Jef Kearns

Jef Kearns is reinventing what the flute can be in modern music — not a soft accent, but a bold, expressive force. His upcoming reimagining of The Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” pairs powerhouse female vocals with flute lines that slice clean through dark, cinematic production. It’s a moody, high-impact update to a classic, mastered by Idania Valencia (Charli XCX’s Brat) at Sterling Sound.

Based in Toronto, Kearns blends R&B, hip-hop, and pop influences into both instrumental and vocal-forward tracks — always with the flute at the center. His solo instrumentals are just as commanding, often cinematic in scope and emotionally direct. From the smoky groove of Hazy (which charted in Norway’s R&B/Soul Top 100) to his jazz-infused EP Jazzy AF (a #1 listener pick on Jazziz Magazine), Kearns has carved out a sound entirely his own.

WCLK Atlanta’s Jamal Ahmed called him “one of the dopest flautists in the game,” and it’s easy to hear why — there’s weight, intention, and soul in every note. Whether he’s delivering a fierce reinterpretation of a classic or a late-night instrumental, Kearns proves that the flute belongs not in the background, but at the front of the mix.