New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Southern California ska heroes Save Ferris have dropped their first new original song since 2017, the holiday single "Xmas Blue", a lonely Christmas tale of a heart longing for a loved one who is not there.
Save Ferris leader Monique Powell said, "I wrote the song about someone I knew that went through a hard divorce, and even two years later was still so obsessed with his ex-wife that it was borderline stalking."
Powell added, "I'm excited to give this present to fans as a warmup for what is to come in 2024 with all new music that I've been working on and is ready for release!"
Save Ferris teamed with the newly-launched music community platform We Are Giant to give fans a preview of the release.
"Social media is littered with so much other content that by partnering with We Are Giant, it allows me to directly connect with Save Ferris fans in a much more intimate way," said Powell.
"Save Ferris' die-hard fans are a testament to the important role the band has had in shaping ska music. Working with an artist like Save Ferris is a dream situation for us, as they've spent decades building and nurturing an incredible global fanbase. Our platform is built to help artists super-serve their top supporters in healthy and sustainable communities, and we're excited to be working with a group that truly understands the importance of our mission," said Andy Apple, Founder and CEO of We Are Giant. Stream "Xmas Blue" below:
Save Ferris has lined up two shows in early 2024, including an appearance at Cali Vibes Festival in Long Beach, CA on February 17.
Upcoming Shows:
Sat, FEB 3, 2024 - Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO
Sat, FEB 17, 2024 -Cali Vibes 2024 - Long Beach, CA
Formed in 1995, Save Ferris remains one of the seminal and most beloved bands from the third wave of ska. The group's Orange County home was fertile ground for a thriving music scene, with punk, rock, and ska emerging from the region. Save Ferris blended the best elements of these sounds to help bring the region's sound to the world.
The group's humble beginnings saw them play house parties and local venues, powered by Monique Powell's high-octane vocals. Save Ferris' live show instantly became a hit. As the word spread, the band got a much-needed boost. Legendary LA radio station KROQ got a hold of the band's self-released album and started playing their cover of Dexys Midnight Runners "Come on Eileen" and the response was overwhelming. Soon thereafter, station head Kevin Weatherly added the track to the station's regular rotation. All of this happened independently without a record label and with Powell serving as the singer and band manager.
Major labels started noticing the buzz that was emanating from Orange County. In 1996, the band won a Grammy showcase award for best unsigned band, and with Epic Records' David Massey as one of the judges, Save Ferris would sign with the label. Epic re-released the Introducing Save Ferris EP and, in 1997, Save Ferris unleashed their debut album, It Means Everything. Save Ferris toured the world for the better part of the next six years, with 1999's Modified released during that time.
In 2003, the band went on a hiatus. Starting in 2004, Powell switched gears and used her vocal talents to become a go-to studio musician. She appeared on albums for The Used, Goldfinger, Foxy Shazam, Mest, and Hilary Duff, among many others. Slowly, however, Powell started having health issues. In 2015, after years of painful back issues, she underwent a risky procedure to fix her broken neck that could have damaged her greatest musical weapon: her vocal cords. Ahead of the procedure, Powell made a promise to her father, who had been begging her to return to the stage: if the surgery was successful, she'd bring back Save Ferris. And it was a success.
That year, Powell, with a new cast of characters, reformed Save Ferris. The hype surrounding the band was massive. After months of rehabilitation, Powell brought Save Ferris home to Orange County where it played a sold-out show at the Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa. Another giant show at the SantaMonica Pier, with over 20,000 people in attendance, was put out on vinyl. These raucous shows proved that the band wasn't just back, but ready to roar.
Through a crowdfunded campaign in 2016, Powell and her bandmates went into the studio to record a new EP. Titled Checkered Past, the collection was released the following year, and produced by John Avila of Oingo Boingo. The EP featured an appearance by Neville Staple of The Specials, one of Powell's favorite artists.
Following Checkered Past's release, Save Ferris played the entire 2017 Warped Tour on the main stage, headlined shows, and played festivals across the world.
The future is as bright as it has been for Save Ferris in a long time. Powell scrapped a record she wrote prior to the pandemic and is currently at work on the first new Save Ferris album in nearly two decades. The band recently packed the House of Blues in Anaheim, playing in front of fans of all ages. Powell is the centerpiece of the action. Her dazzling on- stage presence continues to wow audiences and the band's energy is infectious. Save Ferris are out to prove that they're no nostalgia act, with their best days still ahead of them.
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We Are Giant is a new artist community platform, purpose-built for the music industry. Backed by Sterling Partners and headquartered in Los Angeles, We Are Giant is focused on fundamentally transforming the relationship between artists and fans. The platform offers centralized solutions for artists to cultivate and own their direct-to-fan relationships, build revenue, leverage new engagement channels, and transform their audience into a true community.
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