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On the new Skin and in her tell-all autobiography, Melissa Etheridge vigorously investigates her own life, unearthing secrets and explaining plenty about the person behind the artist.
by Steffie Nelson
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 elissa Etheridge has been called the love child of Bruce Springsteen and Janis Joplin - an insightful songwriter and passionate performer. Also dubbed the gay girl next door, Etheridge has wryly noted that when she came out in 1992, her straight-up rock tunes found their way onto "alternative" radio playlists. Unsurprisingly, she would rather sidestep categorizations: "I've never really hung my hat anywhere on any wave or trend of music," she declares. Since 1988, the year she released her Grammy-nominated debut, Etheridge has consistently rocked and shocked us with her searing songs and lesbian lifestyle. Her audience is made up of true zealots, and continues to expand as the Kansas-born musician draws from the deep well of country and blues that inspired her heroes.
Recently split from partner Julie Cypher, Etheridge is hitting us with a one-two punch: a disarmingly candid autobiography titled The Truth Is..., and her new album, Skin, both out July 10. In tandem, they present a brutally honest portrait of emotional repression, sexual abuse, infidelity, insecurity, and ultimately, catharsis and healing.
Speaking with VH1.com just days after her 40th birthday, Etheridge reflected on the turns of her personal life, the creative strategies behind Skin, and what it means to return to her roots as a solo performer. Proud of the brand-new tattoo on the nape of her neck, the mother of two is truly discovering what it means to shed the old skin and get comfortable in the new.
Steffie Nelson: You've just made your most personal record and you are releasing it on the same day as your autobiography. Are you prepared for the onslaught of publicity? The New York Post is already talking about it.
Melissa Etheridge: They are? Well, I don't know if I'm prepared now. You're making me nervous!
SN: You must have some idea that this is going to provoke some very strong reactions.
ME: Yeah, well I've already been there with strong reactions. I'm aware that not everyone in the world feels and thinks the way that I do, and that's OK. I know what my truth is and who I am and where I'm at and what I'm doing. And so, you know, reaction is reaction, but I get to do what I love: make my music, and sing, and be me!
SN: Do you have a sense why this point in your life was the time when these intensely personal projects came together for you?
ME: You know, that was not planned. About a year and a half ago, I thought, "Maybe I'll write a book." I didn't really feel like making an album yet, and creatively I was thinking of different things. And I started the book and it ended up being more putting my life down [on paper]. Then the album came as a result of the breakup. So my life sorta took a turn that I didn't know it was gonna take, and now I have these creations to give to the world.
SN: I was wondering if the announcement of David Crosby as the biological father of your children prompted a situation where you presented the full story of your life. You came out in 1992, a big step, but do you think that Rolling Stone cover with Crosby opened things up more, and made you want to tell your story?
ME: Wow. I hadn't thought about that, but I think you're right. When we had the children, there was the whole personal experience of it, but the whole public experience - people really wanting to know what's going on, know the story, know who the father was - really started during that time. The whole world was knocking, and I didn't enjoy constantly looking over my shoulder. And I didn't want it become a joke that could be held over my children's head. I started to say, "Look, I don't want anything in any closets or any drawers anywhere." It was a decision to put that out there so everybody knew it, and they would go away. And once I started, it was kinda like, "Well, there's this, too. And there's that. I might as well just put a book out and tell everybody!" [laughs]
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