourself. Once you’ve done that, you gain conviction. From there, you get tough. I call that “grit”. “Grit” will not allow you to give up under any circumstances. “Grit” helps you to see the possibilities in trying circumstances rather than the roadblocks. “Grit” allows you to go it alone if need be, without fear.

CGL: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
MP: Thanks for taking an interest in Save Ferris. It has been a long, hard road to get here. I feel so fortunate to be on the winning side today. I am just overjoyed that people still remember who we are and want to see us! So, thank you! Xo