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.
鈥淚 just want people to feel good when they hear my music. There鈥檚 a lot of things going on in the world, but there鈥檚 a lot of light and things that are empowering and beautiful,鈥� Fearing says. 鈥淚 want people to walk away with something other than despair.鈥�
That鈥檚 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 not unaware of what鈥檚 happening in the world, but my music is about helping people find hope and a positive viewpoint,鈥� he said.
Fearing鈥檚 latest album, The Empathist, is a 10-track record, produced in collaboration with Grammy-nominated drummer Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo), showcases Fearing鈥檚 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 playing now with a group called The Sentimentals,鈥� Fearing says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e from Denmark and I love their sound. Where they鈥檙e from really influences what you do and what they do fits really nicely with what I do 鈥� what we do 鈥� as a band. It鈥檚 really special.鈥�
The music that Fearing offers is sometimes hard to describe, but so long as he鈥檚 honest about what he presents, that difficulty in defining his genre really doesn鈥檛 bother him at all.
鈥淚鈥檝e been described as folk, rock, roots... all sorts of things,鈥� Fearing says. 鈥淚 think that how people define my music says more about them than it does me. I like the storytelling aspect of what I do. It鈥檚 really storytelling and melody.鈥�
Fearing鈥檚 ability to enthrall diverse audiences lies, at least in part, with his honest approach to the music.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 about believability. Do you believe this guy,鈥� said Fearing. 鈥淧eople can tell if you鈥檙e lying or being dishonest when you perform. It comes out in the sound of your voice.鈥�
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.
鈥淕etting on stage is the fun part, especially when the adrenaline kicks in,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t comes down to energy. It鈥檚 trying to capture lightning in a bottle.鈥�
鈥淏ut in the end, people want to escape and be taken on a journey. I build my shows so they do just that.鈥�
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 .
