It’s been a whirlwind summer for out singer-songwriter Ferras. Superstar Katy Perry picked him to be the first artist she signed to her record label, Metamorphosis Music, and quickly released his self-titled EP in time for him to join her as the opening act for her Prismatic Tour.
It’s quite the rebound for Ferras, who released his debut album, “Aliens & Rainbows,” on Capitol Records in 2008. It wasn’t the out-of-the-box success that label-mate Perry’s “One of the Boys” was, which was released the same year, and Ferras said he soon fell off Capitol’s radar. He then spent the next few years as an independent artist and a songwriter for other singers like Adam Lambert and Ricky Martin.
“After my contract fizzled with Capitol in 2008, there was a change of hands at the label and I got lost in the shuffle,” he said. “I did go into the studio to start working on my own stuff independently because I felt like I needed to do something on my own and express myself without having to answer to anyone. To start making money for myself and live and support myself, I ended up writing for other artists. During that time I never really gave up on the idea of doing this again but you kind of go where opportunity is. When Katy came to me with the offer to be her first signing to her new label, it was a no-brainer for me because it was an amazing opportunity and it was something I still wanted to do. So here I am.”
Having one of pop music’s biggest stars take you under her wing in a major label deal has some advantages, Ferras said, but at the end of the day it’s still a business and he’s expected to live up to its expectations.
“It’s certainly friendlier but I don’t think that takes any responsibility away from myself in terms of having to perform and to keep myself where I’m at,” he said. “It kind of sucks but when you are signed to a major label, if you are not connecting and there isn’t something happening around your project, then people aren’t going to spend money on it to keep it alive. It’s still a machine essentially and it takes a lot to run that machine regardless of who that is. It still is pressure but I can handle it. I’m in a good space and I have a lot of people rooting for me.”
Ferras’ self-titled EP finds him creating more lush and orchestrated soulful pop songs than what was heard on his debut album, showcasing his growth as an artist.
“It’s a different side of me,” he said. “This is more real to who I am now. People change and in 2008 I was much younger and it was a producer-driven record. With this record, it’s more me. I’m at the helm of it, directing things and making sure things are happening the way I want them to. I feel creatively connected to it.”
Ferras added that he put out an EP instead of a full-length album mostly because there wasn’t enough time before he had to hit the road to open for Perry.
“Aside from EPs being the new thing, in a way it was a taste of what I am going for right now,” he said. “It was a timing thing as well. From the time I got signed with Katy to the time of the tour, there wasn’t very much time. In all honesty, I didn’t want to rush a full-length and have it not be the best it could be. I wanted to take five songs that I thought were strong and put those out. I wanted to make the tour. I just wanted to have something out so I can go on tour and not feel too rushed about it.”
Ferras said he will likely jump into recording a full-length album once the tour wraps up this fall.
“I’m going to go into the studio and get a head start because after the tour is over for me, I go back into the studio to finish up the record,” he said. “I definitely want to finish the album before I go back out on the road. There will be a few of the songs from the EP and a whole lot of new ones as well. I definitely have a lot more that I want to say now. After having had a month and a half away from writing and recording and wracking my brain, now I actually feel like I can get some inspiration. I’m not in my head anymore and there are definitely some things I want to say.”
Even though his own career has been reignited, Ferras said he would still write for other artists should the opportunity arise.
“Sometimes I’ll write a song and I’ll feel not connected to it for myself and I’ll know it is for somebody else,” he said. “I will continue to do that as well.”
In the meantime, he has a few months of performing for thousands of eager concertgoers to keep him busy.
“The tour is amazing,” he said. “It’s such an incredible opportunity to be able to go out in front of that many people every night and feel the energy of the crowd. I remember sitting in my parents’ house with my hairbrush as a microphone and dreaming that I was surrounded by thousands of people. I’m kind of doing that now. To be able to actually live your dream is an amazing thing. Katy’s fans have been very kind to me and have been very welcoming and embraced me. It feels good to know that they are into the music as well and not just responding to me because I have something to do with Katy. To know they are responding to the music and the lyrics is amazing.”
Ferras opens for Katy Perry 7 p.m. Aug. 4 and 5 at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St. For more information, visit www.ohferras.com.