CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Sierra Ferrell’s phone number still has a 304 area code.
The Charleston native, who spends much of her time now in Nashville, said that’s partly because of her love for West Virginia. “I’m also still on the family plan from back home,” she said.
Ferrell said her work as a singer has brought her back to the Mountain State on occasion, with gigs in Morgantown and Huntington, but she can’t recall the last time she was in Charleston.
That changes this week, as Ferrell returns to the Capital City for a Mountain Stage performance 7 p.m. Sunday at the Culture Center.
The show not only marks Ferrell’s return to Charleston, but Mountain Stage’s return to live music. Sunday night’s performance, which will be streamed online, is the first for Mountain Stage since Feb. 23.
Because of safety measures in place due to the ongoing pandemic, Ferrell and the other musicians will be performing to a mostly empty house, save for a few camera operators and show staff.
Still, the singer said getting to perform on Mountain Stage is a treat.
“I’ve always wanted to play Mountain Stage,” she said. “I’m so grateful to get the chance.”
Getting to perform on the show will be like coming home - almost.
“I used to live next door, on Franklin Road,” she said.
Ferrell burst onto the local music scene nearly a decade ago as the lead singer for the popular rock band 600lbs of Sin. She was charismatic, wildly talented and had a stunning voice, but was also a little eccentric.
A little over eight years ago, Ferrell left Charleston. In a 2012 interview, Mike Pushkin, who played with Ferrell in 600lbs of Sin, said he heard Ferrell had hopped a train like an old school hobo and rode off into the sunset.
“I just wanted to do that for a while. I was romanticizing about a lot of that,” Ferrell said. “There’ve been so many chapters in my life. You just look back and say, ‘That happened?’ ”
After leaving Charleston, Ferrell said she hitchhiked, caught trains and occasionally toured with friends. Her trips took her around the country. She ended up in Nashville a couple of times, but also spent time in Seattle.
“But I needed to get away from that,” Ferrell said.
Nashville was a better place for her, she said, though it took a little time for her to find her feet.
“I love it,” she said. “There are just so many good players here. You’re never short of players.”
Eventually, Ferrell found a home with The Cowpokes, a vintage country-western band that played traditional honky-tonk music at American Legion Post 82, in Nashville.
“It was every Tuesday night,” she said. “It was something I looked forward to.”
The gig was good exposure for Ferrell, but she was dissatisfied. The Cowpokes played songs from the 1930s and 1940s. She said she loved the music, but wanted to step out on her own and do her own material.
“I played around town and created a little buzz,” she said.
She soon attracted the attention of Rounder Records, which signed her to a multiple record deal and helped her land a slot opening for the Avett Brothers during the band’s Dominican Republic Festival.
“It took about a year to make that happen,” Ferrell said. “There’s a process. You’ve got to build a team, and also do your part.
“I feel like we have a little family now.”
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