Melissa Etheridge's Rise: A Raw, Polished Rock Journey

0:00It's March 28. This is music news today, powered by AI, your daily sound check. I'm Cory with the story. Melissa Etheridge just dropped her new album Rise, co-produced by Shooter Jennings, packed with road-ready rock tracks inspired by her early love for. Music. The standout song matches captures her kid days in Kansas. When a year old her saw Johnny Cash play the local prison and begged her mom to let her. Play with the matches, meaning dive into music like her hero. She drew from classic albums by Tom Petty, The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac to shape Rise's big, driving sound perfect for that 45-minute commute. Etheridge played her first full set at Radio City Music Hall last year with The Indigo Girls, checking off another bucket list moment in a career full of them. Fans love her stories from the rock and roll Hall of Fame's 1995 opening concert, where she jammed with heroes like Cheryl Crowe, and had a wild key mix up with Chuck Berry and Bruce Springsteen.

1:00She's up for the Rock Hall Class of 2026, building on those overwhelming nights that still light her up. Bruce Springsteen joined her for an epic Thunder Road on MTV Unplugged. That same year, a dream team-up she relives with chills. Tracks like The Other Side of Blue, featuring Chris Stapleton, and Don't You Want A Woman show her fever dream creativity, all built to crush live. With her band, Rise proves Etheridge has plenty of miles left, blending her raw passion with polished hooks that pull you right into the ride.