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Canadian Duo Fera Wins January “Best Song Of The Month” Contest With
Their Song “Fairytales”
By Dale Kawashima
Fera, a promising, alt./country duo based in Coquitlam, BC,
Canada, has won the SongwriterUniverse “Best Song Of The Month” Contest for
January, with their song “Fairytales”. Fera consists of identical twin sisters,
Courtney & Stephanie Fera, who both sing and write. “Fairytales” is
included on the duo’s new 11-song CD, Familiar Feeling, which was
released independently last month (Dec. 2006).
STEPHANIE FERA (left) & COURTNEY FERA     (by Jonetsu Photography)
“Fairytales” is a fresh-sounding, uptempo tune, which
features an appealing melody throughout the song. The chorus is particularly
catchy, featuring the duo’s infectious harmony vocals. The Fera sisters also
played acoustic guitars on this track, and the recording features excellent
lead guitar-playing by Robbie Steininger.
“Fairytales” was expertly produced by Tom McKillip, who is known for producing
Canadian artists Aaron Pritchett and Karen Lee Batten, and for being the band
manager of country singer/songwriter Lisa Brokop.
Courtney & Stephanie Fera were born and raised in
Coquitlam, BC, which is near Vancouver. They grew up in a healthy music
environment – they’re father is a musician who played in several bands, and
built a studio in their home. Courtney and Stephanie both learned to play
acoustic guitar and drums, and Courtney also plays harmonica. The duo were
inspired by such diverse artists as Hanson, Patty Griffin and Bryan Adams.
Following high school, the sisters began to concentrate more
on their songwriting, and they also took music production and studio recording
classes at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Fera also accepted an
invitation to showcase to perform at a major country showcase, the Merritt
Mountain Music Festival. In addition, the duo recorded a six-song demo CD in
2004, and soon after focused on creating their first full CD, Familiar
Feeling, with producer Tom McKillip. Recording sessions for the album began
in February 2006, and the CD was completed in December.
COURTNEY FERA (left) & STEPHANIE FERA     (by Bart Zieba Photography)
One of the album’s key songs is “Fairytales.” “We wrote
‘Fairytales’ in 2003,” explained Courtney Fera. “It’s about the heartache of
someone who puts themselves on the line for someone else, with the hope that
they feel the same way. It’s based on a true story, but in real life it didn’t
turn out like it would in a fairytale. In fact, the theme of the song actually
is, “it ain’t no fairytale.”
Now with the release of their CD, Fera is looking forward to
promoting the album via radio airplay and touring. “We’re starting to get
airplay, and we want to play more major music festivals,” said Stephanie Fera.
“We’ve put together a full band, and we’re doing more shows. With the release
of our new album, we’re hoping that with a lot of hard work, Fera will
eventually become a household name in Canada.”