Stephen Fearing celebrates love and friendship on his timely and tender-hearted new single Valentine’s Day — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
A preview of the veteran Canadian troubadour’s upcoming 16th album The Empathist, Valentine’s Day is a gentle acoustic ballad about the affection we share with our close friends and community. The combination of a sweetly rising and falling melody, delicate fingerpicking, a small string section of cellos and violin, and smoldering vocals is as beautiful as it is captivating.
Interestingly, the song first arose from a song snippet in a video message to a dear friend, for a socially distanced birthday celebration during the pandemic. “I thought it would be fun to come up with a little ditty to sing to him,” says Fearing. “Darrel rhymes with Christmas carol, and barrel… That’s how simple it was. I wrote the verse on my way down to the village, for a coffee, sang it into my phone, and voila. As the weeks wore on, and I wore down the heels of my boots literally walking my blues away, the song kept coming back. During those days of Plexiglass and isolation, the concept of community and friendship had become a helluva lot more important than we had all thought.
“I titled it Valentine’s Day as a nod to My Funny Valentine, one of my favourite melodies. More importantly, the title reflects the spirit of Valentine’s Day as something pure, simple, and sweet, celebrating platonic love, friendship, and community.”
Released simultaneously, the 14-minute doc film The Making of The Empathist offers a brief, informative, and highly entertaining look at how Fearing wrote the songs for his new album; how he worked with his partners in crime as he got ’em down on tape; and how a random phone call out of the blue from producer/drummer Ken Coomer (former member of Uncle Tupelo and Wilco, who’s worked with Al Green, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and Roger McGuinn) started the whole thing, led to a crowdfunding campaign, and spawned a trip to Nashville to cut the record.
Fearing is a celebrated musical troubadour, revered for his vivid, lyrical songwriting, masterful guitar work, and a voice described as melodic and cobalt. Over a career spanning decades, he has released 16 solo albums, earned two Juno Awards, and collaborated with legends of modern roots music. As co-founder of roots-rock giants Blackie & The Rodeo Kings, Fearing has released 11 albums and built a legacy of genre-busting music that captures the human condition in all its messy splendour. “I am a storyteller much more than a singer-songwriter,” Fearing reflects, “because I realized my story was less interesting than The Story.”
His latest project, The Empathist, is set for release on March 14. Co-produced by Grammy-nominated drummer Coomer at his East Nashville studio Cartoon Moon Recording, the album features nine original songs and a cover of Daniel Lanois’ Where Will I Be. With contributions from John Dymond on bass and Nashville legend Jim Hoke on a range of instruments, The Empathist embodies Fearing’s passion for crafting songs that are authentic, exhilarating and entertaining. Each track draws from the truths he observes in the world, solidifying Fearing’s reputation as a masterful and relatable storyteller.
Check out Valentine’s Day and The Making Of The Empathist above, hear more from Stephen Fearing and check out his tour dates below, and keep up with him on his website, Facebook and Instagram.
Stephen Fearing Tour Dates
Feb. 14 | Marigold Cultural Centre (w/ MC Hansen) | Truro, NS
Feb. 15 | King’s Theatre (w/ MC Hansen) | Annapolis Royal, NS
Feb. 19 | Casa Del Popolo (w/ MC Hansen) | Montreal, QC
March 13 | Mary Winspear Centre (SF & The Sentimentals) | Sidney, BC
March 14 | Brackendale Art Gallery (SF & The Sentimentals) | Squamish, BC
March 15 | The Rogue Folk Club (SF & The Sentimentals) | Vancouver, BC
March 16 | Creekside Theatre (SF & The Sentimentals) | Lake Country, BC
March 21 | Festival Place (SF & The Sentimentals) | Sherwood Park, AB
March 22 | River Park Church (SF & The Sentimentals) (w/ Mia Kelly) | Calgary, AB
March 26 | Bassment (SF & The Sentimentals) | Saskatoon, SK
March 27 | Artesian (SF & The Sentimentals) | Regina, SK
March 29 | West End Cultural Centre (SF & The Sentimentals) | Winnipeg, MB
