For The Fairest

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For The Fairest is Steph Sears, Jean-Guy Menard, a big red Takamine and a bottle of Shiraz.“I wrote my first song for my grade eleven guitar class exam,” says Stephanie Sears, lead singer of Ottawa folk duo, For The Fairest. “My teacher thought it was so rad. He gave me 100% and asked me to record the song with him. And I did.” Towards the end of high school Stephanie began spending her free evenings writing and jamming with two other women. From 2003 - 2007, they played together under the name SLU, opening for bands such as The Reason and Immaculate Machine. They released their first full length demo album in the summer of 2007 at what would be their farewell show, before all the other members moved their separate ways.A year later and with more songs added to her catalogue, Stephanie made her debut, unaccompanied, at a local bar in March 2008. A few other solo gigs with just a voice and a guitar to entertain the crowds with, she began to feel more comfortable with her music. With summer approaching, Ottawa’s population started coming out of hibernation after a cold winter and Stephanie was playing songs at a party when someone took notice. That someone was Jean-Guy Menard, who would then offer to play drums, making For The Fairest a two-piece duo. “I was drunk at a party one night and singing a song I had just finished writing. Jean-Guy came up to me and said he liked what he heard and wanted to join my band. A month later, we played our first show together.”So far, their live show, a few Youtube videos and a MySpace profile are the only way you’ll get to experience For The Fairest. Stephanie sings with the upmost confidence, projecting her voice with such strength that it almost makes a microphone unnecessary. The music, which combines powerful chords, catchy hooks and a soft rhythm section, makes for a perfect match with lyrics that are heartfelt, honest, and easy to sing along with. 
 Balancing her music career with her schoolwork has proved to be a healthy balance for Steph, who is a few months away from obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the University of Ottawa. “Situations and actions of those around me inevitably affect me, which shows up in my art and my music,” she laughs. “I’m pretty straight forward and blunt in my writing, but I think it’s best that way.”With the year 2009 upon us, For The Fairest plan to record the songs they have perfected live and will continue wowing crowds of all ages. “When I was young, I used to sing on my front porch and pretend I was on a stage in front of a huge crowd,” Stephanie remembers. “I guess writing and playing have always been something I’ve wanted to do.”