Sierra Ferrell

Sierra Elizabeth Ferrell (born August 3, 1988) is an American singer-songwriter and musician from West Virginia, whose music incorporates elements of folk, bluegrass, and gypsy jazz, and styles such as tango and calypso music.

After self-releasing the albums Pretty Magic Spell in 2018 and Washington by the Sea in 2019, she released Long Time Coming in 2021 with Rounder Records, to critical acclaim. Accompanying videos for singles "The Sea", "In Dreams", and "Bells of Every Chapel" (featuring Billy Strings) were uploaded to her YouTube channel in the weeks and months preceding the Long Time Coming 's release. Ferrell stayed with the label for her fourth album Trail of Flowers in March 2024, which won her four Grammy Awards.

Early life Sierra Ferrell was born in Charleston, West Virginia. After her parents divorced when she was around five years old, she lived with her mother and one of her two siblings in a trailer. This led to her spending less time with electronics and more time exploring outside. Despite her home state's deep-rooted history in bluegrass music, Ferrell instead grew up listening to cassette tapes of '90s music that her mother owned, taking interest in such acts as 10,000 Maniacs and Tracy Chapman.

Ferrell's musical journey began in childhood, playing clarinet and singing choir in school, eventually learning to play guitar and even once, performing Shania Twain covers at a local bar. In her teens, she joined 600 lbs of Sin! as the vocalist, who started as a Grateful Dead cover group, It was also during this time that Ferrell was in the throes of drug addiction stemming from her wayfaring lifestyle, claiming to have died "five times" from narcotics overdoses. After these experiences, she decided to get clean and change her lifestyle in favor of improved health and positive relationships.

Career Ferrell self-released two albums, Pretty Magic Spell in 2018, and Washington by the Sea in 2019, which she sold while busking. In addition to these albums, she posted an assortment of covers, original material and live performances to her YouTube channel. In 2018, a recording of her song "In Dreams" was recorded and posted by the YouTube channel "GemsOnVHS", attracting millions of views. Around the same time, she was also frequently performing at "Honky Tonk Tuesday's" hosted at Nashville's American Legion Post 82, eventually capturing the attention of Gary Paczosa, a producer known for his collaborations with Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton. With the help of Paczosa, she signed to Rounder Records for a three-album deal in 2019.

Following the release of singles "Jeremiah" and "Why'd Ya Do It", Ferrell's album Long Time Coming was released in August 2021. Co-produced by Paczosa and featuring a number of established bluegrass musicians, including Sarah Jarosz and Billy Strings, the album received critical acclaim, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Americana/Folk Albums chart. The album received a five-star review from UK-based publication Country Music People, a rating of 7.6/10 from Paste magazine and 7.6/10 from Pitchfork. Varsity UK said "Long Time Coming will easily be the only album of its type emerging from the music city of Nashville this year", adding that Ferrell "shines brightest when she leans furthest into her own distinctive brand of jazz-inflected bluegrass".

In 2022, she performed backing vocals on The Black Keys album Dropout Boogie. and collaborated with Ray LaMontagne's track "I Was Born to Love You", which landed itself a position on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay. That same year, she collaborated with Shakey Graves on the fourth song from his album, Movie of the Week, titled "Ready or Not". The song, which was recorded in two hours, peaked at 15th on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

On March 22, 2024, Ferrell released her fourth album, Trail of Flowers. In her own words, she aimed to make people "feel nostalgic for the past, but excited about the future of music." Preceded by its singles "Fox Hunt", "Dollar Bill Bar", "I Could Drive You Crazy", and "American Dreaming", the album earned several awards—at the 2024 Americana Music Honors & Awards, Trail of Flowers was awarded "Album of the Year", with Ferrell winning "Artist of the Year". At the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, the album was awarded Best Americana Album, with "American Dreaming" winning Best Americana Performance and Best American Roots Song, and "Lighthouse" winning Best American Roots Performance. Throughout the course of the year, Ferrell featured on tracks with several artists, including "Never Love You Again" with Post Malone, a bluegrass-style cover of Adele's "Someone Like You" with Lukas Nelson (son of Willie Nelson), as well as other collaborations with Hogslop String Band and Colony House.

On February 28, 2026 Ferrell performed with Mumford & Sons on Saturday Night Live.

Discography

Albums TitleDetailsPeak chart positionsUS US Country US Folk Pretty Magic Spell Released: November 7, 2018 Label: Opika/Independent Formats: Digital download, streaming———Washington by the Sea Released: April 8, 2019 Label: Opika/Independent Formats: Digital download, streaming———Long Time Coming Released: August 20, 2021 Label: Rounder Formats: Digital download, streaming——15Trail of Flowers Released: March 22, 2024 Label: Rounder Formats: Digital download, streaming106249

Singles

As a featured artist TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbumUSAAA "Mardi Gras"2020—Non-album singles"I Was Born To Love You"202238"Ready or Not"202315Movie of the Week "Tried To Ruin My Name"—Non-album singles"Change of Heart"—"Oldsmobile"2024—Down the Road"Someone Like You"—Non-album singles"I'm Not Dyin'"—"Broken Wing Bird'"2025—Act I"A Long Way'"—Jiggy Buckaroo"Unknown Legends"—Non-album singles"When It Snows in Texas'"—

Other charted songs TitleYearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbumUS USCountry US Rock CAN WW "Holy Roller"20233717143685 RIAA: Gold MC: Platinum Zach Bryan"Never Love You Again"(Post Malone featuring Sierra Ferrell)20247833—62—F-1 Trillion"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations + Ceremony Year Category Recipient(s) Result Americana Music Honors & Awards 2022 Emerging Artist of the Year Herself 2024 Artist of the Year Best American Roots Song "American Dreaming" Best Americana Performance Best American Roots Performance "Lighthouse"