Albertan folk/roots duo Flint & Feather are thrilled to celebrate harvest with the highly anticipated release of their debut single “The Very Thing I Fear” on Bandcamp and all digital platforms.
Best described as Rocky Mountain Folk-Pop, the song documents the introspective journey of a traveling troubadour who has lost themselves amidst an ever-changing world. “The Very Thing I Fear” offers a preview of Flint & Feather’s first full-length release for Sojourner Music, Rebirth, a collection touching on themes of love, loss, hope, and redemption, with more details to be announced soon.
Flint & Feather is the musical project of Joal and Lauren Kamps, a free-spirited husband and wife team who are passionate about cultivating community through folk/roots music, storytelling, and laughter. Joal—who served as Alberta’s Artist in Residence and Arts Ambassador from 2020-2021—and Lauren draw upon Western Canadian history, Rocky Mountain folklore, and their own colourful life journeys for inspiration, the result being original songs that convey stories with an uncommon charm.
Joal says of “The Very Thing I Fear,” “I had been backpacking in Europe for several months when I caught my reflection in an old mirror in Amsterdam. At first, I didn’t recognize myself. It was this stranger looking back who sent me down a path of introspection and soul-searching. In the midst of my journeys, my identity had become blurred. ‘The Very Thing I Fear’ documents the restlessness and recklessness one might experience while feeling a lack of overall direction in life. It marks the passage of time moving on from youthful passions and longing for a renewed sense of purpose. It’s our hope that the song resonates with others in similar scenarios, even if they remain unresolved… for now.”
Lauren helped refine the song into a much more cohesive piece when Flint & Feather took part in the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity’s Musicians in Residence program, which further helped the pair develop their sound through exploring a fusion of folk and roots sounds with other genres. Nothing worthwhile comes easy, but after much effort “The Very Thing I Fear” was reborn with the help of co-producer Jason Hofer at Refinery Record Room in Bragg Creek, Alberta. The sound was filled out by Mitch Jay on banjo, mandolin and electric guitar, Ray Banman on bass, and Chad Melchert on percussion.
Now based in Calgary, Joal and Lauren first began performing together while attending Canada’s Music Incubator’s Artist Entrepreneur Program in Toronto. Soon afterwards they performed across Canada with VIA Rail’s Artists Onboard program and played over 50 dates in the U.K. and western Europe. They have since performed hundreds of concerts in communities throughout Canada.
Flint & Feather’s intimate combination of delicately woven harmonies and vivid lyrical imagery often evokes comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, and The Civil Wars. This classic sound is where the Kamps have found their truest voices as singer-songwriters, allowing their engaging live performances to connect with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
