Stephen Fearing was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He returned to Canada in 1981 via Minneapolis, Minnesota, and began pursuing a career in music. Soon after his return, he released a cassette-only, self-titled album in 1986. He was then signed to the Canadian label Aural Tradition. In 1988 he released "Out to Sea", which was co-produced by Steve Darke and Fearing in Vancouver. The album was followed by "Blue Line", in 1991, which was produced in London by Clive Gregson and features B.J. Cole on pedal steel.