The final chance to take in Cod Gone Wild’s Neighbourhood Rounds is here.
One of Canada’s premier Celtic acts, the local band has announced that it will be disbanding after summer 2024.
“Cod Gone Wild has had an amazing run since 2011, but the time has come to move on to new and exciting projects,” says founder, lead singer, and resident Newfoundlander, Andrew Mercer.
He will continue performing under his own name following the 2024 summer season, and described this as a bittersweet moment.
“I’m excited for what the future holds musically for me and all the extremely talented musicians in the band, with whom I am going to continue to work with, but in a different format moving forward. The time is right for this chapter to end and another to begin.”
The band will kick off their farewell tour with their very popular Neighbourhood Rounds Christmas shows, making stops in Salmon Arm, Kelowna, Osoyoos, Vernon and Kamloops.
The Rounds played the Shuswap Theatre Dec. 9 and head to Kelowna’s Mary Irwin Theatre Dec. 14, Osoyoos Secondary School theatre Dec. 15, Trinity United Church in Vernon Dec. 21 and Kamloops United Church Dec. 22.
Cod Gone Wild released its Christmas album entitled The Neighbourhood Rounds in December of 2018. With that release, a tradition was born based around the Newfoundland tradition of the same name, where neighbours go from house to house to celebrate the season.
This year, the full band has reunited featuring Mercer (lead vocals, guitar), Shamma Sabir (fiddle), Sean Bray (electric guitar), Dan Fogarty (bass) and David Mihal (srums).
“I grew up on a small neighbourhood street called Newfound Lane, in the town of Bay Roberts, Newfoundland,” said Mercer. “On this street there lived a tight knit group of neighbours, who regularly got together to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions. Years ago, a tradition was started at Christmas time to go around the neighbourhood and visit each house, taking the time to have a drink, some food, and to spin a few yarns (tell stories) at each stop along the way.”
The tradition of the neighbourhood rounds, continues today back home and Mercer has written the title track of the album to not only keep the tradition alive, but to remind people to come together this holiday season.
“It is my hope that in the spirit of the season, despite this tumultuous world that we live in, that people can come together. Visit your neighbours, check in on a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a while, and most importantly, make time for family.”
Although this may mark the last Neighbourhood Rounds Tour for Cod Gone Wild, Mercer is not ruling out the possibility of continuing this tradition under his own name.
“In the future it would be nice to keep this going…as I know how many people look forward to these shows each and every Christmas, including myself.”
The Neighbourhood Rounds Tour will see the band perform a mix of original and Christmas songs that Mercer grew up listening to on the east coast.
“Growing up in Newfoundland and being exposed to traditional music at a young age, there will always be a strong Newfoundland influence in my music,” Mercer describes. “Having musicians from various musical backgrounds has always allowed the band to create something a little more modern and edgy that continues to have a broader appeal with audiences across the country and around the world.”
Tickets for all shows, which start at 7:30 p.m., are available at codgonewild.com/shows.
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