Fire Star

"He proves that ... musicianship, creativty and imagination can still excel."
-Jordy Yack of Pulse Niagara on Fire Star
"Fire Star is brilliant!" -Staff of Rebel's Rock, Hamilton, Ontario
"Hauntingly Beautiful" -Patti Fagan, owner of Cafe on Main in Welland, Ontario
"The music of Fire Star exemplifies the spirit of true musicianship. He expresses himself with clear, honest words in searching for personal direction as well as commentating on the state of the world today. ... This is the reason why I advocate for Canadian independent music."
-Kristylee Palma, CKMS Radio Waterloo Personnality
"Melodic, emotive folk rock ... (Fire Star's debut CD) has a polished, layered sound that showcases the singer-songwriter's thoughtful lyrics and diverse musical style"
-Elizabeth Yates of the Brantford Expositor
Chris White always has something on his mind, and has decided that music is the best way to express it. The only problem is there are too many Chris Whites in the world for any one of them to go around using it as their stage name. Hence the pseudonym of Fire Star was adopted as a creative conduit for Chris’ work.
This particular Chris is a Brantford, Ontario native who studied engineering at the University of Waterloo, took up guitar at the age of twenty and then unexpectedly abandoned all sense by quitting the engineering business six years later. Then again, winning the prestigious Matt Osborne Memorial Award, as well as high praise from the university radio station probably had something to do with it.
Fire Star’s songs run the gamut from folk-flavoured ballads to upbeat acoustic rock. Interesting twists in the form of alternate tunings, unusual chords, odd timing, and multiple instruments like banjo and mandolin are thrown in for good measure, and yet a strongly listenable sensibility is maintained. The lyrics are at once personal and political, critically observant and contemplative, passionate and hopeful. Broken plans, broken hearts, gain and loss, life’s contradictions, complexities and inequities; the future, the mysterious, the unknown: to capture it all perfectly is a fool’s errand. But Chris – still with a lot on his mind – is determined to try.
Haunting melodies combined with thoughtful lyrics make Fire Star an engaging live experience. The interpretation of the listener is critically important; there’s always more to be discovered. It’s all about slowly working it out, a word, a note, and a thought at a time.
Songs from Fire Star's Debut CD:
What Sweet Luck
Blue Petals
Dreamer
Paper Crane (the one in the YouTube video)
Keeper
Little Star
Earthly Delights
Boy
Interview and Performance with Independent Scene in Toronto on September 21, 2008:
Performance from the iTodd Lounge on August 21, 2008: