Sierra Ferrell is a singer and songwriter with a fast-rising career, but her road to success has been an unconventional one that was plagued with poverty and addiction before she landed a record deal.
The daughter of a single mom, Ferrell grew up poor in West Virginia, but says she has been singing since she could talk. When she was in her early 20s, as the opioid epidemic was spreading, Ferrell said she fled.
"I left because I feel like I've always had this wild side to me. And I knew that if I stayed there, I probably wouldn't still be alive," she said. "And so, I left and searched for maybe myself, maybe to find out what else there is, maybe even a reason to live."
Ferrell, along with a friend, started hitchhiking.
"The very first person that picked us up, he pulled out this knife that was in a sheath and he handed it to me, and he is like, 'Take this with you. You're going to need it,'" Ferrell recalled.
When she wasn't hitching rides, Ferrell, now 35, was hopping trains.
"It felt like I was an outlaw," she said. "I felt more free."
For years, Ferrell traveled, busking on the street to get by and relying on the kindness of strangers.
"And what's also crazy about that scenario is it's usually the people who have less who give you something because they know what it's like," Ferrell said. "A lot of the people who are travelers, they're usually running from something."
Ferrell admitted she, too, was running, from addiction and past experiences. But she says they eventually caught up with her and almost led to her demise.
It was during a trip home to West Virginia when Ferrell says she relapsed with a friend, saying that "I did die."
"I just like collapsed on the floor," she said. "And I looked up, and like, Chris was like smacking me in the face. And he is like, 'Sierra, wake up.' And it was like time didn't exist anymore."
Ferrell said she saw a "pin of light" above her that appeared to get larger. Then, she said, her feelings of fear disappeared.
"And the only thing I knew that existed was pure bliss," she said. "And I saw these figures in a circle, and they knew who I was. And they're just like, 'Come, be with us. Come to us. It's time. Come home.'
Finally exhausted from her constant travels, Ferrell decided to settle down in Nashville and seek therapy.
"Taking responsibility for your actions is crucial," she expressed. "Remarkably, once you do, things in your life just start to fall into place."
Having performed at American Legion Post 82, Ferrell began to attract attention, eventually leading to a record deal and the release of her debut album.
"It's quite amusing how suddenly the spotlight shines on you, after a period of silence," she remarked.
Her latest album, "Trail of Flowers," reflects the profound insights of a woman who has thrived through her own resourcefulness.
"I needed to unleash that untamed spirit," Ferrell explained, as she embarks on a tour with the Avett Brothers and Zach Bryan this summer. "It truly grounded me."
Ferrell also embraces the positive aspects of her career.
"One must endure sorrow to truly value the happiness and understand the depth of joy it can bring," she reflected.
