In the 1990s, Celtic and roots music experienced a rebirth of sorts with a handful of bands and performers who took traditional sounds and blended them with pop and rock to create sounds that made old style music fresh and even “cool” again.
Great Big Sea, Natalie McMaster, Ashley MacIsaac and The Barra MacNeils were all a part of this resurgence. Right along with them, Newfoundland band Rawlins Cross took trad music by storm, rocking it up and adding a pop sheen that made it exciting for a new generation of fans.
Cross formed in 1988 and throughout the ‘90s had several hit singles, including “Reel ‘n’ Roll,” “Colleen” and “Long Night.”
In 2001, the band wound down. Each member went their separate ways, some having children, others seeking work outside music. But each of the band members kept music in their lives, so it’s no surprise that seven years later, Rawlins Cross is back to doing what it does best – performing.
Brothers Dave and Geoff Panting, Ian McKinnon, Joey Kitson, Brian Bourne and Howie Southwood reformed the band earlier this year, and the group released Anthology, a collection of 16 tracks including their biggest hits and three new tunes.
Ian McKinnon spoke to East Coast Noise shortly before Christmas to talk about the rebirth of the band and what lies in store for its future.
In spring of this year, McKinnon, who plays bagpipe, tin whistle, bodhran, percussion and trumpet with the group, says he and the rest of the band were “getting quite ambitious for the group again.”
Around the same time, a Warner Music Canada representative approached the group about the possibility of compiling a greatest hits CD.
It was a sign of things to come, but initially the group wasn’t sure after seven years how it would gel. When Rawlins Cross split in 2001, it was amicable. The band mates remained friends, they just wanted to concentrate on other projects. But still, after seven years, it could prove difficult to get back in the swing of things.
“Creatively, we felt it was time for a break,” McKinnon explains of the split.
The strange feeling upon reuniting didn’t last. Very quickly, once the group finally performed together, it “felt like we hadn’t left the stage.”
The band rehearsed and recorded Anthology’s three new tracks, “Look Ahead,” “Make The Change” and “The Story” in St. John’s in August.
“We released this record just a couple of weeks ago and the reception has been great,” he says. “If feels very much like we’re picking up where we left off.”
He says the band is “new and improved” in that they have more experience in life, music and business.
Asked of the shelf life of the reunion, McKinnon says the band is “feeling our way through this,” but he adds that there are a lot of opportunities that lie ahead for the group.
Currently, Rawlins Cross is planning some festival dates across North America and Europe for next summer.
You can catch the rejuvenated band on New Year’s Eve on CTV’s annual Year’s Eve bash in Halifax.
Since this interview, a spring east coast tour was announced by Sonic Concerts.
Rawlins Cross will perform the following dates: April 14 at Moncton’s Capitol Theatre, April 15 at Glace Bay’s Savoy Theatre, April 16 at Saint John’s Imperial Theatre, April 17 at Fredericton’s Playhouse and April 18 at Halifax’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now.
While McKinnon wouldn’t go too deep into what the future may hold for Rawlins Cross, from the way he spoke of the group, it’s likely the tour dates that are currently being planned are just the start of things to come.
“Music is a passion for all of us,” McKinnon says. “I expect at this point that Rawlins Cross will be fairly active for many years to come.”
