About That Song: Michael Ferrier of Fathom Lane
About That Song #19
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
In the 19th edition of this series, I connected with Michael Ferrier, the singer-songwriter behind Minneapolis folk-rock group Fathom Lane. We had an amazing conversation about his very first show, the song that made him feel like a real songwriter, and more.
Michael Ferrier of Fathom Lane. Photo credit: Darin Back.
Sarah: Hi Michael!
Congrats on the release of In The Driftless—it’s a gorgeous record! It’s so lovely to have a chance to talk about songwriting with you. Do you remember the song that you heard that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Michael: I grew up in the heyday of John Denver mania. Yes, I can confirm that it was definitely a thing! He was everywhere in the early 70s and my parents were huge fans, even taking me to a John Denver show when I was just 5 years old. The opener? Kenny Rogers and First Edition.
Sarah: UM THAT IS AN AMAZING CONCERT!!! Your 5-year old self was very lucky!
Michael: I was hooked by the sheer joy I felt hearing his plaintive tenor and his incredibly catchy and poignant songs. The aching feeling I got from hearing “Leaving on a Jet Plane” showed me early on that sad songs can sometimes and somehow make you happy even if I didn’t really know it at the time. But the song that definitely started me on my artistic and performing journey was “(Take Me Home) Country Roads.”
As the story goes, one morning at the start of kindergarten I informed my teacher, Mrs. Woehnker, that there was going to be a concert after snack time. She was clearly taken aback: “Oh, really?” “Yes!” I exclaimed. “I will be giving a concert after snack time.” Bless her, she went along with my plan, and after snack time she announced to my class that there was going to be a special concert by Mike (as I was called then), and moved a table front and center to serve as my stage, making sure that everyone had a good view.
This was my do-or-die moment, and I seized my opportunity. I stepped up on the stage, greeted my tittering crowd as I had seen John Denver do so many times on his TV variety show. And then I launched into an a capella rendition of “Country Roads.” Suddenly all eyes were on me and I felt a wave of nervousness coursing through me, and I just about fell silent. But I looked up and there was Mrs. Woehnker at the back of the class, huge smile on her face, lip syncing along with me as I hit that first “Take me hooooooome!” I was hooked forever.
All these years later, I’ve realized that however “uncool” it is, John Denver turned me on to so much great songwriting. The first time I heard “Let It Be” was sung by him, and “Fire and Rain,” “Junk,” and so many others. Shout out to John Denver!
Sarah: I will shout out to John Denver with you and let’s shout out Mrs. Woehnker, too! And Mike—he sounds brave and awesome! Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it—was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I AM a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
Michael: That song for me is definitely “Sugardown” from our second, self-titled album. I’d been writing songs for years at that point, but nothing with the level of sophistication, unique lyrical phrasing, and sexy steaminess that I achieved with that song. It has a double chorus, which was something new to me, but it really provided a “payoff” musical moment that I love in so many songs I admire by my favorite writers.
I distinctly remember an important moment as I presented the song to the rest of the band: Bassist Doan Roessler looked up at me after a run-through and said “Dude. That song is truly great.” That choked me up right on the spot because he doesn’t hand out compliments easily. That song became my personal measuring stick from that point—I think it’s great to have those touchstones to help ensure that you’re growing as a writer and not just spinning your wheels.
Sarah: It’s great to have those songs as touchstones, and also those people as touchstones—the ones who you know are always in your corner and will keep you pointed toward the great thing. As a listener/viewer, I remember being blown away by that song and the video that accompanied it, so bravo!
With Fathom Lane, you are the songwriter and the lead singer—was there a song you wrote that led you to the releasing of music under the name of the band, rather than your own name? If so, can you tell us about that song?
Michael: The name of the band comes from the song “Miles” from our first album Down By Half (2012). The lyric goes “Counting headlights / Cold on Fathom Lane / Get a late ride / Roll back home again.” The street name in the lyric comes from a meandering drive I was taking in the Anoka area and I found myself a bit lost. Stopping at a random corner to get my bearings, I looked up and saw a street sign that said FATHOM LN, and I just liked the way it sounded and made a note of it and later worked it into the lyrics of “Miles.”
As the project was taking shape in the studio, it was such a collaborative effort to bring the songs to life, which made me think that I didn’t want to name the project after my own name. I also felt that having a “band” name would help us stand out in the crowd a bit and offer a bit of mystery to our potential audience and the press. So, I threw out the idea to everyone to name it after that lyric and that’s how we became Fathom Lane. The seriously weird thing about this is that I cannot find “Fathom Ln” on a map of the area I was in. So, did I dream that name somehow, or mis-read a street sign? I’m not sure, but it’s very magical to me.
Fathom Lane. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah: Ooh, I love that story! Also, I am intrigued by the notion of having a band name to “offer a bit of mystery.” That rings true (says Sarah Morris who has always just been Sarah Morris and is zero parts mysterious—ha!).
As dedicated as you are to songwriting, on your new album, you cover local legend Mary Cutrufello, with her song “Sad Songs and Waltzes Revisited.” Can you tell us about that song; what it means to you, why it belonged on this album?
Michael: I met Mary at one of Jim Walsh’s famous Hootenannys where songwriters shared new and favorite songs with each other and an audience. She performed “Sad Songs and Waltzes Revisited” there, and even before she started singing the song I was intrigued by the title. Sad songs and waltzes? Sign me up! Those are what I do!
Sarah: Yes! Sign me up, too!
Michael: And then I heard the song, and it was just so perfect for where I was emotionally and in life. The lyrics “I guess I’m through thinking ’bout leaving, I guess I’m through dreaming ’bout gone” encapsulated—in so few words, and in such a simple way—where I found myself at the time. But the payoff for me was the chorus “Gonna buy me a pickup / And pick up my pieces / And find me a good cowboy band.” The simple encouragement of these lines were what I needed to hear at the time, and I wanted to own that song for myself. After the Hoot was finished, we spoke for a while and I asked her if she’d be open to Fathom Lane covering the song. Thank goodness she was thrilled to be asked, and we made the version heard on In The Driftless. It’s become one of my favorite songs to sing in our set!
Sarah: Those are some perfect lines, whoa! Also, that’s the kind of magic that would happen at Jim Walsh’s Hootenannys! Sigh! So where can we hear Fathom Lane sing this song (or any other song for that matter) next?
Michael: We have a show coming up at one of our very favorite venues, The Turf Club, on Saturday November 4th. We’re playing with one of my favorite Canadian bands, Great Lake Swimmers, and the combination of the two bands is really perfect. Their sound echoes artists like Low, Red House Painters, Nick Drake, and Sufjan Stevens. They’re on a huge North American tour this fall, so we’re thrilled to be a part of their Minnesota stop.
Sarah: Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your songwriter story with us today, Michael! Cheers to you, and to Mike :)
Get tickets to the Nov. 4 Fathom Lane and Great Lake Swimmers show at the Turf Club! Doors are at 7:30pm and music starts at 8:30.
Listen to In The Driftless
In The Driftless Album Credits
Produced by Matt Patrick & Michael Ferrier, recorded at The Library Studio in NE Minneapolis
Michael Ferrier//vox, acoustic guitar
Ashleigh Still//vox, keys
Matt Patrick//vox, electric guitar
Shane Akers//lap steel, dobro
Paul Boblett//bass
Alex Young//drums
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
