F&M

Artist Information

Biography

F&M Short BIO:

F&M is a baroque pop trio known for heartfelt performances and sophisticated style. Touring much of Canada over the past few years, and dipping into Europe, F&M has garnered critical success. In less than 5 years, F&M has released 4 full-length albums and 2 EPs. Their 2010 album “Sincerely, F&M” took the #1 position on Exclaim’s Folk Chart for 6 weeks; charting for 4 months in 2010/11. F&M was voted SEE Magazine’s 1st runner up Best Band in 2011 and was a finalist in the Calgary Folk Fest’s Songwriting Competition (2011 and 2012). Music from F&M is in the Major Motion Picture release “Goon” (March 2012). F&M was recently a featured performer for The Edmonton Opera's Storm the Stage. The Montreal Mirror wrote this about F&M: “Their boxing gloves may be made of velvet (thick, crushed velvet at that), but this trio will punch you.”

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“They hit me like a very gentle and sincere steam-train, but hit me they did.” ~ SnC 184, United Kingdom

F&M’s signature sound is stubbornly its own thing, dwelling at the crossroads of folk, pop, and epic rock and drawing on a rich history of cross-genre influences and the flickering contours of modern adulthood. Songwriters Rebecca and Ryan Anderson are the heart of the Edmonton-based band, which began as an entirely different ensemble project named after a hometown funeral parlour. In 2006, it dawned on Rebecca and Ryan that they were calving like an iceberg from the original band and bobbing in a sea of Their Own Thingness, so they bravely sallied forth, borne by his guitar, her piano and accordion, and both of their distinctive voices.

Let Every Light Shine (2007, Shameless Records), crackles with intense sentiment and lofty lyricism in a mutant folk-rock sonic landscape. Two of the debut’s guest musicians evolved into genuine bandmates, and collaboratively they launched into writing Every Light Must Fade (2008, Shameless), which was almost like Shine’s B-Side: the same moral entanglements and grown-up anxieties but an increasingly complex and billowing sound and more sure-footed execution. Their third effort, Sincerely, F&M (2010, Shameless), is loping, spare orchestral folk stretched over a rock-pop backbone; waves of darkness and density crashing against brightness and space – reflective, grandly emotive, and fearlessly hungry for meaning. The album took the #1 position on Exclaim’s Folk Chart in November 2010, charting into the following year.

Wish You Were Here (August 30 2011, Shameless) is an intimately dashed-off aural postcard from F&M ’s peripatetic trio. 2010 often found them on the road between the Prairies and West Coast, with one marathon trek all the way from Vancouver Island to Ontario. During their travels, F&M refined their new three-piece dynamic: Rebecca and Ryan combined with multi-instrumentalist/production geek Bryan Miot Reichert. Reincarnating their live sound, the album captures the spirit of F&M ’s cross-Canada performances and the musical empathy between three road-seasoned friends and veteran artists. The result is pure emotion and meaning, distilled; every tone and texture is exquisitely weighted and placed, and even silences seem like notes from an eloquent universal instrument. Wish You Were Here continues F&M’s ongoing championing of substance and unflinching exploration of the wilderness of human experience in search of transcendent meaning.

"Should be alternative stars- the Canadian duo of Rebecca and Ryan Anderson are writing passionate stories. Their past works also deserve recognition, but they are consistently great, and their lyrics are pure poetry." Famous Blue Raincoats, Greece, December 9, 2010

"... wowing audiences ... sounds that draw comparison to The National.” Rocky Mountain Outlook, January 15, 2009

"Fresh spririts on tap….[F&M is ] part of the Canadian intellectual music scene.”Main Echo, GERMANY, December 2010

"great expressive range!" CBC Radio

Instrumentation

Ryan Anderson - Vocals and Guitars
Rebecca Anderson - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Accordion, Baglama
Bryan Reichert - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Violin, mandolin

Discography

????? ? ?????? / An Evening In Moscow EP (April 2013)

Winter Is Coming: Songs of Winter and Christmas EP (December 2011)

Wish You Were Here (August 30th 2011)

Sincerely, F&M (2010 Shameless)

Every Light Must Fade (2008 Shameless)

Let Every Light Shine (2007 Shameless)

F&M Christmas Notebook : This Gift Buys Our Gift EP (2006 Self-Released: F&M and Bryan Reichert)

Official Website

http://fandmtheband.com

Links

• Official F&M Website
• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube F&M Channel
• VIMEO
• CBC3
• Official F&M Facebook Page

Audio

• Kukushka
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• Amsterdam (Trio Version)
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• Music By The Sea
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• Old Photographs
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• The Singer Gets It Right
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• Swan Song Serenade
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• This Winter Revisited
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• Bell's Own Desire
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• Victoria
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• A Little Love Hymn
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Victoria
• Bell’s Own Desire

Video

A Little Love Hymn - Official Music Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• F&M - Live Performance Review: Supermarket, Toronto August 31, 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  Every so often at a live concert, much to the delight of the audience, a group’s power and presence ...Every so often at a live concert, much to the delight of the audience, a group’s power and presence add to the sound in a way that doesn’t come across on an album. F&M, the thoughtful and earnest Canadiana group from Edmonton reached those heights at an intimate show at The Supermarket, August 31.
  
  Ryan and Becky Anderson, the husband-and-wife core of F&M, were joined on stage and on tour by the versatile Bryan Reichert (occasionally referred to as the ampersand), and began the set with a re-imagined version of “Amsterdam”, a powerful song that has been reworked for the trio of F&M.
  
  The second tune, “I Pray for Fog,” was also a song that the group saw change over the years, with the trio version in perfect balance as if the threesome had been playing together for years and years.
  
  While always harmonious, it was Becky who was often the star of the show. Moving from accordion to piano to acoustic guitar, and back again, she displayed her obvious talents as a musician, commanding attention at centre stage. Her beautiful yet strong voice matched her instrumental skill, occasionally hitting notes reminiscent of the talented Sarah Slean, particularly when singing behind the piano on “Serenade,” a simple yet beautifully sad piece.
  
  “She’s a powerhouse,” said Ryan after the show. “Sometimes she holds back a bit, but sooner or later she is going to fully realize it.”
  
  Ryan certainly made the audience feel the music as well, with “This Winter, Revisted,” filling the room with December air. The trio has no problem being powerful and in control, filling the room with a harmonious and captivating sound that doesn’t often come from a group lacking drums and electric guitars. Ryan offered up a song he dubbed as “the quietly punk rock song in Canada,” and closed with a cover of a soon-to-be popular hockey song that will make its way to television.
  
  Their albums are beautifully arranged and each of their four releases are worth a listen, even as the band has evolved. In person, however, F&M lack no reservations, physically and emotionally letting themselves escape into their very meaningful songs about love, sadness, and traveling the Canadian landscape.

• F&M Wish You Were Here (Album Review) [+ Show ]
  

  By Rachel SandersWith a name inspired by a well-known Edmonton funeral home, it's not surprising tha...By Rachel SandersWith a name inspired by a well-known Edmonton funeral home, it's not surprising that F&M make music filled with drama and passion. The trio create a compelling sense of story in each of the songs on their fourth album, using the interplay between male and female voices ? hers pure and light, his rough but restrained ? to emphasize the strong narrative. Along with multi-instrumentalist Bryan Reichert, Rebecca and Ryan Anderson take a leisurely approach to acoustic folk, but add theatricality with dramatic vocal touches, accordion embellishments and unconventional song structures. The gentle pace and wide-open spaces in songs like "Goodnight," "I Pray for the Fog" and "Music by the Sea" lend a haunting mood to the music. And the cover of cowboy ballad "Streets of Laredo," sweetly performed in the style of an old English folk song, is a special delight.

• Captain Tractor (with F&M) / Live Performance Review [+ Show ]
  

  Story by Jon Squires Photo by Nicole Ashley Published June 2011 In the province so devoted to t...Story by Jon Squires
  Photo by Nicole Ashley
  Published June 2011
  
  In the province so devoted to the cult of Nickelback, it is refreshing to experience music of a different genre performed by talented and passionate musicians. Local bands F&M and Captain Tractor pulled off a show on May 13 that was indeed refreshing.
  
  The show opened with F&M, a local, internationally touring folk rock band fronted by Ryan and Rebecca Anderson. I’ve seen a wide variety of opening acts over the years, both as a spectator and musician, and it is not uncommon for me to wish I had stayed home until the main act. But this was not one of those times. F&M combined great musicianship with haunting, beautiful melodies, and a unique stage presence, making for a show that was soothing yet captivating. Equally as delightful as the live show is their newest release Sincerely F&M, which is a must-have for any fan of folk music.
  
  Following a talented band such as F&M is not easy task, but Captain Tractor, a group that is celebrating the release of their eighth album, Famous Last Words, proved more than capable. With driving rhythms and energetic stage presence, Captain Tractor was a decided change of pace. As a native of an Irish-influenced city on the east coast I am often skeptical of bands who too freely describe their sound as “Celtic.” But there was no mistaking what defined Captain Tractor–this band does Celtic and they do it well. The show was undeniably fun–more like an east coast kitchen party than a concert.
  
  Although every musician on stage held his own behind the microphone, Chris Wynters proved to be the vocal stronghold of the band. Wynters’ shone vocally on “Memory Street,” a sad and nostalgic song off their newest album. The band also displayed great stage presence, charming the audience between songs with their wit and clever storytelling.
  
  Every musician had impressive control over his or her instrument, and the harmonies were phenomenal. Drummer Jules Mounteer and bassist Jon Nordstrom held down the rhythm in solid fashion. Scott Phillips, while displaying strong vocals, also proved to be a great guitarist and mandolin player. With a solid foundation in place, Shannon Johnson and Jason Kodie did some catchy decorating with the fiddle and accordion.
  
  Following the show I was anxious to spend some time listening to my new CD. Just like the show, the recording did not disappoint. The tracks were well-recorded and every instrument was tasteful and not overplayed. The album is playful at times and serious at others, but there is no mistaking its sincerity and devotion to simply having a good time.
  
  Captain Tractor is the most entertaining band I have seen in a long time. Paired with a band like F&M, the band put on a dynamic show that proved to be the breath of fresh air the music scene so desperately needs. If you are looking for something relaxing yet intriguing, be sure to check out F&M. On the other hand, if you want to let loose and dance away some stress, Captain Tractor is a band you will not want to miss.

• Breaking Through the Wall Of Sound [+ Show ]
  

  Edmonton folk trio F&M has something of an accidental album on its hands. Released this past T...Edmonton folk trio F&M has something of an accidental album on its hands.
  
  Released this past Tuesday via Shameless Records, Wish You Were Here comes less than a year after the band much-praised 2010 LP Sincerely.
  
  "It’s been so fast," says singer/songwriter Ryan Anderson over speakerphone from Saskatchewan. (He’s joined on the line — and in the band — by his wife, singer/songwriter Rebecca Anderson.) "It was just supposed to be a couple of downloads. But things went really well in the studio so we kept going."
  
  This pace isn’t exactly unfamiliar to F&M — "We’re already written the next album and a side project album," Ryan says with a laugh — but there’s nothing rushed about Wish You Were Here. Stripped-down and soul-bearing, the eight songs that make up this contemplative, songwriter’s album were lovingly crafted; each sigh of Rebecca’s accordion, each raw guitar note perfectly compliments the pair’s indelible vocal interplay (Rebecca’s sweet to Ryan’s salty). Indeed, it’s an utterly lovely record.
  
  "We actually had the time take on this this one — the trick was not to packing in more, which is very tempting with studio technology," Ryan says. "We wanted a very quiet, moody record. We wanted to make a record that lulls you."
  
  "It’s actually our most rehearsed record," Rebecca adds. "Even though it went quick in the studio, it wasn’t slapped together."
  
  The couple credits the band’s third member/producer, multi-instrumentalist Bryan Reichert, with making Wish You Were Here the record it is.
  
  "Bryan is the ampersand in F&M," Ryan says. "He knows how to make something sound beautiful, which is a real talent."
  
  More than just beautiful album, Wish You Were Here is the product of a band that’s finally comfortable with its less-is-more sound — and a band that has faith in the strength of its songs.
  
  "We really embraced our trio sound, our gentler side," Rebecca says. "We wanted to embrace that quiet intensity. For a while it felt like we were competing against a lot of wall-of-sound acts. But then we realized that this is what we do well. We wanted to be true to ourselves."

• F&M: Sincerely, F&M CD Review Editorial Rating: 4 out of 5 [+ Show ]
  

  Editorial Rating: 4 out of 5 by BY Alexandra Posadzki November 24, 2010 Rebecca and Ryan Ander...Editorial Rating: 4 out of 5
  by BY Alexandra Posadzki November 24, 2010
  
  Rebecca and Ryan Anderson, the married couple at the heart of Edmonton orchestral folk-rock band F&M, are a perfect contrast. She’s classically trained, he’s a veteran of Edmonton’s indie scene. When juxtaposed together — alongside his guitar and her piano and accordion — they make a seamless blend, a yin-yang of playfulness and sorrow, of innocence and sin. Rebecca conjures Joni Mitchell in her ability to travel across several octaves, while Ryan’s voice is contemplative and full of rugged honesty. The duo demonstrates its maturity as songwriters with their third album, Sincerely, F&M, where they arrange the silence as well as the sound. The results are heartfelt and rich in meaning — even the disc’s surprising cover of “Maybe Tomorrow,” the theme song from The Littlest Hobo.

• Banner Year For Edmonton Music [+ Show ]
  

  The worst part of my job? Having to say no. Unfortunately, it happens more often these days — since ...The worst part of my job? Having to say no. Unfortunately, it happens more often these days — since Edmonton seems to be sprouting more talented musicians than ever before.
  
  Eleven years ago, when I first started at The Journal, I covered about one local CD release party per month. Now, there’s usually one or two per WEEK, thanks to cheaper recording gear, the rise of indie labels, and the power of the Internet.
  
  Anyone can write and record music (not to mention shoot a video or start a festival); you no longer have to wait for your blood-stained invite to the Exclusive Club of Rock Stars and Major Labels. You don’t always have to resort to using Ticketmaster either — thanks to yeglive.ca, a new made-in-Edmonton ticketing service and listings guide.
  
  Yup, it was another banner year for Edmonton’s music scene. Thousands celebrated local acts during the first SOSFest in Old Strathcona and Open Sky Music Festival in Hawrelak Park. Pop-rockers Ten Second Epic and Edmonton-bred popsters Stereos were nominated for Junos.
  
  Folk-pop artist Colleen Brown toured the country with the Crash Test Dummies while a growing flock of singer-songwriters, including Eamon McGrath, Michael Rault and Corb Lund continued to nurture their overseas markets.
  
  With new opportunities comes the urge to move to new cities, and though we lost several artists to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, our talent pool is still ridiculously deep — from Ross Shep student and electronic artist Dylan Khotin-Foote, better known as Kumon Plaza, to singer-songwriter Jeff Morris to dance messiahs Mass Choir.
  
  They’re three of the artists to make my list of favourite local releases of 2010:
  
  Wool on Wolves, Grey Matter
  
  Armed with this assertive and adventurous debut, these folk-rockers could be Canada’s next big sensations.
  
  Kumon Plaza, Cliff
  
  Here’s proof you can turn silly video game sounds into heart-wrenching electro-pop.
  
  F&M, Sincerely, F&M
  
  An exquisite collection of bittersweet folk-noir tunes, featuring the haunting vocals of Ryan Christian Anderson and his wife, Rebecca.
  
  Eamon McGrath, Peace Maker
  
  One of Edmonton’s most prolific songwriters serves up another piece of his soul on his latest rugged folk-punk album.
  
  Cygnets, Bleak Anthems
  
  Bleak, yes, but also one of the best ’80s synth-pop flashbacks you’ll have without trying to find your Cure or OMD albums.
  
  The Provincial Archive, Maybe We Could Be Holy
  
  Delicate folk-pop, stitched together with banjo, accordion and mandolin, about life in a northern town.
  
  Jeff Morris, Original Songs on a Borrowed Guitar
  
  Breezy, yet soulful acoustic pop in the vein of Jack Johnson. Only better.
  
  Michael Rault, Ma-Me-O
  
  Life’s not always a beach, but this album of ’60s-soaked garage-pop tunes will put a smile on your face.
  
  Mass Choir, Live My Life on the Backbeat
  
  Uplifting dance tunes inspired by the ’90s, gospel and hip-shaking beats.
  
  Jay Sparrow, In Our Time
  
  Quivery folk and lurchy blues never sounded so intoxicating from this songbird.
  
  
  

• F&M Wear Their Hearts On Their Album Sleeve [+ Show ]
  

  When people finish graduate work in history, they usually get a job at a university…or a library…or ...When people finish graduate work in history, they usually get a job at a university…or a library…or heck, they could just write a blog. But every so often, or at least this once - a history graduate will use the topic of their thesis to help inform their own songwriting and performing. It helps, of course, when the subject of your thesis was a Soviet rockstar.
  
  It’s New Album Release Day again, and F&M are back with a new album today called Sincerely, F&M. I know what you’re wondering and yes – it comes with its very own winelist.
  
  I sat down in Internetland with F&M frontlady (and history graduate) Rebecca Anderson to ask her about the new album, touring across Canada, and a guy that she learned about back in the USSR.
  
  F&M’s frontman & frontwoman are also husband & wife, Ryan & Rebecca Anderson. When they began work on their latest album, Rebecca relates to this very blog writer that they ”took off to Victoria to do some song writing. The funny thing is that a lot of the songs came after our visit there – Ryan wrote the song ‘Victoria’ in an Edmonton parking lot…. This album we rehearsed a lot with our full band so that our studio time was a few days as opposed to building up the recording track by track over a period of a few months. That means the recording sounds very live and we think has more energy to it and a more worked out sound.”
  And as for that sound - it’s the sonic result of the process of trying to make something genuine, shedding off the white noise of mainstream music and creating a “space for meaning in anti-billboard rock.”
  
  When Rebecca was writing her Master’s thesis on Viktor Tsoi (he’s been called the Kurt Cobain of the Soviet Union, even though making comparisons like that are a bit silly, ESPECIALLY since Tsoi died when he was 28, not 27), she “watched videos of his performances and read his interviews and really valued his authenticity. Even if he sounded pitchy he had a magnetism because you could see that what he was performing was true.”
  
  Tsoi has obviously influenced F&M. As Rebecca explains, “Ryan and I see the album as a love letter to F&M’s listeners and hope that people can identify with the subject matter.”
  
  Even if for some crazy reason a listener can’t connect to the music, they can at least appreciate the work that has been put into making the album an encompassing work of art. They had former band member Brian Epp pair each song with a glass of wine. They had an illustrator named Jason Wallin handle Sincerely, F&M‘s design – and they’ve reflected this in their live performances. I could try and explain how they’ve done that, but luckily I don’t have to because they’re on tour right now and you can just go and see them for yourself.
  
  They’ve already played through British Columbia and Alberta, and are on their way out east. Seasoned touring veterans, F&M have performed all over Canada and as far away as Germany. Their most important advice for being on the road? “Musicians should never overlook their safety. A roadside breakdown means the loss of income, or worse: loss of instruments or life. If you don’t have a good vehicle -rent one!”
  
  Snags have already hit them while on tour - their recent show in Penticton was cancelled at the last second - but, as Rebecca explains, ”within 20 minutes we had another venue and were setting up to go on with the show! Ryan and I are naturally shy people, so to overcome this and to have people know our music and be good with us performing last minute was uplifting.”
  
  Uplifting is also a word that F&M could apply to the Edmonton arts milieu. And appreciative: ”We are so thankful to be a part of an arts scene like Edmonton’s. I say arts because we really feel the support not just from musicians and the music industry but also from theatre and visual arts.”
  
  “People are so friendly here. I think that gets us through the winters.”
  
  And speaking of winters, here’s some tips for surviving this one, as the snow starts to fall today.
  
  1) Get a glass of wine.
  2) Get near a fireplace.
  3) Get F&M’s new album, by clicking here.
  
  And here’s another great tip: Watch their new video for the song “A Little Love Hymn” – that’s right folks – it’s NEW VIDEO RELEASE DAY today too!

• they want to be your grown-up dirty little secret band [+ Show ]
  

  With the release of their fourth full-length album, Sincerely, Ryan and Rebecca Anderson, the Edmont...With the release of their fourth full-length album, Sincerely, Ryan and Rebecca Anderson, the Edmonton-based songwriters at the heart of F&M, have created a collection of songs that embrace the ambiguity and frustration of adult life, while still celebrating the inevitable and tragic beauty that comes with being a grown-up. And the entire affair is refreshingly irony-free, something of which the married couple is exceptionally proud.
  
  “We're just at an age where it’s not scary to be authentic. It’s like, this is what we are and let’s just be the best that we can be. You don’t need to pander or put on any kind of pose,” says Rebecca, who goes by Becky, over speakerphone from the home she and Ryan share in Edmonton.
  
  “We’re not stupid, we’re not going to be on the Top 40 radio stations anytime soon, but we don’t care as long as we can pay our bills and enjoy our time and hopefully make people enjoy our music and win them over,” adds Ryan.
  
  Ryan and Becky technically met in high school, but it wasn’t until Ryan spent time skulking outside of her university classes and shadowing her at the library that a romance developed. Ryan admits it was a bit of light “stalking” but in the most romantic way. When he explains his infatuation with her at the time, Becky admits she was oblivious, and the couple still laughs when explaining how she brought her sister, cousin and friend to their first date.
  
  “I’m just really slow when it comes to relationships,” says Becky. “I thought we were just friends.”
  
  After years of playing in hobby bands both independently and together, the couple decided to try taking their shot at the brass ring and become a working, touring, recording band. Becky’s classical music training and Ryan’s grittier experiences in punk and rock ‘n’ roll bands seem as though they would clash, but the music of F&M is nuanced and precious in its earnestness. They have steadily built a following, though they claim much of their success is found abroad rather than at home, despite their recent victory as Edmonton’s Most Passionate Power Couple on CBC Go.
  
  The couple has an easy and affable rapport, which is understandable after more than 12 years together. Ryan is the more verbose of the two and his jokes land easily and rapidly, often followed by Becky’s suppressed giggles. Though she is not nearly as vocal, Becky is equally charming and has a sardonic and self-aware sense of humour. Their conversations are much like their music: punctuated by moments where they are both in perfect harmony with each other and moments where they play off each other in surprising ways.
  One of the highlights on Sincerely is “I Tripped, You Smiled,” a song that explores some of the more complicated aspects of marriage and includes the lyrics “I swear it’s not my fault and I’ll blame you anyway.” Ryan explains that the song is his way of showing that even within a happy marriage, there can be heartbreak amidst the romance — Becky is quick to agree.
  
  “It’s a real commitment,” Becky agrees. “You wake up each day and you make that commitment again and again. It’s funny because I don’t really see that song as a struggle or a fight, but I could see that now.”
  
  “It was for me,” Ryan is quick to respond with a laugh.
  
  Such is the couple’s dynamic: they are witty and intelligent, realistic about life’s hardships, and not afraid to make fun of themselves or each other. Their music works because it examines themes that every adult faces in life and the depiction of the couple’s experiences comes off as authentic and haunting.
  
  F&M are a band that won’t stay a secret for very long.

• COVER FEATURE: Singers Get It Right [+ Show ]
  

  It's not an odd thing for a band to have a favourite bar, or even to compare itself to the feel of a...It's not an odd thing for a band to have a favourite bar, or even to compare itself to the feel of a favourite bar. Alcohol and music go hand in hand, after all: the consumption of it helps fuel the reverie of live performance, the creativity of rehearsal, the relaxation afterwards. In addition, bars are the classic venues of performance, places where the mood created in the space plays off the mood created by the band, reflected by the audience, permeating the night.
  
  What is a little odd is for F & M cofounders—and married couple—Becky and Ryan Anderson to point to BiBO as the group's spiritual match. Almost literally a hole in the wall, BiBO sits only 10 people inside its richly-hued walls. An intimate, largely unassuming space, it doesn't suggest a feeling of "rock god" to anyone—but that's just fine with the intimate, unassuming band.
  
  "We're not some big brash bar like one of those bars on Whyte Ave or Jasper. We're a tiny little one that warms up your heart, brings you in," explains Ryan, adding with a laugh, "We're like home—it's a homey little place and that's what we are. It's not for everyone, but it's certainly for those who are brilliantly smart and have amazing taste."
  
  The duo conspicuously brings the conversation around to the tiny wine bar throughout our interview as a way of thrusting the hidden gems of Edmonton to the forefront of the conversation, a theme F & M pushes on its latest album, Sincerely, F & M. The songs—quiet and riddled as they are with themes of leaving, returning and winter—reflect the members' view of the city that houses them. Even the artwork reflects an earthy, local, wild vibe.
  
  "Jason Wallin, who is the illustrator and did all of the designs, I actually saw his work in Notebook Magazine and fell in love with it and thought, 'I have to remember this guy,'" explains Becky of the album's visual esthetic. "He had just the right elements of a little bit creepy and stark and haunting, but I think he just gets that Alberta wilderness feel in the illustrations he did."
  
  "We've always said that we're pretty connected to the environment that we're in, and it's a cold, stark place ... we wanted to make a distinctly Edmonton record," continues Ryan. "We sat back with a bunch of people and said, 'What is it that makes Edmonton cool?' I'm still not sure what it is; maybe the quiet reflectiveness, the stark beauty."
  
  To capture that stark beauty, the band went about recording in a way that differed significantly from previous efforts: instead of building up the songs one person at a time, track by track over the course of months, F & M went into the studio with producer Bryan Reichert for just a few weeks, capturing a more off-the-cuff sound.
  
  "I very much like holing ourselves away and just getting it done—our last couple of records took eight months, this one took a few weeks," explains Ryan.
  
  "In this one we'd all be in the same room instead of someone going into the studio and recording track by track and giving a few alternatives and us picking," continues Becky. "This way we, as a group, we could choose what worked and what didn't. I think it gave us a more cohesive sound."
  The cohesive sound, its very togetherness, is another theme present on the album, which the Andersons titled Sincerely, F & M for a reason: with all of the weight our popular culture puts on saying one thing and meaning another, F & M set out to write an album that spoke about love not from a distance, but from within its warm clutches.
  
  "I'm declaring irony to be dead. I'm a bit tired of it, and people will agree or disagree, but I'm tired of everything being so ironic. I'm OK with clever and I'm OK with intelligent, but mean what you say sometimes," rails Ryan. "This is us saying, 'We're putting it on the line: we like romance, we like love,' and it's a taboo in this indie-college rock-art rock thing to talk about love and we're like, 'Why not?'"
  
  "We're getting more mature—just in age—and I think there has to be a point where we're happy with who we are and that authenticity, we need to let that come out," continues Becky. "I'm happy with who I am, I'm content with what I'm becoming, what I am. I don't have to pretend to be someone else. That's what happens when you hit 30—you know what you like."
  
  Knowing what you like and where you come from, acknowledging the milieu that makes you who you are and pushing to popularize its better elements, these are the parts that make up the whole of F & M. The band strives to be fully experiential, going so far as to offer wine pairings for each song on the record. But even that choice is not simply what it seems: it connects to the bands roots, where it comes from.
  
  "Brian Epp, who is the sommelier on the record goes way back to our hobby band—he used to play mandolin and bass for us and then he went to Vancouver and went on this adventure of learning about wine," explains Becky. "I think it's just that going back to our roots, he was a big part of what we became."
  
  "We're proud of where we come from—it's a great city or else we wouldn't be here," says Ryan. "We have great culture, a whole bunch of things going on—we just need to grab a hold of it. We're trying to be a band for Edmonton; we're not a brash in your face band from LA. Edmonton is kind of a quiet, subdued place, as is F & M. We're homey." V

• Edmonton husband-wife team releases new CD [+ Show ]
  

  Edmonton - “ ... Every Light Must Fade is like sipping fine wine, slowly evolving from start to fini...Edmonton - “ ... Every Light Must Fade is like sipping fine wine, slowly evolving from start to finish ...”
  
  Those words, taken from The Journal, were used to describe F&M’s last album, released in 2008. The Edmonton band, led by Rebecca Anderson and her husband, Ryan, are taking the analogy one step, or sip, further, with their new release, Sincerely, F&M.
  
  The liner notes come with a wine (or beverage) recommendation for each one of the 12 songs, as suggested by sommelier Brian Epp, who used to play bass and mandolin for F&M.
  
  “Hot chocolate with Baileys can be sweet and comforting for times like this,” he writes of Swan Song Serenade, a delicate piano waltz chilled by Rebecca’s aching whispers. “Racy wine like Alsatian Gewurtztraminer or Aussie Viognier can spice up an already racy song,” he writes of Walk To You, a driving folk-rock number aged with Ryan’s dark rasps.
  
  As a musical couple, the Andersons are a mix of spirits — a glass of elegant wine and a pint of Traditional.
  
  Rebecca is a classically trained vocalist who can play any instrument she picks up — accordion, piano, guitar, a small Greek bouzouki — while Ryan is a bit more rugged, with slightly devilish pipes and an inferiority complex about his musical skills. “I personally write a lot of songs. Becky only writes good songs,” he says over a cup of non-alcoholic java at Transcend Coffee. “A lot of mine are crap.” The pair rarely writes together — “that’s something we’re learning to do,” says Rebecca — but their voices are perfect contrasts. She often sounds like a pious worshipper who wants to sin; he’s a roguish barfly who wants to repent.
  
  While love and wine are obvious inspirations for Sincerely, F&M, winter and parking lots also seem to loosen Ryan’s musical muscles. He wrote Victoria, a piano-folk tidal wave about a recent visit to the B.C. city, while sitting in the frigid parking lot of an Edmonton Superstore. He penned This Winter Revisited, a folk-noir love letter to Edmonton, on a cold night over some pints of Trad at The Black Dog.
  
  Other tunes, such as Rebecca’s Swan Song Serenade and Ryan’s Fame, were older numbers revisited and reinterpreted from their previous solo careers. I Tripped, You Smiled, the album’s only co-write, is actually a marriage of his-and-her tunes. “It comes from two very different songs that weren’t working,” says Rebecca.
  
  Then, there’s their unexpected and sublime cover of Maybe Tomorrow, known to a generation of Canadians as the theme from The Littlest Hobo. F&M’s version, a bittersweet acoustic lament, quietly sneaks up on the listener like a sly German shepherd.
  
  “We were very reluctant to put it on (the album) because we thought, ‘Do we really want to be known for a cover song’?” says Ryan. “But I’d rather be known for a cover than nothing at all. We were concerned about people coming to bars and yelling: ‘Play Hobo!’ and that may happen, but we’ll deal with that. I like our rendition, it’s very faithful to F&M.”
  
  Like The Littlest Hobo, the Andersons prefer to “just keep moving on, down this road that never seems to end” — whether its across Canada or Europe.
  
  They’re in the middle of a Canadian tour — which takes them as far east as Ottawa — aboard their Roadtrek 200 Versatile camper van, The White Pearl, and they’re planning a trek through Germany in 2011.
  
  “I don’t to want to be an Edmonton band,” says Rebecca. “I want to be an international musician.”
  
  “We don’t have any delusions, but we feel like we can make a reasonable career and put records out on a yearly basis,” says Ryan.
  
  They might not always be F&M records, though. Since the two tend to write separately, their songs don’t always fit the band’s mould.
  
  “I just did a record with my brother in the woods,” says Ryan. “It’s not going to be released any time soon. It’s not an F&M project, it’s more of a My Bloody Valentine thing. Morose.
  
  “I’d also like to do something with a chamber choir. I have all these crazy ideas and Becky has written a few songs lately that are really good, but they’re not F&M songs. I’d like her to make a record soon, which will probably be better than the F&M ones and she’ll finally figure it out — she doesn’t need me.”
  
  “But you’re the charmer on stage,” she says. “You say funny things.”
  
  
  Read more: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Edmonton+husband+wife+team+releases/3807501/story.html#ixzz14xHwoj4d

• Weekend Concert Picks: F&M [+ Show ]
  

  I've been a big fan of the band's litterate style for a number of years so, if like me, you sometime...I've been a big fan of the band's litterate style for a number of years so, if like me, you sometimes like your pop with an adult message and some food for thought, this is definitely the place to be. Their new album, Sincerely, F&M, comes out in November.

• F&M a Sincere Spirited Duo [+ Show ]
  

  Despite their best efforts, F&M might be one of the Canadian music industry's best-kept secrets. ...Despite their best efforts, F&M might be one of the Canadian music industry's best-kept secrets.
  
  Becky and Ryan Anderson, who make up the Edmonton-based duo, have been paying their dues on the road for four years, trying to establish a big enough fan base to push them over the cusp of obscurity, and into the mainstream. Not that they're going to be on Top 40 radio anytime soon, acknowledges Ryan. But with the release of its third full length album, Sincerely F&M, the group is hoping break into new markets.
  
  "This is kind of a coming out; we're ready for the international scene as much as the international scene has been rewarding us," says Ryan. "We've been working hard and busting our ass. This is where we're at now."
  
  Released in early November, Sincerely F&M remains consistent in its alternative mix of folk, pop and rock, but departs from prior albums in tone and content. Ryan explains F&M's debut album, Let Every Light Shine, is about marginalized voices, and its followup record, Every Light Must Fade, is about grief and death, maybe not surprising considering the band is named after a funeral parlour. The latest effort is about nostalgia and romance.
  
  "I think because we're not a newly married couple, we do have a relationship that fuels some of music and content," says Becky.
  
  The songs range from heart-melting to heartbreaking, with a few sexy numbers in between. And to make things even more interesting, F&M invited a sommelier friend to find drink pairings for each song.
  
  "I think it's giving people a reason to buy the physical album," says Becky. "Digital sales are fine but I've always loved album artwork and physically holding a CD. The drink pairings provide a reason to buy it."
  
  Suggested vintages, ales and cocktails cover the drink menu -- from a martini to go with "Bell's Own Desire," a naughty number about telephonic adventures, to Big Rock's Traditional Ale to go with "The Winter Revisited."
  
  "Music is best when paired with other arts," says Becky. "Wine is an art. You appreciate the mastery and artistry that goes behind making some of those libations."
  
  The couple hopes the drink pairings and lyrics put listeners in the same space Becky and Ryan were in when they wrote the album, at least in spirit if not location.
  
  Above all, they want to come off as genuine.
  
  "After touring the country a few times and seeing all the ironic bands, we needed to go a different route than all other bands out there," says Ryan. "We're killing irony; enough is enough. Be sincere. We want to make you cry, feel, giggle, laugh; we want to make you have an emotive feeling but sometimes you have to bring the brain into it."
  
  Whether it's in a formal listening room, a punk bar or a loud restaurant, F&M are just happy to be playing. Regardless of the venue and attention span of patrons, the band makes it their mission to make people listen.
  
  "We'll play and try to make you quiet," says Ryan. But it's our job to win you over, not your job. There's a bit of give and take. If the crowd is awesome, we play better, but it's our job to wow you. We've spent the last year really honing it down to a wow thing."
  
  F&M will be hitting the road with a third musician and Ryan says audiences can expect an acoustic trio sound, though fans should be prepared for the unexpected.
  
  The group isn't opposed to wandering into the audience or singing on tables.
  
  "We don't want to be background music, but if we are, hopefully 10 people will go, 'Wow, that was a great band.' "
  

• Critic's Picks [+ Show ]
  

  Edmonton duo Rebecca and Ryan Anderson are a cutie-patootie couple with their folk-pop hearts in the...Edmonton duo Rebecca and Ryan Anderson are a cutie-patootie couple with their folk-pop hearts in the right place. Their winsome new recording, Sincerely, F&M, comes with the most unusual of liner notes: Each song is paired with a wine suggestion. Take that, Metallica.
  

• F&M "Sincerely, F&M" Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  Husband and wife acts are a dodgy proposition. More often than not they are overly sappy, sugar-coa...Husband and wife acts are a dodgy proposition. More often than not they are overly sappy, sugar-coated, and awkward looks into relationships. That's certainly not the case with Edmonton couple Rebecca and Ryan Anderson who perform under the name F&M.
  
  It's not that F&M's new album Sincerely, F&M (out November 9th) is full of conflict and pain. Rather than the uncritical all sunshine and roses that we often get, the duo's songs are back and forth, almost discussions of feelings and relationships.
  
  On a musical level the Anderson's are an interesting pair. Ryan is an indie rocker through and through, while Rebecca brings a classical training background to the show. This contrast is most obvious in their vocals. Rebecca's delivery tends to be in the dramatic chamber pop tradition, which juxtaposes beautifully with Ryan's earthy ruggedness. That makes tracks like "Maybe Tomorrow", their cover of the theme song to the Canadian television staple The Littlest Hobo, sound akin to the best work of Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan.
  
  The arrangements are sophisticated pop at it's finest. The plaintive guitar stroll of "Bell's Own Desire" has a timeless quality to it. The Rebecca-sung "Swan Song Serenade" is an elegantly crooned piano number. "The Singer Gets It Right" boasts the gravitas of a U2 song (think "All I Want Is You"), without any of the pomp and arrogance that goes along with it.
  
  It may not be party music, but Sincerely, F&M is a solid choice for almost any other listening occasion.

• Little Miracle [+ Show ]
  

  . . . And [F&M’s] musical soul is a must have. This becomes clear, when more pub visitors become lis.... . . And [F&M’s] musical soul is a must have. This becomes clear, when more pub visitors become listeners: ...people, unexpectedly from this music, are captured; it’s a small miracle. F & M with their extraordinarily lyrical way and language of such small miracles... And we begin to understand why . . . music can cause all other disturbing noises to fade out ... Because this evening is just one such little miracle.
  
  Stefan Reis
  Main-Echo, Germany, October 17, 2009
  

• Memorable Conclusion to Rose City Roots Music Season [+ Show ]
  

  Lessons learned were laid bare as their mellow calm held us spellbound. Becky’s voice was easy to ge...Lessons learned were laid bare as their mellow calm held us spellbound. Becky’s voice was easy to get lost in and I often forgot to listen to the words when she was singing. She made the accordion sensual, something these young ears had never heard before. Beautifully at ease, the trio awakened one’s inner sensibilities to introspection, beckoning all to a life of acceptance with the solid back-up of Bryan’s electric guitar. Ryan’s final words on stage were “thanks for your thoughts.” It’s safe to say the crowd returned his gratitude and soft waves of understanding.
  
  May 2009

• Artists to Watch: F&M [+ Show ]
  

  "F & M bring a little something different to the musical table. At first listen you hear what you ...
  "F & M bring a little something different to the musical table. At first listen you hear what you think is your average folksy sounding band fronted by a pretty voiced girl. Well, yes, Becky Anderson has a very pretty voice, but listen some more and take note of Ryan Anderson's vocal's too. He takes a lot of the pretty and gives it a touch of Nick Cave, but when the combined both Becky and Ryan create something so different that you have to sit up and take notice and if you don't you may miss out on Every Light May Fade and that is something that you really don't want to do.
  
  Your life won't be complete until you hear Ryan's Bad Advice From A Bad Singer (which he is not) and There Is Really A Meaning To The Title Of This Song and Becky's This Autumn and Stuttering Boy. These songs help to illustrate the differences between the two vocalists of F & M. Where Ryan is darkness. Becky is light. Together they make a listening experience that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else."
  
  Mossip! September 2009

• "Every Light Must Fade" Review [+ Show ]
  

  September 2009, Wildy's World, USA "Edmonton, Alberta is the home to F&M, a quintet that has grown...September 2009, Wildy's World, USA
  "Edmonton, Alberta is the home to F&M, a quintet that has grown from power couple Ryan and Becky Anderson. Comparisons will be made to Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Natalie Merchant, Feist and Nick Cave, but don't let the darkness fool you. F&M writes strong music dealing with difficult issues with a positive outlook (or at least the hope for one). Their latest album, Every Light Must Fade, deals with death and loss from the perspective of a life cycle where death means new life or new beginnings. Ryan (vox, guitar) and Becky Anderson (vox, piano, accordion, guitar, cymbeline) are joined by Brian "Miot" Reichert (lead guitar, vox); Chad Andriowski (percussion) and Kevin Anderson (bass). Ryan Anderson claims the band once sucked, and it’s hard to be debate such subjective outlooks, but there are definite highs and lows here.
  
  Every Light Must Fade opens with the title track, a dark and ambling tune acknowledging that the end comes to us all in stark and poetic terms. Ryan and Becky Anderson manage to create some moments of beauty in the darkness, he with his somewhat gruff voice and her ethereal harmonies. Stuttering Boy is our first opportunity to hear Becky Anderson in a lead vocal capacity. Her voice is eclectic and unique and interesting to listen to; ranging from a fluttering and ischemic soprano to a full and warm alto. Lyrically the song is a bit halting and awkward, but the overall effect is a positive one. Bad Advice From A Bad Singer is all about fearing the end; the sort of insecurities most people have about what comes after death, if anything. It's well-written and addresses the issue without taking sides with regard to beliefs.
  
  Becky Anderson shows the more pleasant side of her upper range on Rising To The Moon; a voice that's part Marian Call and part Hope Sandoval. Anderson shines in this dark piece about not getting where you want to be and the inevitability of death/failure/loss. Shy is a repetitive and circular picture of social awkwardness; lyrical paucity and a skittish acceptance of self are at the center of this song, which works on several levels. Industrious displays the lyrical awkwardness that seems to be one of the trademarks of the band; as if thoughts come in halting and difficult leaps. You Will Die is a stark reminder of the obvious, starting with the most story of the most unlikely and most-well known case of all. The repetitive nature of the arrangement is the driving force of the song; given its incessant and semi-urgent quality. Another Closing Number emphasizes the dichotomy of age; how we crave more when we have less and vice versa. It's an examination of human nature in darks and lights that is perhaps the most perceptive and well-written song on the disc. F&M closes out with a hidden track, The Grey Havens, an ethereal, angelic fugue that celebrates one conception of the hereafter.
  
  F&M takes on difficult material on a difficult album in Every Light Must Fade. I can't say I enjoyed the album, yet I somewhat liked it nonetheless. This is a listening experience that makes you uncomfortable and pushes at your buttons. It's messy and dark and buoyant in its own Cimmerian waters. Ryan and Becky Anderson have voices that are distinctive and intriguing, and when they sing together they're at their collective best. Every Light Must Fade is going to be a difficult experience for some; it's not clean and easy to listen to, but it's a robust artistic statement on mortality, done in the fumbling awkward terms in which we tend to address the subject. Are you up for a challenge?
  
  Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)"
  http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-f-every-light-must-fade.html

• New Music [+ Show ]
  

  September 2009 "A very new discovery for me which I would guess some of you may have already checke...September 2009
  "A very new discovery for me which I would guess some of you may have already checked out after my Twitter post this afternoon about F&M. The hit me like a very gentle and sincere steam-train, but hit me they did.
  F&M is a gently sardonic, dark and hopelessly clever art-folk band that began as a 48 hour experiment in recording during a fireworks festival. Delicate, glacial, heady, F&M approaches folk music with refreshing maturity and restraint. Music that breathes."

• f&m: a filter to which music can be celebrated... [+ Show ]
  

  January 8, 2009 "edmonton art-folk band f&m released their latest recording, every light must fade o...January 8, 2009 "edmonton art-folk band f&m released their latest recording, every light must fade on november fourteenth this past year which has made it's way into my little post box down the street. it is a conceptual album and art project between the band and local artist/entrepreneur glen ronald of deadwear, to which they explore through their various mediums the inevitability of death and thus the celebration and appreciation for what is here and now. "every light must fade is a catalyst for thought, reflection and for taking the listener into a realm of unexplored ideas of the joy of loss" writes rebecca anderson. "we want listeners to see death as a filter through which life can be celebrated." the album plays on these emotional plains, yet lyrically the songs sometimes take on a satirical stance. "and those tears could fill a glass but the glass is no good 'cause i can't turn it to wine" ends the second track shrug it off. the album plays just under an hour over thirteen cuts that weave and shear their way through the listener, evoking raw feeling and rounding you in with songs genuinely crafted. they have a sound that has been described as natalie merchant sipping bordeaux with leonard cohen in a group home run by nick cave. this album is a follow up to the two-thousand and seven release let every light shine.
  
  every light must fade is a body of work that matures with each play... each song strengthens and nuances shed skins with each listen. it is a piece of work that lays amidst the things we think we know. it brings you closer, and we see and hear and feel this world all around us. to it, it shines and through it there is a world of wonder yet it lives and breathes and gives our souls their beauty. every light must indeed fade. (see track eleven, passchendeale 1917)."
  
  Beyond the Ear also lists f&m in January 2, 2009: the lists: 2008 in music...
  
  "i’m not going to go on here in any length. i have compiled a majority of my favourites from the past year from the music that i have wrote about on this very site, as that was the whole idea behind this little project of mine... to share the music that i am finding throughout my travels with people who may find it somewhat interesting as well. this is the music that has made an impression on me.
  
  but as i was preparing on getting my list together a few fine folks who i have met through the year have been gracious enough to share their favourites with me as well, which i in turn am sharing with you. you can click here to view them, or click on 2008 lists... at the top of this page.
  
  anyway, on to my list which is in no particular order and i am sure i am missing some gems that i have just overlooked.
  
  rae spoon - the track i'll be a ghost for you
  
  sheesham & lotus - live at northern lights festival boreal
  
  a place to bury strangers
  
  the coloured lights - twelve steps to space
  
  the bottomless pit
  
  bon iver - for emma, forever ago (pictured above)
  
  old man luedecke - live at the townehouse (during northern lights festival boreal)
  
  kings of leon - only by the night
  
  f&m - every light must fade
  
  fucked up - the chemistry of common life
  
  samuel james - songs famed for sorrow and joy
  
  alela diane - the pirate's gospel
  
  reviellons! - live at northern lights festival boreal
  
  dustin bentall - streets with no lights
  
  the swifty's - ridin' high
  
  david martel - i hardly knew me
  
  the bronx - the track past lives
  
  the sadies - new seasons
  
  the sadies with special guest john doe - live at northern lights festival boreal
  
  check out the playlist at the top of the page which can also act as a stand alone player, and give a listen to some of the tracks that i have complied there."
  
  
  

• F&M Every Light Must Fade CD Review "F&M Flirt with Per-fection" [+ Show ]
  

  Rating 41/2 out of 5 F&M have just reminded us what finely crafted adult pop is all about -- not in...Rating 41/2 out of 5
  F&M have just reminded us what finely crafted adult pop is all about -- not in the schmaltzy easy-listening radio sense, not in the big power notes and diva personalities of mainstream contemporary music, but in the thoughtful, emotional power of true musical storytelling. As the slightly darker logical extension (and conclusion) to 2007's Let Every Light Shine, their new
  album resonates with coolness and class. Every Light Must Fade is like sipping fine wine, slowly evolving from start to finish. Moments range from amusing (the Calvin Johnson-meets-Bowie There Really is a Meaning to the Title of This Song) to reflective (the soft musings of Industrious) to bittersweet (the countrified, finger-picked Shrug It Off) to spacy and cerebral (Stars). Every Light Must Fade exists on a different plane of reality; one where polish overcomes brash noise, where folk-pop becomes ambience, and where F&M flirt with per-fection. F&M will elease their new album Friday at The Haven Social Club on Stony Plain Road.
  François Marchand
  November 8, 2008

Setlist

Up to three 45 minute sets (original music).

We are an original music band. But we may include 1-2 covers in a show. Covers that we may perform include songs by:
Will Oldham
Smog / Bill Calahan
Metallic Fields / S. Merrit
Guns & Roses
Iggy Pop and the Stooges
Nick Cave

Also an audience favourite:
Maybe Tomorrow (The Littlest Hobo Theme Song)

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

F&M Tech Requirements and Rider

Calendar