Mandy Ferrarini is a guitar-riffing songstress based out of Flagstaff, Arizona. When Mandy takes the stage solo, she takes the music, and the crowd, far beyond the usual singer-songwriter experience. Music has always been in Mandy’s blood. At age 7 she was playing piano, at 16 she grabbed the guitar, and in 2010 she released her debut album, “The Other Side.” She has performed in various rock/funk/jambands over the years, and these genres shine through in her solo gigs. With influences bouncing around from Phish, Bob Dylan, Ani Difranco, Umphrey's McGee, Jose Gonzalez, Bon Iver, Radiohead, Greg Brown, Iron & Wine, Billie Holiday, The Grateful Dead, Nickel Creek, Fleet Foxes and Led Zeppelin—to name just a few—Mandy is striving to reach new waters for female guitarists everywhere. Her live shows strike a perfect balance of originals and covers, looped with both acoustic-electric and electric guitar playing.
Mandy also does gigs with upright-bass player Matt Germansen on occasion. His rhythms and solid bass grooves further unlock Mandy’s creative instinct as the duo cut loose on finger-lickin’ tunes the crowd can’t help but dance to.
Here's a latest review of Mandy's debut solo CD from Flagstaff's local newspaper:
"The title track, “The Other Side” opens the album, a soothing song about the comfort one can feel about a significant other, even during a period of long distance. “Heaven” exhibits some of Ferrarini’s surprising hard rock influences such as Tool or Led Zeppelin. She reveals her intense, frustrated longing for her version of an afterlife paradise on earth, something we’ve all felt at one point.
“Slumbering Rose” is like waking up in a fairytale, but soon it becomes evident even a dream isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ferrarini sings she hopes to stop waiting on fantasies and return to reality. Her guitar switches tone multiple times, showing Ferrarini is a versatile musician.
“Straight In Two” is the album’s highlight with lines like “whiskey river float into my head,” making Mandy seem both sentimental and like that shy, exciting girl at a party you wished you’d talked to.
The Other Side is a great first step. On her own, Ferrarini can be powerful, and her album demonstrates that strength. She’s an independent, spirited woman and Flagstaff is lucky to have her."--Flag Live, 4/8/10
