It’s worth remembering that outstanding music is made by professionals other than big-name bands and frontmen — successful or not. There are of course the headliners, the acts which other performers open for. Then there are smaller-scale artists who consistently get great reviews and have loyal fan bases; think Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, say, or Mary Gauthier (a recent find — thanks, Greg!).
And then there are all the others: studio musicians, accompanists, songwriters for other people…
From the Fearing & White Web site, their bios:
Fearing is well known within the international folk and roots music community as one of its most accomplished songsmiths, storytellers and guitarists. A double Juno award winner in his native Canada, he has experienced commercial and critical success, both in his solo career and with roots/rock supergroup Blackie and The Rodeo Kings. Along the way, Stephen has toured and recorded with everybody from Merle Haggard to Shawn Colvin.
Northern Ireland born and raised White has earned a global following for blending folk and pop stylings with a poet’s sensibility. Working with the great names of Irish music — Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison — and writing with the likes of Peter Gabriel and Neil and Tim Finn, Andy has won Ireland’s top songwriting awards and toured the world many times. A published author, his recent on the road journal/novel 21st Century Troubadour has scored rave reviews.
These two guys have been around. (And my guess is: they’re just fine with that.) Friends for years, they have sometimes toured or otherwise played together, and recently released their first duo album, Fearing & White. (They’ve also got multiple solo releases between them.) Here’s one of the songs from the middle of the playlist, “Under the Silver Sky”:
I’ve found no lyrics for this anywhere, and — for now — I’m not willing to trust any transcription I might make myself. (Not while wearing a loaned and clearly less expensive hearing aid. :)) So for now maybe you can just be satisfied, as am I, with the upbeat, ramshackle-road-trip but tightly played feel of it.
(Good interview with them at the Maple Mixtape site, dedicated to “exposing great Canadian music one track at a time.”)
Update: Thanks to Beat Surrender, again, for introducing me to performers who so neatly fit my frame of mind.
whaddayamean says
two thumbs up! good midweek music break.
John says
whaddayamean: So glad you liked it. When I wrote this post, I was really in the mood for something to propel me through the day; the sound of “Under the Silver Sky” was just right for my mood.
Nance says
In my driving tours of Nashville and Brentwood with my son, I’ve learned that it is the studio musicians who rule the world of hits. Dig deep enough into liner notes and you’ll find the same names, over and over. The fanciest estates belong to the studio musicians who get royalties from many big new albums and all those old ones, too. And, sometimes, they hit stardom on their own, but most, I think, have seen what that’s like and opt out.
andy white says
thanks john
I like ” the upbeat, ramshackle-road-trip but tightly played feel of it.”
you got it just right, that’s the way it was.
if you want lyrics drop me a line – or see us on tour at
http://www.fearingandwhite.com/tour/
cheers
andy
John says
Nance: I really wouldn’t mind a career as a journeyman writer, if such a thing were possible.
(It’s fun to think about, actually… assembling a band of writers to work together on books, one of whom would be the band’s “public face” and the rest — the counterparts of a bass player, a percussionist, a rhythm guitarist — just makin’ the music. Hmm…)
Jayne says
A little late here, but I wanted to mention that I read this post not long after you wrote it and precisely a week after a conversation (and a little jam session) in which the music of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings was discussed. Turns out Rawlings grew up in a town adjacent to where I grew up, and my brother-in-law was a friend of his in high school. What ensued were many stories…
Thanks for the introduction to Fearing and White (visited their site, as well). Quite the find! :)