Melissa Ferrick’s 11th original album, the truth is (MPress Records, out May 7), is by far the most revealing, beautiful, and complete of her 16 albums. She signed to Atlantic in 1992 after opening for Morrissey, and launched Right On Records in 2000. Ferrick, a classically trained violinist and trumpeter, attended Berklee and is an assistant professor of songwriting at the college. Regarded as one of the most prolific, hardworking, honest writers and performers in the singer-songwriter world, she has toured with artists including Paul Westerberg, Dwight Yoakam, John Haitt, Weezer, Tegan and Sara, Ani DiFranco, and k.d. lang. Ferrick has won numerous awards and was recently named one of the most influential queer artists/activists by OUT magazine.