Ferras

A Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter, Ferras makes electronic, R&B-tinged pop both as a solo artist and writer for other artists. Born Ferras Alquasi in Illinois in 1982, Ferras began playing the keyboard at age five after his parents divorced and he moved with his father to Amman, Jordan. There for only five months, Ferras ultimately moved back to the States to live with his mother and quickly began focusing his creative energy on music. By his teens, Ferras moved once again with his mother to Santa Barbara, California. Already an aspiring songwriter and performer, Ferras caught the ear of Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, who wanted to sign him to his burgeoning label. Ultimately, though, Ferras enrolled for classes at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. While there, Durst facilitated an audition for Ferras with Capitol Records, which led to a recording deal. Ferras' debut album, Aliens & Rainbows, dropped in 2008. Included on the album was the track "Hollywood's Not America," which was featured as the semifinal round "exit song" on the seventh season of the reality TV vocal competition American Idol. Around 2010, Ferras turned his attention to songwriting, penning songs for such artists as Adam Lambert, Michael Paynter, Ricky Martin, and others. In 2014, Ferras became the first artist to sign to pop star Katy Perry's Metamorphosis Music imprint and released an eponymous five-song EP, which included the song "Legends Never Die," featuring Perry.