The Second Coming of The Cranberries

posted in: FeaturesRock

Let’s face it, sometimes the past should stay dead. But when an awesome musical artist fades from popularity, their fans later wonder, Where are they now?  You may not know it, but many artists you loved in the past are still hard at work writing new albums or preparing to tour once more.  Fortunately, you now have Second Coming to reintroduce you to some of your favorite acts of the last few decades and give you the scoop on what you can expect from them in the future!

THEN: Back in the early ’90s, you couldn’t turn on your car stereo without hearing one of The Cranberries’ songs. The group formed in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, but when singer Dolores O’Riordan replaced the band’s original vocalist, she suggested the name be simplified to “The Cranberries” (much better, in our opinion). From “Linger” to “Zombie,” the band churned out hit after hit, making them international alternative superstars. By the middle of the decade, the eclectic Irish band became a staple on MTV and continued to tour worldwide on the heels of their success. At the peak of the new millennium, the members of The Cranberries decided to take a break from the band to pursue solo projects. This hiatus became much longer than ever anticipated; the group didn’t reunite until 2009, and were quick to brush off rumors that they were officially back together.

NOW: After fighting off reunion rumors for several years, O’Riordan finally announced that The Cranberries would be going out on tour in 2010. The set list of the reunion tour included some of her solo project songs, along with classic Cranberries singles and some songs the band had recently written. The band went back into silence for a few years before recording a brand new record, called Roses. In an interview with Spinner.com, O’Riordan discussed the need to rejuvenate the band: “The Cranberries became a box and we had to get out of the box and make it something fun and fresh, which it now has become.” Roses was released on February 27th, and the band is heading out on a world tour  in just a matter of days. For a complete list of tour dates, check out the band’s official Web site.

Nine years later, it’s still nearly impossible to walk through a grocery store without hearing “Linger”: