Amy Farris (October 20, 1968 – September 26, 2009) was an American fiddler and singer-songwriter and probably best remembered for her performances with the bands X and Guilty Women. Throughout her career, the much-respected musician and singer had collaborated with a who’s-who of Austin and Los Angeles musicial fixtures.
An Austin, Texas native who was classically trained on violin, Amy Farris found out early into her lessons that she was a first-rate improviser. She worked as a legal secretary while playing and singing at local clubs. When Alefandro Escovedo heard the violinist could solo like a fierce guitar player, Farris was loaded into the van and experienced the coast-to-coast lifestyle of a rock & roller firsthand whilst touring the West Coast.
She returned home to Austin and instantly became more involved with the city's healthy music scene. Recordings and tours with Ray Price, Tish Hinojosa, Bruce Robison, and a six-year gig in Kelly Willis' band followed. Willis' band spent two years on the Lilth Fair tour, an experience Farris loved, especially when her hero, Emmylou Harris joined the tour. During the 1980s she met Exene Cervenka, leader of the punk-band X, and was to contribute to several of the group's recordings. While quite at home with the punk style, Amy was not restricted to one genre as over the years she was to tour and record with various artists.
During the 90’s she was credited under her married name of Amy Tiven until her divorce when she reverted back to her maiden name. About this time she decided it was time to work on her own career. Her songwriting was influenced by two of her favourite bands, the Beatles and X. Through a friend, Farris got her demos to Dave Alvin, a guitarist/singer/songwriter who spent time in X and shared Farris' love of American roots rock. He agreed to work with her and Farris soon moved to Los Angeles to record her "Americana pop" debut.
Yep Roc released “Anyway” in May of 2004 while Farris was teaching violin and performing arranging and back-up duty for a number of groups. She also had a major role in the Brian Wilson disc "Gettin' In Over My Head" and afterwards performed with Peter Case, Greg Dulli, and others, while continuing as both vocalist and instrumentalist with X. As a session player in Los Angeles, she played on musical tracks on such television shows as Mad Men and CSI: Miami.
Early in 2009 singer-songwriter Dave Alvin, whom Amy knew thru X, recruited her to be part of the all-girl group Guilty Women with them she toured and recorded until her death. "One of the reasons I put the [Guilty Women] together was to showcase people like Amy who are incredibly talented but don't necessarily get the recognition they should," Alvin said.
Amy, who was scheduled to play a gig with Alvin on Oct. 3, was found dead in her Los Angeles home on September 26, 2009, from an apparent suicide.
She fought a heroic battle against horrific lifelong depression. From an almost total collapse prior to her solo album, she fought her way back against alcohol, substances and an almost criminal lack of available medical insurance coverage in California and Texas.
(Edited from a Bob Hufford bio, AllMusic & The Music’s Over)
Amy Farris performs Poor Girl (X The Band Cover) with John McDuffie & Lisa Finnie at the Troubadour when she opened for Dave Alvin in West Hollywood, CA - August 06. 2004.