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Rambling across the territories

Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Monday, April 02, 2007

IQALUIT - It doesn't matter how many islands, continents and oceans get in the way, you just can't keep Iqaluit's Northern Ramblers down.

NNSL Photo/Graphic

Rob Aube plays the bass with Iqaluit's Northern Ramblers at the Black Knight Pub in Yellowknife, just before the release of their fourth CD, a CD/DVD release called Jump the Gate. - Adam Johnson/NNSL photo

Despite losing one member to the wilds of Nova Scotia (Halifax, to be specific), and losing two others for years at a time, the quartet of displaced Newfoundlanders managed to assemble for its fourth album: Jump the Gate.

"Every year we get together for three days of recording," said core member Andrew Molloy of the band's process.

As with their last recording, the album was recorded live off the floor, a necessity given the make-up of the band. While members Molloy, Mike Doyle and Rob Aube are living in Iqaluit now, Jimmie Inch had to be imported from Halifax.

"We had two days to record this thing," said Molloy.

"We went into the studio and looked at each other and said, 'OK, what songs are we going to do?'"

The result is a 13-track CD of originals, standards and classic rock covers (such as Bruce Springsteen's My Hometown), all filtered through the beer-glass lens of Newfoundland folk.

This time around, the band also included a full DVD of videos, documentaries, interviews, photos and other bonus features.

"CDs are a thing of the past, let's face it," Molloy said. "We figured we had to come out with something a little different."

Doing something different has paid off in the three weeks since release, Molloy estimates the band has sold more than 200 copies - no small feat for a band based in Iqaluit.

Part of these sales come from the band's CD release in Yellowknife last month, as the band rang in St. Patrick's Day in a rare full-band performance.

"It was great, man. It was an awesome trip."

On the other side of the territories, Molloy said the core of the band (sans Jimmie inch) was set to perform at Northern band night at next week's Toonik Tyme festival in Iqaluit, and regular shows at the Legion.

Despite the challenges the band has faced, Molloy said they won't be stopping any time soon.

"We've managed to keep it all together," he said. "It'll go on for years, no matter where we are."

In the meantime, the band is working on a website (www.northernramblers.ca), and their videos can be found on video streaming site YouTube.