Rising star Ferry Townes (Julia Gargano) was born and raised in Staten Island and began penning songs before she was even 10 years old. Following her impressive ascent to the top 7 in American Idol (Season 18) and a year spent crafting music in Los Angeles, she found her artistic identity by reconnecting with her New York roots.With a fresh batch of songs chronicling the last few years of her life, she’s ready to carve out her place as an upcoming voice in the singer-songwriter scene.
Ferry Townes’ debut album Side Effects Of Happiness, released July 26th, is a 13 track exploration of life in your early 20’s. Diving headfirst into the complexities of navigating early adulthood, Ferry Townes leaves no stone unturned by bringing difficult emotions to light in her lyricism. It’s vulnerable, it’s authentic, it’s raw. Her captivating lyricism paired with her stunning voice and lush instrumentals come together into a perfect storytelling concoction.
Ahead of the announcement of her album, I sat down with Ferry Townes to talk about Side Effects Of Happiness, and this era of her musical journey.
Brigid Young: Thank you so much for taking the time to hop on here today! Firstly, I wanted to congratulate you on the first two singles you’ve released from your upcoming record! How are you feeling about the response so far?
Ferry Townes: I think the most exciting part of these releases… they’re just the most authentic releases I’ve had in a really long time. To me, that’s a huge success. I’m approaching this leg of my career a little differently. I think they just feel very rewarding, just by the nature of them being something I’m so proud of. In that sense, it’s been incredible. I just feel good about what I’m putting out. It’s been really sweet.
BY: Absolutely. I wanted to specifically ask you about your most recent single, “T.G.F.K,” I’m obsessed with how it’s about your best friend. Can you tell me a bit about that friendship and how it inspired the song?
FT: So Kyle, who is the “K” in “T.G.F.K. (Thank God For Kyle),” we met in college. You know when you have a soulmate best friend? You just really feel a super special connection? That was Kyle for me. We moved to L.A. together. Being his roommate just even more nailed in the fact that we are meant to be friends. He is just so funny and kind, and all of the adjectives that are positive. One day I was just looking at him. I do write a lot of songs about a lot of people. I was really inspired by… just him. All of his moving parts, all of his quirks. I knew he needed a song. And I knew it had to be by me! I had to be the first!
BY: I love it! I also have to ask about the next upcoming single on the record, that was a stand out to me. “Times Two.” It’s so upbeat, I’m obsessed with that vibe. I think it’s my favorite off the album.
FT: Thank you! I’m super excited about that one. That one… it was my first time in Europe ever. I went on a writing trip to Sweden, and I started doing some sessions with this producer Yohan Lindebrandt. We had insane musical chemistry, we actually wrote way more songs than we thought we were going to originally. He’s such a brilliant producer. It was so much fun coming up with the concept, “Times Two” is about years passing and an old ex resurfacing like nothing ever happened. Just having a fun, cheeky time answering their call when you’re a little tipsy, getting all your truth out with a smile on your face. Between the fun nature of the message and how true it is in my life… Yohan gets so creative with the production. There was a time when he was shushing me because I was playing the piano and humming, and the “shhh” he did became part of the percussion. He’s very crafty. “Times Two” is just such a fun song, I usually don’t make music that sounds like that. It was really exciting to do it, and to be so proud of.
BY: It definitely stood out to me! Production wise and the lyrical themes. I was like, this is everything!
FT: That is so good to hear!
BY: Can you tell me about your experience with music growing up? When did it click that this is what you wanted to pursue?
FT: I never really was as passionate about anything else, from the time I was able to explore music. It started super young, I started on drums, taking lessons when I was six. I started to write songs and little poems, became a little songwriter. I don’t really have any other skill sets that could get me far in any other job [laughs]. I’ve always been so blessed and lucky enough where I’ve always worked really hard and done it every day. I put in 10,000 hours, it never stops. Opportunities just kind of… came. And it’s awesome that it’s working out like that, because this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. But yeah, I’ve always been writing and singing, and performing. I knew something was going to work out. That doesn’t mean mega fame or success, but just me making a living off of music. It’s really fun to see how this path is unfolding, how I get to keep putting out my music and that being my main gig. It’s sweet.
BY: It seems the goal for you is more self fulfillment than anything else.
FT: Yeah! Self fulfillment is definitely my driving goal. There’s obviously times where it’s super easy to get lazy nowadays, like, ‘oh, I’m just going to write my songs and opportunities will come my way.’ There’s a lot of moving parts that you have to be on top of. That has humbled me, always [laughs]. Success to me… I have my own definition of what that looks like. Which, I’m happy [about]. It’s so easy to be like ‘I need to be super famous, I need to have this many playlist placements.’ That never drove me. It was more so being authentic, and putting out music that I love. Which is cool because this is what this project feels like to me.
BY: Like you mentioned, you were living in L.A., and then you moved back to New York. What was that transition like, and how do you feel that New York has influenced your sound? Those are the two main cities for the entertainment industry, what was your experience like between the two of them?
FT: I love what a mix I’ve taken from both. In L.A. I really had a fun time experimenting with different producers, I found a really cool sound that I love. But moving back to New York… that’s where all my stories are. That’s where my family is, where my friends are. There’s so much of me in Staten Island and in New York City, I had so much more to write about. I was so much more inspired being back home. I needed to go back to New York for many reasons, but that was a huge one. I’m a huge family gal. It’s where I felt most inspired. They are both insane music cities. I have a couple groups of different producers I love equally, it’s just finding those people… it’s so nice to visit one of those states and have people there that you love creating with.
BY: It’s nice to have a place where your roots are, but be able to branch out creatively as well.
FT: Yeah, I think being a twentysomething and moving back home with your parents… it’s such a weird experience after being on your own and doing life. I was just feeling so many different feelings. I was relearning a lot about myself, and what it meant to be a young adult. That’s where all of the songs kind of came from. It was just a very honest experience, me just feeling a little bit like a loser [laughs].
BY: That’s what being in your twenties is about!
FT: Yeah! It gave me something.
BY: I did actually want to ask about your relationship with your family, and how you feel that it impacts your artistry. I specifically wanted to ask about your brother Jackson, who has autism, because I also have a sibling with a disability! My sister has Down syndrome. When I read that about you, I was like: we’re locked in!
FT: We’re locked in! This is perfect! I’m so happy you asked me about him. He’s my favorite thing to talk about. Jack was a gift to my family, to everyone. There’s something about the autism community… there’s no ego. I’ve never met a more resilient group of people. Jackson, specifically, not to generalize! Jack is always smiling, and he is nonverbal. Watching him grow up, being a young boy, not being able to ask questions about life or tell his parents a nightmare or a bellyache… There’s something about that independence and resilience. We can all learn a lot from people like Jack. I constantly do.
He’s my phone screensaver, it’s him on the beach with a smile on his face. I always meditate on that in the morning, you know. ‘Be a little more like Jack today.’ He is very grounding to me. Spending time with him is always a reset, I just stop thinking about myself. Such a genuine human, and such a genuine connection. That is so inspiring. It helps me regulate. Being around him, being amazed by what he is able to do. That usually gets overlooked, with people in that community, because people don’t take the time to understand them. Once you’re close with somebody, your whole world is changed.
Going back to what I was saying, I just feel more regulated. I have a chance to take a deep breath and get out of my own ego and head, just after spending time with him. I just have so much more mental space to write and be creative, and stop thinking about myself. He’s so good. I bet you can tell, I’m a little obsessed with Jackson!
BY: It’s such a unique experience and perspective, growing up alongside someone with a disability.
FT: A million percent.
BY: I find it’s sometimes hard to talk about it with people who aren’t siblings, who can’t fully relate. People will try to chime in with things like, ‘oh, my distant cousin has autism,’ which doesn’t give you the same perspective of growing up alongside someone.
FT: Yeah. Exactly. I didn’t really know anybody… I had never spent time with anyone who had autism. Let alone nonverbal. I had maybe met some people [in passing]. But when someone is really close to you, and you get to be around them… it’s special. I genuinely say that he is the coolest. It’s such a gift to be close to somebody like that, you know what I mean? It puts so much into perspective. They have so many superpowers. We’re lucky.
BY: We are.
FT: I’m so happy you asked me about him. My day is made!
BY: I love it! I am so glad we’re able to connect on that. Sort of in the same vein, going back to mental space and feelings, a lot of these songs are super vulnerable. “Fear of Being Alone” stood out for sure, and even “Salt.” What was it like revisiting those mental spaces in the studio and channeling those feelings into songs like this?
FT: This is such a corny beginning to this answer, but I’ll tell you why it’s so therapeutic to me. I’ll feel a feeling, and be very aware that I probably won’t handle it right in the moment. To have a space to explore whatever I’m feeling, to the most dramatic extent if I want to, or not… it’s a life saver, truly. With songs like “Salt,” that’s a song about me being really bitter that I had a chance with somebody and then I turned them down. Then they started to move on, and I’m like, ‘that’s the worst thing ever!’ Just getting to really be honest about all of that, not having to speak to another human about my feelings in a direct way is so good for me. It really is the place that I go… I feel things really heavily, to my detriment. It’s been an amazing practice to not make it anyone else’s problem, which is easy to do when you’re a big feeler. I go and I just explore the whole situation, dissect it like I want to. That’s what those songs usually wind up being.
BY: It’s therapy!
FT: It is, in the sense that I can talk it through with myself. I give myself that time before I confront somebody, or X Y and Z. It’s like journaling, almost. You look back and read all of it… It’s a nice space to let out all of the drama.
BY: Totally. What does your songwriting process usually look like? Do you have a routine, or does it usually vary?
FT: I go in waves. The season that I’m in right now, I just try to keep my eyes and ears wide open through every conversation I have, every walk, every meal that I eat. It’s crazy when you realize how much gold is around you. So what I do is, I probably write down thirty one-liners a day in my notes app. Random thoughts, random things. Then I’ll kind of branch them out, start with what I call ‘word spills’ where I write every single thing. I put one lyric at the top of the screen or piece of paper, and just write everything that comes to mind. No filter. I’ll write and write, then underline my favorite lines and build from there. I’m in much more of a lyric headspace now. I used to be much more obsessed with chord changes, trying to be interesting in that way. Now I’m super lyric focused. I’m writing all the time, to my detriment! I can be talking to somebody and have my notes app. Which is rude!
BY: It’s for the art, for the sake of the art!
FT: Yeah, it’s for the art! [laughs]
BY: You’ve been songwriting since you were super young, how do you feel that your relationship with songwriting has changed?
FT: I used to write every day. It’s crazy to look back on it now, it’s my full time career now and I do it more often for other reasons. [There’s] quiet time, normally I’ll just close Spotify, not listen to any music, lay in silence, not pick up my guitar. God, no. I mourn that sometimes, but it comes back. When I’m in different spaces, traveling. Sometimes it can be really silent, and I feel like it doesn’t come as natural to me. But, that’s part of being a writer. I’m sure you can ask whoever’s a writer and they’ll tell you a similar thing.
Now, I’m starting to get back after being in the ‘music business industry’ for a couple of years now and doing it professionally. I’m finally returning to a space where I don’t care about numbers… I’m saying this right now as a mantra. I don’t care about that, I care about putting out art I love that means something to me. That’s made the writing process so much more fun again, and therapeutic, and necessary. I’m signed to this label Licorice Pizza now, the guy who signed me, Kerry Brown, gives me full creative control. He’s old school in that way, where he’s like, ‘all I want you to do is make music that makes you feel good.’ It’s really cool. I’m 26, you have all these expectations when you’re younger. It’s just cool to finally get to this spot where I’m confident. Being a young woman is just hard, alone, besides being on television or X Y and Z.
BY: When it comes to the album, do you have a particular song that you are most excited for people to hear? Do you have a favorite? That’s probably a tough question!
FT: It’s tough but in the best way possible, because I have a full album of songs that feel like singles to me. Not sonically, but just by how excited I am about them. I’ve spent the past 3 years subconsciously making this album. I was just practicing my craft and traveling, writing off of some really raw stuff. If I had to pick a few… “Ruby,” even “Salt” too, I love that song. I love playing it live. “Salt” and “Ruby” would be my two. They’re fun to me in different ways.
BY: Absolutely. To wrap up, what do you hope listeners take away from this album?
FT: I would hope that they took away… taking all these situations in life for what they are. Feeling the sad when you’re sad, finding the humor in things when you need to laugh about it. Having little crushes that will last your entire life. All of these little feelings that you feel, I think there’s so much beauty behind them. I explored them in this album. I went through so many highs and lows and came out with this album. I think it’s more of the sense of recognizing these feelings, and celebrating them.
Listen to Side Effects of Happiness here!
