Doug Fearnside is a local singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, worship leader, father and self-professed “fidgeter.” He can’t sit still when he is tuned into something that interests him.
“Music is always something that I want to do. So it always ends up pulling me toward that,” he says in a warm tone through a thick brown beard.
His winter outfit is often a patterned sweater, tan sherpa jacket and wool cap. He has lived in Monterey for most of his life, and chances are if you attended this year’s lighting of the Christmas tree at Colton Hall, have gone pub-hopping on Cannery Row, been to a Sunday service at All Things New Church or spent a happy hour in Carmel, then you have already heard Fearnside sing. He performs around town, and has a regular Friday gig at SteakCraft in Carmel.
“I really like playing at SteakCraft,” says Fearnside, who has a catalog of three or four hours of Americana and folk material. “I can stay mellow, which is my style anyway.”
But if he is fidgety in his actions, his songs offer a stable counterbalance. Fearnside has the kind of voice that seems to carry the special weight of making longing seem beautiful and making the beautiful seem to ache.
“I feel that it’s more that I’m processing negativity or things like spirituality [through my music],” he says.
Fearnside met his wife Janet while they were living in the Bay Area. After the birth of their daughter, they decided to move back to Monterey.
“I grew up near the beach,” he explains. “It was huge for me. And I thought, I want my kids to be beach kids, too.”
As a father of two working full-time hours, finding the balance to performing locally at least two nights a week can be a challenge. But Fearnside says Janet is supportive. “Also, I run hot. I don’t require that much sleep.”
In addition to his Friday happy hour gigs, he also has an upcoming show at Wendi Kirby Music in Monterey. Fearnside says he wants to be involved in music for his whole life, whether it’s production or performance.
“I can make a lot of noise with pretty much any instrument,” Fearnside says with a chuckle. He pauses, meditates for a moment, then smiles. “I guess I just love saying yes to anything that’s music-related.”
DOUG FEARNSIDE plays 5:30-7:30pm Fridays through February. SteakCraft, 102 Crossroads Blvd., Carmel. Free. 220-3254, steakcraft.com