Having grown up in Newfoundland and spending nearly 18 years touring with the band, it’s not difficult to hear the musical and maritime influences on songs like “Rather Be a Sailor” and the title track. Drawing inspiration from the road, family, home, love and longing, Son of a Sailor provides the listener with a collection of first person narratives.
Whether it’s told from a barstool or a battlefield, each track invites the listener to briefly live in the life of another. “The Reply (the ballad of John and Mary)” tells a heartfelt love story that explores a love affair lasting over decades and “Soldier’s Song” profiles a soldier at war, longing to get home to his or her family. More personal moments include the title track, which honours Séan’s family roots in the Newfoundland fishery.
Accompanying the captivating lyrics, the album is filled with dynamic instrumentation and lush background vocals provided by seasoned players, including Boyd MacNeil of the Barra MacNeil’s, Figgy Duff’s Kelly Russell, and his Great Big Sea bandmates. With several of the 10 album tracks recorded in the back lounge of a tour bus, it’s not hard to imagine the driver turning d The Marigold is increasingly being known for its wonderful acoustics and intimate theatre and bigger name artists are now coming to perform here.
