Ferras
Encyclopedia
Ferras Alqaisi known as Ferras, is a Jordan
ian-American
Los Angeles-based
singer-songwriter
who has signed with EMI
as part of Capitol Records
.
town called Gillespie
. This feeling was only compounded when, shortly after his parents' divorce, his father took him to the airport, promising him a trip to Disneyland, but instead he actually spirited him away to his homeland of Amman, Jordan, an experience he often jokes about but also says was fairly "traumatic" at the time. While there, Ferras took solace in the small Casio
keyboard that his father bought him and began writing his own songs. His mother eventually succeeded in bringing him back to the United States
, but his sense of alienation persisted until they moved to Southern California
, where Ferras began pursuing a music career in earnest.
Ferras was eventually signed to EMI
's Capitol Music Group
after an audition for the label's chairman Jason Flom
while on spring break from the Berklee College of Music
. After being signed by Flom, Ferras then flew to New York City
to record demo versions of his songs, which would eventually form his debut album.
In April 2008, Ferras released his major record label debut with Aliens & Rainbows via Capitol Records
. The album was produced by The Matrix (which has co-written and produced with the likes of Katy Perry
, Avril Lavigne
, Shakira
, Heather Nova
, Jason Mraz
, Korn
, Liz Phair
, Hilary Duff
, Britney Spears
and Skye Sweetnam
) and Gary Clark (musician)
(who's worked as a writer and/or producer with artists such as Natalie Imbruglia
, Demi Lovato
, Liz Phair
, Melanie C and Lloyd Cole
). The album features the lead single "Hollywood's Not America
," which was used as the "exit song" during the semi-final round of the seventh season of the American reality series American Idol
before being replaced by a single from Ruben Studdard
. The choice gave Ferras a moderate amount of exposure and publicity for the song.
Ferras made his first national television performance on The Today Show.
Ferras co-wrote the song "Aftermath" for Adam Lambert
's debut CD For Your Entertainment
. In late September 2010, the song was a #1 single in Finland.
Ferras released an independent EP entitled "Interim" on July 2, 2010. The EP, consisting of five original acoustic songs recorded as a live performance in a studio setting, was released as a gift to his fans who have been waiting patiently for new material.
On February 8, 2010 Ferras confirmed he has started recording new music on his Twitter account. He is currently writing and recording his new album with producer Jason Pennock of the writing/production team, The Heavyweights . No song titles have been revealed, but the album is over halfway completed.
In June 2010, Australian singer Michael Paynter
released the song "Love the Fall" featuring The Veronicas
which was co-written by Ferras and Gary Clark
. It became the most added song to Australian radio in the first week of July and was the first top-20 single on the ARIA chart for Paynter. In late September 2010, the single went gold.
In January 2011, German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut
performed the song "Good News" (also title song of the album Good News
) which was co-written by Ferras and Audra Mae
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
but was not chosen for the German preselection finale.
Four tracks co-written by Ferras are included on the Ricky Martin
record "Musica+Alma+Sexo" which was released on February 1, 2011. Two of the songs translated in English, "Liar" and "Too Late Now" are available on the 2-disc deluxe edition, available exclusively through Target.
. His mother Gigi and younger sister Katie live in Santa Barbara.
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Los Angeles-based
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
who has signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
as part of Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
.
Career
Ferras grew up feeling out of place in a small IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
town called Gillespie
Gillespie, Illinois
Gillespie is a city in Macoupin County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,412 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gillespie is located at ....
. This feeling was only compounded when, shortly after his parents' divorce, his father took him to the airport, promising him a trip to Disneyland, but instead he actually spirited him away to his homeland of Amman, Jordan, an experience he often jokes about but also says was fairly "traumatic" at the time. While there, Ferras took solace in the small Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
keyboard that his father bought him and began writing his own songs. His mother eventually succeeded in bringing him back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but his sense of alienation persisted until they moved to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, where Ferras began pursuing a music career in earnest.
Ferras was eventually signed to EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Capitol Music Group
Capitol Music Group
Capitol Music Group is a major record label, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMI.-History:It was formed in February 2007 as a merger of Virgin Records and Capitol Records in an effort by EMI to restructure and save an average of $217 million yearly...
after an audition for the label's chairman Jason Flom
Jason Flom
Jason Flom is an American music industry executive. He has served as the Chairman and CEO of music labels including Atlantic Records, Virgin Records, and the Capitol Music Group. In 1995, he founded Lava Records...
while on spring break from the Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
. After being signed by Flom, Ferras then flew to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to record demo versions of his songs, which would eventually form his debut album.
In April 2008, Ferras released his major record label debut with Aliens & Rainbows via Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. The album was produced by The Matrix (which has co-written and produced with the likes of Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
, Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
, Shakira
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll , known professionally as Shakira , is a Colombian singer who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s...
, Heather Nova
Heather Nova
Heather Nova, is a Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet. She has released eight full-length albums and has found lasting success in Germany where two of her albums South and Storm have made their way into the Top-5 of German official album chart.-Biography:Heather Nova was born in Bermuda...
, Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
, Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
, Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
, Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...
, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
and Skye Sweetnam
Skye Sweetnam
Skye Alexandra Sweetnam is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress, and music video director. Skye first entered the mainstream in 2003 with the release of her debut single "Billy S." Over a year later, her debut album, Noise from the Basement, was released including the singles "Tangled Up in Me"...
) and Gary Clark (musician)
Gary Clark (musician)
Gary Clark is a Scottish musician who formed a band with his brother Kit Clark, and long time friend, Ged Grimes in 1984, initially under the name of Spencer Tracy...
(who's worked as a writer and/or producer with artists such as Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia is an Australian singer-songwriter, model and actress. In the early 1990s, Imbruglia was known to audiences as Beth Brennan in the popular Australian soap Neighbours. Three years after leaving the programme, Imbruglia launched a singing career with the international hit,...
, Demi Lovato
Demi Lovato
"She’s got the range, the full emotional spectrum, incredible control… Vocally, she’s the best thing Disney’s had since Christina Aguilera."—Producer Toby Gad on Demi Lovato's vocals...
, Liz Phair
Liz Phair
Phair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
, Melanie C and Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
). The album features the lead single "Hollywood's Not America
Hollywood's Not America
"Hollywood's Not America" is a song by American pop singer/songwriter Ferras and is featured on his debut studio album, Aliens & Rainbows. It was released on January 29, 2008, as the lead single from that album....
," which was used as the "exit song" during the semi-final round of the seventh season of the American reality series American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
before being replaced by a single from Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard
Christopher Theodore Ruben Studdard , best known as Ruben Studdard, is an American R&B, pop, and gospel singer. He rose to fame as winner of the second season of American Idol...
. The choice gave Ferras a moderate amount of exposure and publicity for the song.
Ferras made his first national television performance on The Today Show.
Ferras co-wrote the song "Aftermath" for Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
's debut CD For Your Entertainment
For Your Entertainment (album)
For Your Entertainment is the debut studio album by Adam Lambert, the American Idol season 8 runner-up. It was released on November 23, 2009...
. In late September 2010, the song was a #1 single in Finland.
Ferras released an independent EP entitled "Interim" on July 2, 2010. The EP, consisting of five original acoustic songs recorded as a live performance in a studio setting, was released as a gift to his fans who have been waiting patiently for new material.
On February 8, 2010 Ferras confirmed he has started recording new music on his Twitter account. He is currently writing and recording his new album with producer Jason Pennock of the writing/production team, The Heavyweights . No song titles have been revealed, but the album is over halfway completed.
In June 2010, Australian singer Michael Paynter
Michael Paynter
Michael Paynter , is an Australian singer-songwriter. Paynter has released four singles, "Closer", "A Victim Song", "Love the Fall" and "How Sweet It Is", from his upcoming debut studio album, This Welcome Diversion is set for a release in 2011.-Early life:Paynter began playing instruments from a...
released the song "Love the Fall" featuring The Veronicas
The Veronicas
The Veronicas are an Australian electrorock, pop-punk and rock band. Twin sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso formed the band in 1999 in Brisbane. They have their own line of clothing which was released in 2007....
which was co-written by Ferras and Gary Clark
Gary Clark
Gary C. Clark is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League who played for the Washington Redskins , Phoenix Cardinals and Miami Dolphins .-Early life:...
. It became the most added song to Australian radio in the first week of July and was the first top-20 single on the ARIA chart for Paynter. In late September 2010, the single went gold.
In January 2011, German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut , known professionally as Lena, is a German singer-songwriter. She represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, Norway, and won the contest with the song "Satellite"...
performed the song "Good News" (also title song of the album Good News
Good News (Lena album)
- Charts :- Sales and certifications :-Release history:-External links:* on YouTube...
) which was co-written by Ferras and Audra Mae
Audra Mae
Audra Mae is an American singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Audra Mae is the great-great-niece of Judy Garland, who was her great-grandmother's sister....
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
but was not chosen for the German preselection finale.
Four tracks co-written by Ferras are included on the Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
record "Musica+Alma+Sexo" which was released on February 1, 2011. Two of the songs translated in English, "Liar" and "Too Late Now" are available on the 2-disc deluxe edition, available exclusively through Target.
Personal life
Ferras currently resides in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. His mother Gigi and younger sister Katie live in Santa Barbara.
Albums and EPs
| Album information |
|---|
| Aliens & Rainbows Aliens & Rainbows Aliens & Rainbows is the debut album by the American pop rock singer-songwriter Ferras. It was released digitally on iTunes on March 11, 2008, but wasn't released to stores in CD format until April 1, 2008. The album is preceded by lead single "Hollywood's Not America", as featured on reality TV...
|
| EP information |
|---|
| Interim - The Time Between
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Hollywood's Not America Hollywood's Not America "Hollywood's Not America" is a song by American pop singer/songwriter Ferras and is featured on his debut studio album, Aliens & Rainbows. It was released on January 29, 2008, as the lead single from that album.... " Produced and engineered by the Matrix and Gary Clark |
Aliens & Rainbows Aliens & Rainbows Aliens & Rainbows is the debut album by the American pop rock singer-songwriter Ferras. It was released digitally on iTunes on March 11, 2008, but wasn't released to stores in CD format until April 1, 2008. The album is preceded by lead single "Hollywood's Not America", as featured on reality TV... |
| 2008 | "Liberation Day" | |
| 2008 | "Rush" - Produced by the Matrix and Gary Clark | |
| 2010 | "Wall Around My Heart" | Interim - The Time Between |