Great Big Sea

Great Big Sea was a folk-rock band from Newfoundland, Canada, active from 1993 to 2013, celebrated for fusing traditional Newfoundland and Irish folk music with rock energy and radio-friendly production. Their repertoire drew heavily on sea shanties, drinking songs, and maritime folk standards, alongside original compositions that carried the same spirited, communal feel.

The band became known for exuberant live shows and singalong staples such as «I'se the B'y», «Donkey Riding», «The Night Pat Murphy Died», and «Drunken Sailor», turning centuries-old folk material into arena-ready anthems. Their take on «The Chemical Worker's Song (Process Man)» and originals like «Wave Over Wave» showed the band's range beyond pure covers, balancing tradition with contemporary songwriting.

Over two decades, Great Big Sea became one of the most successful acts to emerge from Newfoundland, helping bring East Coast Canadian folk traditions to a much wider, mainstream audience and influencing the broader Celtic and maritime folk-rock scene in Canada and beyond.