Chris Brown and Kate Fenner
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Founder | Chris Brown, Kate Fenner |
| Defunct | 2005 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Canada, United States |
| Products | Albums, live performances |
Chris Brown and Kate Fenner formed a folk rock partnership, featuring vocalist Kate Fenner alongside multi-instrumentalist Chris Brown. Their collaboration spanned from 1996 until 2005.[1] Although based mainly in New York City, both artists retained significant connections within the Canadian music industry.
History
During the 1980s, Brown and Fenner were original members of the Canadian alternative rock ensemble Bourbon Tabernacle Choir[1]. Following the release of their 1995 album Shy Folk, the group dissolved after relocating to New York City, with most members heading back to Toronto. However, Brown and Fenner chose to stay in New York and continued performing as a duo.[2]
Their first album, Other People's Heavens (1997), was promoted through extensive tours across the United States, including opening slots for Ani DiFranco, as well as Canadian performances supporting Weeping Tile.[3] During Kevin Hearn’s cancer-related absence from Barenaked Ladies, Brown occasionally joined the band on stage and sometimes accompanied Fenner when they opened shows on that tour.[4][5]
Their follow-up album, Geronimo (1999), was succeeded by headline tours and supporting appearances for The Tragically Hip during their Music @ Work tour in 2000,[6] where they also contributed instrumentally during The Hip’s performances.[6] A live recording titled Great Lakes Bootleg was captured during club shows on this tour and released in December 2000.[7]
In 2001, they produced O Witness at The Tragically Hip’s Bathouse Recording Studio.[8] That same year, Brown spearheaded the compilation album GASCD, aimed at funding legal expenses for anti-globalization protesters detained during the Quebec City Summit of the Americas.[9] This collection included their song "How You Gonna Bring Your Children to God?"[9] and was promoted through benefit concerts featuring artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Sarah Harmer, Jason Collett, Barenaked Ladies, and Rheostatics, alongside activists like Maude Barlow and Naomi Klein.[10][11]
In 2003, they issued Songs, a two-disc re-release combining their out-of-print albums Other People's Heavens and Geronimo, which also featured the previously unreleased track "Resist War" available as a free download.[12] Both musicians launched solo projects that year but continued joint touring engagements.[13] Their concluding album as a duo, Go On, debuted in 2004.[14]
Subsequently, they pursued individual careers while still collaborating occasionally. In 2005, they were commissioned to compose "Chansons du Salamandre" for the Mystery on Fifth Avenue initiative; notably, Sarah Harmer later covered "Salamandre" on her album I'm a Mountain.
Discography
- Other People's Heavens – released in 1997
- Geronimo – released in 1999
- Great Lakes Bootleg – released in 2000
- O Witness – released in 2001
- Songs – released in 2003
- Go On – released in 2004
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Former Bourbons making mark as a duo". Kingston Whig-Standard, June 20, 1998.
- ↑ "Brown and Fenner fuse musical genres". Victoria Times-Colonist, August 25, 1999.
- ↑ "Canadian duo takes bite out of Big Apple; Chris Brown and Kate Fenner discover quirky side of making music in New York". Toronto Star, July 22, 1999.
- ↑ "Great Barenaked exposure". The Province, August 24, 1999.
- ↑ "The spirit of Bourbon returns in a new form". Ottawa Citizen, July 23, 1999.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Tragically Hip greeted with full-swing singalong". Toronto Star, June 24, 2000.
- ↑ "CD Reviews". Victoria Times-Colonist, December 12, 2000.
- ↑ "O Witness conveys emotional warmth; Chris Brown and Kate Fenner launch new disc this week". Toronto Star, May 17, 2001.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Protest pop as it used to be". The Globe and Mail, December 27, 2001.
- ↑ "Top acts are inspired by the Summit". Kingston Whig-Standard, April 18, 2002.
- ↑ "The price of democracy: Benefit album will help pay legal fees of Quebec City summit protesters". Montreal Gazette, April 18, 2002.
- ↑ "Timely shout for truce: Brown and Fenner Resist War song gets rushed into play". Montreal Gazette, March 13, 2003.
- ↑ "Alone, together". National Post, October 11, 2003.
- ↑ "Citizens band together: With Kate Fenner in tow, Chris Brown returns to Wolfe Island". Kingston Whig-Standard, August 6, 2005.