biography
Anthea Feaver is a songwriter passionate about traditional folk music, a teacher with a degree in community arts education, and an old-time fiddle and banjo player. On stage, she is as likely to sing a bittersweet love song as she is to give a quick history lesson, tell a long-winded joke, or break into an upbeat tune. What shines throughout is her ability to draw people together. Whether at an intimate house concert or on a festival stage, Anthea has her audience singing and laughing along.
Originally from Vancouver, B.C., Anthea has been making up stories since before she could hold a pencil. She moved to Kingston, Ontario to study English literature before deciding to pursue music full-time. Anthea began playing piano at 5 and guitar at 8. Her early influences were the '60s and '70s rock and roll bands that her first guitar teachers showed her. In her teens, she started writing songs on her guitar to help her process her father’s early death and her struggles with mental illness. Her first release, “Play It Back” (2021), explores these themes with a laid-back, indie rock feel. “Play It Back” garnered acclaim on campus and community radio, appearing on Earshot’s charts for 20 consecutive weeks.
While working on "Play It Back," Anthea first heard and fell in love with traditional folk music. She taught herself to play the banjo and the fiddle, immersing herself in recordings of old ballads and American old-time tunes and learning from local players. Her musical style shifted to incorporate this new direction, leading to the contemporary folk sound of her first full-length album “Summer’s Morning” (released Sept. 2024). “A broad and luxurious array of folk-inspired gems,” the songs on “Summer’s Morning” are driven by lush string arrangements, poignant lyricism, and Anthea’s deft fingerpicking (Lock Magazine).
Most recently, Anthea toured Ontario and the East Coast, with notable performances at Blue Skies Music Festival and the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. While in Lunenburg, she also participated in a songwriting camp facilitated by Joel Plaskett and Mo Kenney. She’s been a showcase artist at conferences held by Folk Canada (2023) and Northeastern Regional Folk Alliance (2024). In September 2024 she performed at the North Carolina Folk Festival with a global ensemble of musicians as a part of Ethno USA. At home, Anthea teaches music privately, runs school songwriting workshops, reads fantasy novels, knits, and cooks.
Photo credit: Kerry Jarvis