In the eight plus years of writing for Weekly Music Commentary, I have heard it all. When I make that statement I mean every kind of music of course. One of the most refreshing things is to receive music from independent artists. Of course, there are standards that must be met to be featured in WMC, but many artist meet them and are featured. Around the world musicians young and old are making music, and with the help of technology they are reaching a waiting fan base. That’s a big reason I love this day and age of music. An aspiring artist has the ability to create marketable music on his or her own, and work hard to make it very good.
Once again we have a great example of a young musician who just gave her best to us all. This week, Weekly Music Commentary features singer, songwriter Georgia Fearn.
The best advice I can pass along to you is not to skip by Georgia Fearn. You may not be familiar with her name or music, but the word “special” is stamped all over her music. Before I start with any descriptions about her songwriting or musical abilities, it would be good if you got to know the young artist.
Georgia Fearn is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter from Carmarthen. She first began to write songs when she was 9 years old. Not surprising that we speak of Fearn as a prodigy. There have been many extraordinary child musicians throughout the years, therefore one more is not astonishing. Of interest is the fact that Fearn is from the historic Wales community of Carmarthen. There have been some notable musicians from the area, but from different styles and genres. Even in modern times the music of Wales might be a good reason for the eclectic nature of Fearn’s music. One of the most notable singers from Wales, and a personal favorite of mine is Shirley Bassey. However, Bassey’s time of making popular music was decades ago. Things have changed in modern times.Ā There is a thriving Welsh-language contemporary music scene ranging from rock to hip-hop which routinely attracts large crowds and audiences, but they tend to be covered only by the Welsh-language media. Still, I don’t think Georgia Fearn can be categorized easily.Ā Her music is an eclectic mix of alternative pop and indi-folk, and she accompanies herself with both acoustic guitar and piano.
I will always like the way I was introduced to Georgia Fearn and her music. Like many others throughout my eight years, I was contacted via social media. Fearn sent a message complete with links, with a simple request to listen to her music and provide feedback. As I examined the links, I saw that her album, Perfect On Paper, was availableĀ for download on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, etc. One of the main criteria for a featured article on WMC is that your music must be available for purchase, and of course it is. How good was the album? Very good.
When I sat down and finally listened, I realized that Georgia Fearn is a very talented artist. She plays guitar and piano, but I especially took notice of her fine guitar work. When I finally responded to her first message I had to let her know I appreciated her guitar talent. Of course, as I continued to listen to the album, I heard so much more.
Many times I have written that I do not like to compare musicians to other musicians. I feel it takes away from the individualism of the music created by the artist. Many times writers make statements that an artist sounds like another more popular one. I understand they do it to give the reader an idea of what to expect upon hearing. However, I feel that the listener should form his or her own opinion, without any comparison.
With that being said, I do feel that Georgia Fearn compares to some of the great songwriters of our time. A few years from now we should know. I believe we are witnessing an artist like James Taylor or Carole King on the rise. Not that she sounds or writes songs like them, but she might be headed on a similar career path. Will Fearn become a legendary artists like the aforementioned? Possibly.
Georgia Fearn is on her way toward a good music career.Ā She has played in many different venues, perhaps most memorably the famous Cavern in Liverpool. Her music has been played on BBC Wales radio station among others. Her use of social media has provided a good platform for music fans, critics and possibly some record company executives to find her music.
Please make sure you listen to Perfect On Paper. In time it might be considered a classic album. Also, look out for more music from artist on the rise, Georgia Fearn.