Ireland’s first family of music, The Corrs, have shared some pearls of wisdom from their three decades in the industry.
The multi-million selling sibling quartet - which comprises of sisters Andrea, Sharon and Caroline, plus, brother Jim - first burst onto the scene in the 90s and won over a loyal fanbase thanks to their unique style which blends traditional Celtic music with a pop-rock twist.
They will be revisiting their 1997 album Talk On Corners and some of their biggest hits as they take to the road for a UK and Ireland arena tour this autumn, including one night at the London O2 Arena on November 20. Joining them will be special guest Natalie Imbruglia.
Speaking to the Standard backstage at BST Hyde Park last weekend where they themselves were special guests of Queen of Country Pop, Shania Twain, The Corrs said that while they still get a buzz from doing what they do, they are more mindful these days not to let it be all-consuming, especially now they have partners and children to consider.
“As an artist, when you are first starting out, there’s this idea that all you do, is get out on stage and perform,” they explained. “I think it’s important to know that you should always make time for yourselves, to cherish the moments on and off stage, and make sure you have downtime, otherwise you end up being available for 24 hrs, and it’s easy to become ‘property’, but it’s the best feeling to spend time with the fans, it’s just important to make sure you have some time to yourselves too, otherwise it’s easy to be in work mode all the time.
“We love playing in front of the crowds. The adrenalin is always high, and it’s great to be able to do what we love in front of so many people. It’s lovely to be able to perform, and to sing along with our fans – and that feeling, it never gets old. It’s amazing we get to be able to experience these moments with our children now, and sit together, with the kids, and it’s lovely that they get to share the music with us.”
Not many musicians these days can say that they have endured as long as they have let alone sold 40 million albums.
Asked what they think the biggest changes to the industry have been and the secret to their longevity, the Dreams hit-makers mused: “Well, it’s all about streaming now, and longevity depends on the song, and the nature of the songs.
“We went to Malina [in Bulgaria] and all the teens knew the songs from Karaoke, which was incredible! We asked them ‘how do you know all the words to our songs? The albums were released before you were born!’, and it’s fantastic that a whole new generation discovers the music and still values the songs.”
Looking to the future, they have no intention of hanging up their instruments anytime soon and would welcome the continued call of the road.“Depending on the children’s schooling and the time available, we’d love to go to South America, Southeast Asia and Australia,” they said.
