Jersey Arts Podcast

Melissa Etheridge Prepares for Upcoming NJPAC Performance

• ArtPride New Jersey

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Grammy Award-winning Melissa Etheridge has been a household name for the last thirty years, but most recently she has released a new album entitled “I’m Not Broken” and executive produced a docuseries of the same name. The album and the series were recorded live at the Topeka Correctional Facility in Kansas as an ode to the strength and perseverance of women.

Etheridge isn’t the first singer-songwriter to perform at a prison but this album is in good company with the likes of B.B. King’s “Live in Cook County Jail” and "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison.” As a matter of fact, it was another Johnny Cash performance in her hometown, at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary, when Etheridge was just nine-years-old that would one day become the seed of inspiration.

In advance of Etheridge’s 2025 tour and upcoming performance at NJPAC,  Gina was able to steal a few moments of the icon’s time to talk to her about her new favorite song off her latest album, “A Burning Woman,” the progress of the LGBTQ community, the resilience of women, and the message behind her music.

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Gina Marie Rodriguez:

This is Gina Marie Rodriguez and you're listening to the Jersey Arts Podcast. Today's guest needs no introduction, but I suppose I can give you an idea of what she's been up to lately. I grew up rocking out to classics like Come to my Window and I'm the Only One Just saying them. Now it's hard to refrain from singing, but don't worry, I won't torture you like that.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Grammy award-winning Melissa Etheridge has been a household name for the last 30 years, but most recently she has released a new album titled I'm Not Broken, and executive produced a docuseries of the same name.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

The album and the series were recorded live at the Topeka Correctional Facility in Kansas as an ode to the strength and perseverance of women. Etheridge isn't the first singer-songwriter to perform at a prison, but this album is in good company with the likes of BB King's Live in Cook County Jail and Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. As a matter of fact, it was another Johnny Cash performance in her hometown at the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary when Etheridge was just nine years old, that would one day become the seed of inspiration. In advance of Etheridge's 2025 tour and upcoming performance at NJPAC, I was able to steal a few moments of the icon's time to talk to her about my favorite song off of her latest album called A Burning Woman. We talked about the progress of the LGBTQ community, the resilience of women and the message behind her music. Take a moment to share in my excitement as I chat with the Melissa Etheridge.

Melissa Etheridge:

It goes like this you just repeat after me okay, I'm a burning woman.

Audience:

I'm a burning woman. I'm not broken. I'm not broken, I'm a burning woman. I'm a burning woman. I am worth it. I might have f***ed things up.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

I wanted to share something with you first, just because I get so nervous before pretty much all of my interviews and I consider it like the deference that I pay to artists greater than myself. But in order to combat those nerves, I was listening to your song Burning Woman over and over, like I can't actually tell you how many times probably too many Obsessed, full-blown obsessed with it. It's one of the best songs I think I've ever heard and it amps like nothing else. So thank you for writing it.

Melissa Etheridge:

Nice, nice, and it's fun that that's a live version and you can hear everybody when they first hear it and just how yeah.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Yes, that's I mean. The call and response is like one of the best parts of it, because it's just so empowering to hear other women shout those words.

Melissa Etheridge:

And that's why I wrote it is. I wanted to have women in prison shouting I'm not broken, I'm worth it, I can do this. Yeah, oh, thank you.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Of course, I did want to talk about that, because I know that the song was inspired by or in response to, letters from the women at the Topeka Correctional Facility. So I'm wondering how did the correspondence between you and the inmates start? Was it? Was it with the idea of live concert in mind, or yeah?

Melissa Etheridge:

it. It began with, uh, we spent a lot of time, uh, communicating with the Kansas prison systems and and really working on it. And then, uh, it was kind of during the pandemic, at the very end of the pandemic, we, we knew we couldn't go shoot there yet, but the film crew, the um, shark pig, who's the production crew, they, they really set up. They said, look, we've contacted the prison. Uh, they've picked these women that they that's okay to communicate with and they just started, you know, sending sending letters and and it was, oh, it was so incredible. They were so very open and, you know, if you saw the documentary, it's, it's, it's really inspiring the way they were.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Yeah, I I mean I don't want to say I'm fascinated by it, that's not the right word. I'm. I'm interested in the experiences of people unlike myself, so that's why I'm drawn to documentaries like that. But there was something that you had said in another interview and I'm going to paraphrase. It was the idea of rehabilitation over castigation. So I'm wondering how, this new experience of working with the women at the Kansas Women's Penitentiary, how has it affected either your view of the American prison system or the American notion that punishment somehow equates change?

Melissa Etheridge:

Yeah, yeah, that's the first thing that really stood out to me was how so many of these women what they have in common is early childhood trauma you know their parents were drug addicts abuse just the hardship that they come from. And then these women make these choices you know they, they find they, they try to find a safe relationship. But it's usually, you know they, they they're not sure you know, and and they get involved in drug abuse. And the, the warden told me that you know 98% of the women that were there are there because they did something for a man or to a man or you know, but it all had to do with either in response to you know, their own safety, or you know they were helping drug things. And it's just the their feeling of they have no other choice and to kind of get out of this cycle.

Melissa Etheridge:

And you know, then they get into prison. And I had one of the women from the movie say look, I'm fortunate that I was arrested in Kansas so I could grow and be a better mother now for my children. And you know there is so much rehabilitation that can happen. And this prison, tcf, the warden and everyone there they care so much I was so impressed with how they really do. They said the minute a new resident they don't even call them inmates a resident comes in, they're trying their best to get them out and rehabilitated as soon as they can. You know, rehabilitated and out.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

I think that's fantastic, because it's certainly not something you hear very often.

Melissa Etheridge:

No, no, no, it's not. There's a real problem. There's a real push. You know the privatization and kind of money making off of this, which is so sad, and you know it's states really need help in their state systems that they have and there's so much good that can come of it that can benefit the community so much.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Absolutely. When you said 98% were in the prison system because of a man, I think that's, or you know, something that had to do, that's. That number was way too high.

Melissa Etheridge:

Yeah, yeah, there's hardly any that are just in there because they're just messed up evil people that have gone on a killing spree or something that that doesn't really. That's not. That's not a thing. It's. It's. It's the drug, it's the trying to get the drugs or selling the drugs or committing the crime to do for the drugs. That's what it all is.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

But it really speaks to the need for feminism all over the world, but especially in this country right now. And I mean, you're a feminist icon and you are an LGBTQ icon and all of those things are in and of itself empowering because you are an LGBTQ icon and all of those things are in and of itself empowering because you are speaking words to power, and that's what I love about music that your art is helping other people cope with. I mean, what is essentially a boot on their neck right now. Right, there are so many people, whether it's women or the non-binary, or so many different communities, who are struggling. There is a question in there somewhere. You're like me.

Melissa Etheridge:

I'm like wait. What was I answering?

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

What was I talking about? I think my question was, as much as I hate using this phrase, that we're living in unprecedented times.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

It does feel as though we're living in unprecedented times, unprecedented times.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

It does feel as though we're living in unprecedented times. So how does this ever evolving political landscape really affect the way you approach your art, the way you approach your music?

Melissa Etheridge:

Ah, I've lived long enough now to see I hate when I say this, but I have I am in the elder or the older, wiser, lesbian, the owl I'm an owl yeah, that's the term in our community that I have seen. I know what it's like to come from a world that didn't even say gay and lesbian. It wasn't even. We were invisible, we did not exist. And I have seen that change come. I've seen the strength and power of community and everyone coming together and the things we did in the 80s and 90s and for the past 40 years. The change that we have brought about is is being pushed back on.

Melissa Etheridge:

There's a lot of fear and things that people don't understand, and religious, you know, fear that is now up and out in the world because we're up and out and so you know, it seems like it's darker, but it's only because we have made these strides that we're getting this pushback. So if that's any consolation, it just means that, no, we're not going anywhere Now. People are just dealing with differences in the world, and that's what makes the world worth living is that you get to choose your path. You get to choose. We're not all supposed to be one way. That's just not it. It's not. We're not all supposed to be one way. That's just not it. So now it is. It's just how do we learn to walk side by side with those who are afraid of us and don't understand? And I always say, you know, being loving is the key. Just love yourself, love each other and love the person that doesn't understand and hope that they will lose that fear that they have, that it can be softened.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

I love that outlook and I think it speaks to that, saying two steps forward, one step back. You're still moving forward, yeah absolutely.

Melissa Etheridge:

I have seen us and we're not going. There's no going back. You can't put me in Chapel Roan and Ru going back. You can't put me in chapel roan and you know, rupaul. You can't put us back in a box.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

This is not gonna happen nor do most of us want that to happen.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

No, not at all I love that, but I'm also really excited. We talked so much about the, the film, but I I want to talk about your upcoming performance in newark, because you know this is a podcast about jersey, so I have to talk about newark. Uh, you're going to be performing with Joss Stone, who, I mean, you had an epic Grammy performance with years and years and years ago and you've worked together since, but I'm wondering what spurred this most recent collaboration.

Melissa Etheridge:

Well, I'm always looking for, you know, someone I can join in the experience of playing and such. But Joss is such a great blues singer and her career she's been doing fine, but she's such a great live performer and just putting the two of us together I think is really going to be a great show because it's the same kind of music lovers, music, absolutely I together. I think is is really really going to be a great show because it's it's the same kind of you know, music lovers, music.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Absolutely. I mean, I'm amped. Like I said, I've been listening to your music for quite a while now, so I am very amped Awesome. Is there anything that you're looking forward to about your tour in general? What do you love about touring?

Melissa Etheridge:

It's my life, it's my love. People don't understand it. They're like why you're just it's. My children understand it, my family, everybody understands. All right, april's coming, mom's getting them back on the road and I got to come back and forth, but they come out and see me. They, they're 18 now, so they, they really don't. You know, they're not missing me so much, but it's, it's what we do and it's what makes me happy and I constantly grow and get better and I love it.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

I think that's fantastic, and having the support of a loving family is really pivotal to being able to create wonderful art. So I just wanted to thank you for everything that you've put out into the world, everything that you are continuing to put out into the world. I am a huge fan.

Melissa Etheridge:

I know the people listening are huge fans, so I'm looking forward to seeing you in Newark.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Well, thank you, and there's great things coming in the next couple of years.

Melissa Etheridge:

So, oh, yeah, I cannot wait. Yes, all right, thank you very much, and I'll see you in New Jersey.

Gina Marie Rodriguez:

Well, there you have it. She will see you in Jersey. Melissa Etheridge will be making a stop in Newark for her tour 2025 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center on April 24th at 7.30 pm. For tickets and more information, be sure to visit njpacorg. If you liked this episode, be sure to review, subscribe and tell your friends. A transcript of this podcast, links relevant to the story and more about the arts in New Jersey can be found at jerseyartscom. Relevant to the story and more about the arts in New Jersey can be found at jerseyartscom. The Jersey Arts Podcast is presented by Art Pride New Jersey, advancing a state of creativity since 1986. The show was co-founded by and currently supported by funds from, the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. This episode was hosted, edited and produced by me, Gina Marie Rodriguez. Executive producers are Jim Atkinson and Isaac Serna Diez, and my thanks, of course, to Melissa Etheridge for speaking with me today. I'm Gina Marie Rodriguez for the Jersey Arts Podcast. Thanks for listening.

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Gina Marie Rodriguez

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