Red Dirt Skinners happy to call Canada home
Musicians Rob and Sarah Skinner, also known as the Red Dirt Skinners, knew there was something special about Canada when they visited for work back in June 2015.
“We just kind of fell in love with the place the moment we landed,” says Sarah. “Everyone was extremely receptive to our music, the people were wonderful, the scenery was spectacular.”
After their first musical tour in Canada, the married band of two began considering the possibility of leaving England to live in this new land.
Having heard about the country’s extreme winters, they decided to visit again during the colder months to see if they’d be able to manage the weather.
“We came back … and we still loved it, so we applied,” says Sarah, referring to their application to become permanent residents.
In one year, the Skinners were approved, and with three work and vacation trips to Canada already under their belt, the couple officially moved for good in August 2017.
A musical journey from England to Canada
The couple began their musical journey together back in 2009, playing in a different band. Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley’s daughter, happened to be at one of their shows, and she mentioned that she really enjoyed Rob and Sarah’s harmonies. The comment gave the pair the inspiration to break off on their own to create the Red Dirt Skinners, a married band of two.
While the group may not be big, the Skinners are able to create their multi-dimensional sound as they are both able to sing and play a handful of instruments, including saxophone, piano, base, drums, organ, strings and harmonica.
“Everyone says their band is unique, but we are,” says Sarah. “It’s a mixture of many, many genres … I think if you had to describe the sound, if you absolutely had to, you’d probably say it’s just acoustic, singer-songwriter, a little bit rocky, a little bit folky. It’s all kinds of things.”
Despite having traits of a wide array of genres, and despite being recognized with a number of awards — they’ve won a British Blues Award and were nominated for the British Country Music Awards — the duo didn’t feel that they were taken seriously in England.
“I think in the U.K., being a musician is kind of a joke job,” says Rob. “If you tell someone you’re a musician they laugh and they say, ‘No, really? What do you do for a living?’ Whereas here it’s a much more respected business.”
The Skinners say that Canada’s inclusive reception to their career was a big factor in their decision to move. And with musical recognition in Canada already — in 2016 they were nominated for a JUNO award for best international album — immigrating just made sense.
Now, about one year into their residency, the band says they feel more at home than they did back in Europe.
“People here know how to have fun, know when to work and when to play,” says Rob. Participating in that lifestyle, the new Canadian describes a day in the Red Dirt Skinners’ lives as working in the morning and playing in the lake in the afternoon.
“I think in the U.K. we found that it’s very, very different,” he adds. “Much more our kind of people here. I think we were born in the wrong country.”
New album Under Utopian Skies
Sarah and Rob have channelled their feelings about finding their place in Canada into their new music. With their upcoming fifth studio album, Under Utopian Skies, set to be released in September, listeners will get a sense of their joy associated with their immigration.
“It’s just a collection of really happy songs about just how much we love it here,” says Sarah.