Great Big Sea has its roots in St. John’s rowdy pubs, where co-founders Sean McCann and Bob Hallett met while playing Newfoundland folk songs for boisterous crowds made up of hard-partying university students and off-duty fishermen. In 1993, after meeting fellow socio-holic and pub stalwart Alan Doyle, they started Great Big Sea in an attempt to create a new approach to Newfoundland folk music, one that combined their original music with the traditional sounds and instruments they had grown up with. In 2002, drummer Kris MacFarlane joined the band, and a year later, bass player Murray Foster came aboard. While music fashions come and go, Great Big Sea has continued to build audiences across the continent. A hard working approach to touring and performance along with a genuine love for the music they perform has kept the band growing, despite being pretty much immune to musical fashions. Numerous side projects, from Doyle’s acting and soundtrack work to McCann’s solo projects to Hallett’s writing keep them busy when they aren’t touring with the band. While some groups might bristle at these distractions, for Great Big Sea, it is just fuel to the fire that drives their artistry.
