Stephen Fearing is the kind of performer that can captivate an audience with a distinctive, authentic sound that pushes the boundaries of roots music.
His abiding love for his music and his ability to delight audiences throughout North America, the UK and across Europe have won him multiple JUNO and Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations and, in 2017, earned him the award for Worldwide Album of the Year by Blues & Roots Radio. He was also named 2017 Contemporary Singer of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
B次元官网网址淚 just want people to feel good when they hear my music. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of things going on in the world, but thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of light and things that are empowering and beautiful,B次元官网网址� Fearing says. B次元官网网址淚 want people to walk away with something other than despair.B次元官网网址�
ThatB次元官网网址檚 not to say that Fearing ignores the realities of the world.
In 2016, just before the US presidential election, he released a single entitled Blowhard Nation, an anti-Trump protest song.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not unaware of whatB次元官网网址檚 happening in the world, but my music is about helping people find hope and a positive viewpoint,B次元官网网址� he said.
FearingB次元官网网址檚 latest album, The Empathist, is a 10-track record, produced in collaboration with Grammy-nominated drummer Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo), showcases FearingB次元官网网址檚 ability to blend heartfelt storytelling with rich, immersive soundscapes.
Recorded in Nashville over just a single week, The Empathist features contributions from longtime Blackie & The Rodeo Kings bassist John Dymond and Nashville multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke, whose mastery of pedal steel, piano and saxophone adds depth and texture to the album.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 playing now with a group called The Sentimentals,B次元官网网址� Fearing says. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e from Denmark and I love their sound. Where theyB次元官网网址檙e from really influences what you do and what they do fits really nicely with what I do B次元官网网址� what we do B次元官网网址� as a band. ItB次元官网网址檚 really special.B次元官网网址�
The music that Fearing offers is sometimes hard to describe, but so long as heB次元官网网址檚 honest about what he presents, that difficulty in defining his genre really doesnB次元官网网址檛 bother him at all.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been described as folk, rock, roots... all sorts of things,B次元官网网址� Fearing says. B次元官网网址淚 think that how people define my music says more about them than it does me. I like the storytelling aspect of what I do. ItB次元官网网址檚 really storytelling and melody.B次元官网网址�
FearingB次元官网网址檚 ability to enthrall diverse audiences lies, at least in part, with his honest approach to the music.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 about believability. Do you believe this guy,B次元官网网址� said Fearing. B次元官网网址淧eople can tell if youB次元官网网址檙e lying or being dishonest when you perform. It comes out in the sound of your voice.B次元官网网址�
Fearing is currently embarking on a tour that will take him across Canada. In September he takes his show to the Scarborough in the UK and then, well, who knows.
But, for this musical nomad, the thrill of his craft will always be the reaction of the crowd and his ability to leave them feeling better about the world.
B次元官网网址淕etting on stage is the fun part, especially when the adrenaline kicks in,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚t comes down to energy. ItB次元官网网址檚 trying to capture lightning in a bottle.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淏ut in the end, people want to escape and be taken on a journey. I build my shows so they do just that.B次元官网网址�
Stephan Fearing and the Sentimentals perform on Thursday March 13 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. That will be followed by five more B.C. performances on the mainland before moving on to Alberta at the end of March.
Ticket information can be found at .
