Photo via fairwebberfolkmusic.com
Fair Webber
Barb and Tom Webber with Fair Webber
Barb and Tom Webber, a Milwaukee couple performing folk-based music, will be featured in the latest installment of the annual Wisconsin Singer/Songwriter Series (WSSS) of concerts. The Webbers will perform at Mequon's Unitarian Church-North on Saturday April 27 for a 7:30 p.m. show with bassist Andy Waldoch.
“WSSS is important because we are being recognized in our ‘home’ region as talented writers and performers in a venue which has historically showcased national singer-songwriters. It is a thrill to have our music considered in such esteemed company,” the Webbers state in a sometimes-collectively, sometimes-individually answered email interview.
The Webbers have released six albums (the latest being 2019's Fragile), often incorporating their Fair Webber band and other accompanists in studio settings as far flung as Nashville. Each member of the duo has been musically inclined long before they tied their matrimonial knot.
“We started performing together in 1986 at The Coffee House and open mics until we tied for first place in the Midwinter Talent Contest,” they recollect of their beginnings at Milwaukee’s long-running acoustic music venue. As for their earlier, pre-marital musical activity, they share, “Tom has been singing and playing music since age 11. Barb has been singing since age five. Music is in our bones. That being said, both (of us) performed in very limited capacity prior to meeting each other. Tom taught Barb how to sing harmony. Barb played a rudimentary guitar which she quickly abandoned as Tom was able to better accompany her vocal range and style.”
Blending Genres
To their reckoning, what makes the Webbers’ music of such quality to befit the honor of a slot in the WSSS itinerary? “We have been blending genres for quite a while, longer than what has become routine in the last five to 10 years. We maintain authenticity. We do not contrive lyrics or emotion to sell a song. The song remains central, and it is our job to find its voice. We also do not chase after music trends but stay true to what flows from our souls. While these things may not be unique, they are qualities found among the best artists,” they offer.
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As to some the method behind their music, Tom says, “Initially, Barb would write music acapella and present the lyrics and melody to Tom for musical arrangement. Lately, we have worked more closely, weaving the lyric, melody and guitar together as the song unfolds. We have progressed from more simple folk melodies to incorporate a wider variety of genres, rhythms and stylings. Performing with a band in front of a live audience has helped us to develop a rich musical palette.”
Indeed, the stylistic breadth upon which the Webbers currently draw is so varied as to render “folk” a somewhat inadequate descriptor for their artistry. “We started in the folk genre,” the Webbers admit. However, “The importance of a strong storyline and authenticity is our takeaway from the folk music that has travelled with us as we have evolved musically. I suppose we struggle with a label. I think you could add to that some tinges of blues, gospel, rockabilly, classic ‘60s and ‘70s rock and country rock, traditional country, and jazz. We have explored world beats. Musical theatre such as Rogers and Hammerstein has also found its way into the lyrics and musicality of our songs.
“Perhaps you can see why we have tended to use the label singer-songwriter most often to describe ourselves. Americana, defined as an amalgam of various American musical traditions, certainly is an appropriate description and we definitely use that label as well as roots rock.”
Empathy in Writing
And just as they have broadened their sonic palette over the years, voracious reading habits inform their lyrics. Additionally, the work they perform when they’re not about the business of creating music bears an impact on their songs as well.
“I have been a nurse,” tells Barb of the profession that has nurtured the sense of empathy evident in her songwriting. “I think that I have been able to write more intimately as a result of being a nurse, of being invited into people’s stories and struggles.” As for her husband, “Tom is a lifelong visual artist, painting and drawing. He excels in portraiture and strives to ensoul his subjects. As you have seen, his artwork is prolific and varies greatly in subject matter and style. tomwebberart.com. For a profession, Tom spent 11 years in parish youth ministry/religions education and last 18 years teaching theology in a classroom at St. Thomas More High School.
“Our selection of music, originals and covers, is influenced by our understanding of the world as seen through the eyes of teacher, nurse and artist. There is a spiritual undercurrent that unifies our music without being preachy.”
The Webbers’ plans for the rest of 2024 following their WSSS performance include making new holiday music, among possibly other recordings. “We look forward to recording a Christmas album of our original music. We are also in the enviable position of having more songs to record than will fit on at least two albums at this time. Sometimes a song has not found its voice at the time of the recording and will need to wait until it matures.”
Some of the Webbers’ songs may not be ready for release as they’re recorded, but most every week Barb and Tom are ready to share with the public in what’s become a tradition started during the peak COVID-19 era. “We livestream every Tuesday night for 30 minutes, beginning at 7 p.m. CST. You can learn more about our music at our website, fairwebberfolkmusic.com, or chat with us on Facebook."
