Stephen Fearing - Yellowjacket
Guelph-based singer/songwriter Stephen Fearing now has two complementary musical careers going, and he couldn't be happier about it. It has been two full decades since he released his self-titled debut album, and a series of solo albums since then have earned him a devoted following of folk music fans around the world. It is his newer career as one-third of Canadian roots-rock-supergroup Blackie and the Rodeo Kings (alongside Colin Linden and Tom Wilson) that has provided Fearing with his greatest commercial success and helped broaden the audience for his own work. Blackie have released three successful albums in the past 10 years, and will have another one out later this year. For now, Fearing's attention is focused on a new solo disc, Yellowjacket, arguably his most accomplished to date. It's his eighth solo album, but the first time since his early records that he has assumed the role of producer. "I loved doing it myself," Stephen told Tandem recently. "I didn't have to ask, 'can we try this?' That is the deal you make with a producer. It is their record as well. They have to feel it, like it and get behind it. This is not the simple record I thought I was going to make, but I'm pretty proud at what I managed to do." Assisting Fearing in the recording was Scott Merritt, himself an excellent singer/songwriter and producer (Fred Eaglesmith). "We used Scott's studio in Guelph and his aesthetic and the sounds he got are a big part of this record," recalls Stephen. "The way we did it was real nice. No-one got their head ripped off, no-one had a hissy fit. It was done in the most relaxed way I've made a record, and I hear that in my voice and guitar playing. There was some angst when I finished recording as I could not get a read on whether it was utter tripe or really good!" Fortunately, it's the latter description that fits best. Yellowjacket again showcases Fearing's strengths as an eloquent lyricist and expressive singer, and he continues to expand his musical range. "The further I go into this, more and more the songwriting becomes the thing for me. Maybe I'm starting to think of myself as a songwriter for the first time, whereas before I thought of myself as someone who write songs for Stephen Fearing. Now the songs don't have to be so much about me and my existence." Stephen is actually quite critical of the genre in which he is most often placed. "The male singer/songwriter thing is so yesterday. That genre now conjures up things for me that are really boring. I don't really know how to categorize myself anymore." Participation in Blackie and the Rodeo Kings has enabled Fearing to broaden his range. "Being in Blackie, I get to cover ground that interests me musically, but would feel awkward doing on my own, I love blues music but could not pretend I come from that tradition. Being in the band with Colin, I get to be really close to the deep source. I end up being in the middle of these two guys who cover so much ground musically." Stephen's Blackie bandmate, Tom Wilson, co-wrote the title track with him, while a fellow top Canadian songsmith, Josh Finlayson of the Skydiggers, was another key collaborator on Yellowjacket, co-writing four songs with Fearing. Colin Linden plays on the record, while other guests include keyboardist Richard Bell, harmony vocalist Suzie Vinnick, drummer Gary Craig, and mandolin player Dan Whiteley. Analysing his dual careers, Stephen notes that "it is rather hard to separate them now. I see them as like two shoes on the same pair of legs. I'm now part of this other entity that is much more viable in a commercial way. It's great!" No wonder he faces his creative future with real optimism. "Yellowjacket feels like a new beginning," he says. "It's as if the elastic band has been pulled back and I'll be flying through
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