Sean Isaac and Julie Chang describe their sound as love-inspired mountain music.
It's no wonder why. The two met in the Rocky-Mountain town of Canmore when Chang was visiting her sister. After she returned to Toronto to finish a herbal medicine diploma, Isaac would send her hand-written song lyrics in lieu of love letters. They soon reunited and formed their band The Raven & The Fox, in 2014. The folk-rock, singer-songwriter duo are bringing that love and signature mystical, folk sound to Howe Sound Brewing on Oct. 21.
"It's a duo collaboration, she's [Chang] the vocalist, she has very strong vocals. The first time I heard her sing I immediately fell in love with her voice and her not soon after," said Isaac. "She has natural, raw, powerful vocals — she sings with a lot of emotion."
Isaac is on guitar and will be joined by musician Kyle Pullen, who will also be opening for the dua, playing instrumental, fingerstyle-acoustic guitar.
This Squamish performance is part of a 20-stop Western Canadian tour to celebrate the release of their debut, 10-track album, simply titled The Raven & The Fox. The album, produced by Geoff Hilhorst, exclusively features songs written by the duo and was number four on the National Folk Chart over the summer.
"Our songs are inspired by two things it seems, love and landscapes," Chang said in a release. "Our
hometown, Canmore, is situated in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. We live in a very engaged and inspired community of artists, musicians, extreme sports athletes and mountain enthusiasts. It is very easy to pull from the psychical energy of the mountains that surround us as well from the motivated, life-loving community."
He's the fox, and she's the raven, symbolic animals they chose for one another the first time they met. The two write lyrics separately, and then bring them together to put them to melodies.
"Our love for each other, that was one of our first inspirations. A lot of the lyrics were written about that courtship," he said.
For Isaac, playing in Squamish is somewhat of a homecoming. A former professional climber, and a certified mountain guide, he spent summers in his late teens climbing in Squamish.
He said he's looking forward to this week's show.
"Howe Sound Brew Company – when I was younger I used to spend a lot of time there because I would go to Squamish a lot to rock climb for the summer, so it'll be cool to play there."
Though climbing became a passion, a love of music was instilled early in Isaac.
"I always loved music and played lots in high school…once I found climbing in my late teens, everything else kind of slipped by the wayside, climbing kind of casts that spell over people," he said.
After he had sons, however, he began picking up his guitar to play for them. Like a lot of small bands, the couple has day jobs. Chang teaches piano and singing, and Isaac is a mountain guide. But their music remains a focus, and their living room has morphed into a full-on jam space.
"Now it's pretty much a hobby that got out of control," he said.
Their debut album is available on most online music platforms (iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify) and will on sale at their show.
The Raven & The Fox play at Howe Sound Brewing on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 9:30 p.m.
