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The Corrs is one easy-to-hate band. Think about it: Siblings Jim, Sharon,
Caroline, and Andrea come from an incredibly good looking gene pool; they're
over whelmingly popular (their songs are ubiquitously hummed by colegialas,(college
students) jeepney drivers, MTV VJs and lolas in videoke bars); and they're
all talented and accomplished musicians (classically trained by their musician
parents).
Except that you can't. Everything about the Corrs - from their effervescent
pop songs to their charming irish black hair and green eyes-is so dang
likeable you can't help thinking only good thoughts about the band. Apparently
the whole world feels the same way, otherwise The Corrs wouldn't have sold
25 million records. And contrary to popular belief, their transformation
from small- town irish band (Jim says he was inspired to form the Corrs
because "the bond within the family gives you a very unique sound. My sisters
were very talented so I felt very strongly that [we had] great potential.")
to being invited for the Pope wasn't always a breeze.
After all, it wasn't as if their manager just waved around a photo
of the girls before a music company and immediately got a record deal.
To get to their rockstar status, they've done everything-from playing before
drunken crowds to camping in front of a record producer's office just to
get heard (yup, this was how they first got signed!). And as Irish luck
would have it, today, the Corrs have four multi-platinum records, numerous
number one hits and have been touring all over the world. In their irresistable
interview with seventeen, The Corrs tell us how they survived the long
trek to stardom:
how to suvive your family
The Corrs have made their name as family band, but they resist pinning
labels on each other, like who's "messy" or "affectionate" (Caroline says
Andrea and Sharon are both affectionte) or the "leader" (they unanimuosly
state there is no leader-"we make all the decisions together," Caroline
explains.)
Andrea says, "It is very difficult for us to describe each other. Each
person is pretty complex and has a lot of different elements. And we're
so close to each other all the time- it's hard to be objective."
But even the tightest cliques get edgy when spending too much time
together, so how do they deal? Caroline says, "We have to give each other
space," while Andrea clarifies, "We don't really fight so much anymore
because when we start we just get bored. but we did so much fighting years
ago!" Andrea adds that sometimes, it was just as simple as pressing the
wrong button on the elevator. "If you're tired, those things become very
important," she laughs.
"There is also a tendency to pigeonhole you family and say, you did
this when you were six, an you're still doing it [now]!" Andrea
says. "It gets frustating, because you don't want them to presume [you
haven't changed]." Caroline explains, "But it doesn't make us as upset
as much as it used to. We fight about stupid things."
Their solution? The Corrs keep a close relationship with each other
so they don't take each other for granted. "You've got to work at it" You
are bonded by your [relationship to each other], but love and friendship
is not guaranteed. It's about mutual respect and being good to each other,"
Andrea says.
how to be successful
"It didn't happen overnight," Caroline says. "We worked really hard
to get to where we are-which is a good thing. If it was really fast, you
don't get to appreciate the hard work you did." The most important thing,
Andrea says, is to keep with your goal and be free to learn new things.
"Make mistakes and explore musical possibilities!" Andrea enthuses. In
fact, their most powerful quality ist that "we love our songs, we love
the songs we've written and we love to go to different places and perform
them. That is the most essential ingredient to survive. Because it's tough;
you've got a lot of jetlag, you're stuck together; you miss home all the
time. But music keeps us ambitious." Being family also helps: "We've been
through so much together at this stage-it's been 11 years now-and our bond
keeps us together, helps us suvive," she adds.
The best thing about their success? The Corrs say it's the devotion
of people from different cultures and backgrounds all around the world.
"that's very fulfilling, when you write something that you believe in,
and other people are moved by it," says Andrea. Caroline narrates that
people would write them about not feeling alone about their problems because
of the Corrs songs- "that's got to be the most rewarding thing."
how to get through a big show
No, the Corrs don't have any lucky underwear or carry rabbit's feet
pre-concert. They don't do group hugs and prayers ala Madonna's Truth or
Dare documentary. "We find that quite funny, actually, because it looks
really fake," Andrea laughs. Their rituals include getting ready together:
The girls do their own makeup and hair. They also peek at the audience
beforehand to get a feel of the crowd and "to get excited," Andrea explains.
surviving heartbreak
Andrea wrote "I Never Really Loved You Anyway" as a kind of a funny
way of getting over heartbrake. "You write a list of all the things you
didn't like [about a guy] and think all of the things that bugged
you and gain some pride, in a way. I actually think it's kind of silly
but sometimes silly things work." Listening to and making music helps us
well for the band. "It makes you feel like everyone goes out through [heartbreak]
as well. It's romanticizing your tragedy," says Andrea. Caroline agrees:
"Music itself is very powerful. In moments of grief, people find solace
in music."
surviving homesickness
Jim says they make sure they're home every five or six weeks to keep
from getting homesick. "When we started touring, we worked a lot harder
and stayed away for longer periods of time, and the homesickness was terrible!
It's obviously harder on the girls because they're all in steady relationships."
The funny thing is, although they all live apart in Ireland, they still
miss each other when they're not touring! "If we're off the road for a
good bit of time we generally call each other up an ask what's happening.
Kind of weird isn't it?" Caroline with a laugh.
surviving youth
When Jim decided he wanted to form a band with his sisters, he'd already
been playing in other bands for a while. "We were still in school so we
didn't even know what we're doing." Caroline says. But by then Andrea was
already a budding performer: "I loved it when I did musucals at my school,
so I knew that I wanted to be something on the stage anyway." Andrea, who
had a bit part in the movie Evita, says: "I personally don't like the idea
of singer turned-actress, pressuming you can just step into that role;
I think it's almost insulting to the many wonderful actors that have been
doing it for years. But i'd keep my mind open if I really fall inlove with
a script and I thought that I could be very good at it."
Andrea's advice to young people? "Don't worry so much! When you're
young, you don't have problems. You have love, so make the best out of
it. I think children are too worried these days-lifes is for living!"