Vincent Cross

Vincent Cross (born August 22, 1971) is an Irish singer/songwriter known for his Irish song poetry that draws from various traditional folk idioms and ancient myths. He was born in Ireland, raised in Australia, and is now based in New York City. He has released four critically acclaimed albums and performed with artists such as Glen Hansard, Odetta, Damien Rice, The Pogues’ Ron Kavana, and Roy Book Binder among many others.[1][2]

Vincent Cross
Birth nameVincent Cross
Born (1971-08-22) 22 August 1971
GenresFolk, Bluegrass, Traditional
Occupation(s)Singer, Songwriter, Composer, Musician
Instrument(s)Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Bouzouki, English Concertina
Years active1989 - present
Websitewww.vincentcross.org

Career

Cross’s career began in the early 90’s when he moved from Ireland to London where he busked on Carnaby Street and performed at several venues around the city. By the early 2000’s, Cross was touring regularly across Ireland, England, and Scandinavia, making a name for himself in the traditional Irish music scene.[3]

In 2002, he recorded and released his self-titled EP with producer Shane Kerwin. The album caught the ears of Galway Bay FM DJ Jon Richards who included him on two separate nationally released compilation albums, Undercurrents (2001) and Inundations (2002).[4]

In 2006, Cross moved to New York City where he performed at regular bluegrass jams around the city.[3] He formed the traditional bluegrass band Good Company and released his first full-length album Home Away From Home in 2008.[5]

On May 8, 2008, Cross performed at an Odetta tribute concert hosted by Wavy Gravy at Banjo Jim’s.[6] The folk legend would later rave about Cross’ performance, stating “I heard a crystal clear voice that took me back to when I was being introduced to mountain music groups and families of Appalachia. It was a pleasure to hear such beauty coming out of Vincent Cross.”[3]

Cross released his sophomore album A Town Called Normal in 2013 which was followed by Old Songs For Modern Folk in 2016. It reached #2 on the National Folk DJ Albums Chart,[7] hit #68 on Roots Music Report’s Top Traditional Folk Album Chart,[8] and was nominated by the Independent Music Awards for Best Tribute Album.[9]

In 2020, Cross released his latest album titled The Life & Times of James “The Rooster” Corcoran. The songs were inspired by James “The Rooster” Corcoran, a 19th-century Irish-American gang leader in New York City, whom Cross is a direct descendant of.[10] It was praised by PopMatters, who described it as “a subtle but powerful portrait,”[11] and Brooklyn Vegan who called it “Compelling [and] timeless.”[12]

In 2021, Cross was published in Voices: The Journal of New York Folklore for his essay titled "Writing the Songs of our Ancestors: A Folk Songwriting Process."[13]

In 2023, he was a finalist in the International Acoustic Music Awards (IAMA) in the Country/Bluegrass category for his unreleased single "In the Eyes of My Father."[14]

Discography

Studio Albums
  • Home Away From Home (2008)
  • A Town Called Norma (2013)
  • Old Songs For Modern Folk (2016)
  • The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran (2020)

EPs
  • Vincent Cross (2002)
  • Laugh My Cry: Vincent Cross & Good Company (2007)

Official Website

References
  1. "Vincent Cross to play the Galway Fringe Festival". Galway Advertiser. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  2. "GW Premiere: Vincent Cross's "King Corcoran"". Grateful Web. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  3. "FolkWorld #73: Vincent Cross". www.folkworld.de. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  4. "Bluegrass sound of Vincent Cross for Cromarty". Whats On North. 3 July 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  5. Home Away from Home - Vincent Cross | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 27 April 2021
  6. "Indie Sounds NY: Odetta, Honored at Banjo Jim's". 21 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  7. "Top Albums & Songs of April 2016 (FOLKDJ-L)". AcousticMusicScene.com. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  8. "Roots Music Report: Top Traditional Folk Album Chart". Roots Music Report. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  9. "The 15th Independent Music Awards Nominees". Independent Music Awards. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  10. "Music reviews". Take Effect. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  11. "Vincent Cross Pays Tribute to Folk Hero via "King Corcoran" (premiere), PopMatters". PopMatters. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  12. Sacher, Andrew (21 July 2020). "Vincent Cross preps concept album about Irish-American gang leader (stream a track)". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  13. Cross, Vincent (2021). "Writing the Songs of our Ancestors: A Folk Songwriting Process". Voices. Schenectady. 47 (1/2): 22–28. ProQuest 2680350032.
  14. "Musician". Iama. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
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