Singer-songwriters Bruce Lawson and Jen Carter-Kelly first combined their talents in 2001. They evolved into CROSSING NORTH, a duo that respects the past while creating their own unmistakable spare, sweet sound.
They built a reputation for performing traditional, uncontrived acoustic music at coffeehouses, festivals and concerts in the Northeast U.S. and Canada.
Recent highlights include:
Burlington, VT First Night Festival
The Living Room, NYC
Otis Mountain Music Festival (headliner Sam Bush)
Musikfest, Bethlehem, PA
Side Door Coffeehouse, Montreal, Canada four years in a row
Airplay on Vermont and NY Public Radio
Open for The Gibson Brothers at legendary Caffe Lena
Open for The Biscuit Burners, Penn State.
Performed in NY, PA, MA, NJ, DE, VT, NH, ME and Canada
Recognized by Dallas Songwriters Association as 2nd Place Winner for "What's Bothering Me" (Jen Carter-Kelly)
Audiences love their close, two-part harmonies. They serve up well-written originals with old-fashioned classics by Patsy Cline, The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison.
Their first CD, "Late Night Songs" was released in 2004 and features original tunes with guest performances by Eric Gibson (The Gibson Brothers, courtesy Sugar Hill records), Junior Barber (nominated Dobro Artist of the Year eight times by IBMA) and Adirondack folk music legend Roy Hurd.
In 2006 Crossing North released their second CD "Fragile". The duo again featured their songwriting skills and included Doug Knight (banjo extraordinaire) and Skip Smithson (mandolin) on the recording. Both recordings receive local airplay and critical acclaim. Their songs are played regularly on-line at sites including pandora, wholewheatradio, folkalley, moozikoo and others.
Their third CD, "No Time to Rest" has just been released (August 2009). This mature effort features brand new Crossing North songs, plus an acoustic cover of Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces". Clearly for Crossing North, there's "No Time to Rest".
"Our audience loved you"
Isabelle Delage, Side Door Coffeehouse, Montreal, Canada
“I just want to say thank you once again for a fantastic set! Our audience absolutely loved you guys. We have been getting nothing but great comments. I personally enjoyed your performance tremendously. We’re definitely having you guys back next year!”
"They can make it"
David Vinopal, Author, Gibson's Fabulous Flat-top Guitars
"From the first time I saw them I preached that they can make it. I was a true believer right from the start."