Bering Strait (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Defunct | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Russia |
| Products | Country music albums and singles |
Bering Strait was a Russian ensemble specializing in country music, occasionally referred to by the nickname "redgrass". In 2003, they received a Grammy nomination and were featured on 60 Minutes. The group disbanded in 2006. Members featured on their initial album were Alexander Arzamastsev (drums), Natasha Borzilova (lead vocals), Sergey "Spooky" Olkhovsky (bass), Sergei Passov (mandolin, fiddle), Lydia Salnikova (keyboards, backing vocals), Sasha Ostrovsky (steel guitar, Dobro), and Ilya Toshinsky (electric guitar, banjo).
History
The band initially performed under the name Cheerful Diligence before changing to Siberian Heatwave and ultimately adopting the name Bering Strait. In 1996, under the Siberian Heatwave moniker, they recorded in the United States and appeared on Prime Time Country on the Nashville Network. The group officially ended their collaboration in late May 2006, with the public announcement made on June 1. At that time, the lineup included Alexander Arzamastsev (drums), Natasha Borzilova (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Sergey "Spooky" Olkhovsky (bass), Alexander "Sasha" Ostrovsky (dobro, steel guitar), and Lydia Salnikova (lead vocals, keyboards).
Ilya Toshinsky played guitar and banjo on their debut album but departed after the second release. Other past members include Sergei Passov (mandolin, fiddle) and Andrei Misikhin (bass). During tours, Chris Pandolfi from the bluegrass group Infamous Stringdusters contributed on banjo. Notably, Natasha Borzilova is the daughter of a nuclear scientist who was impacted by the Chernobyl disaster.
Their eponymous first album came out in 2003 through Universal South Records (currently Show Dog-Universal Music). The instrumental piece "Bearing Straight" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Instrumental Performance. To qualify for this award, Universal South issued it as a radio single.
The band's journey was captured in The Ballad of Bering Strait, which aired on Country Music Television. Their sophomore album, Pages (2005), embraced a sound more rooted in traditional influences. The lead single from this album was a rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "You Make Loving Fun".
After releasing their second album, Bering Strait ceased activity. Ilya Toshinsky went on to establish himself as a session musician and released his solo effort titled Red Grass in 2016.
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | ||
| Bering Strait |
|
17 | 98 |
| Pages |
|
— | — |
| "—" indicates albums that did not chart | |||
Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Jagged Edge of a Broken Heart" | Bering Strait |
| 2002 | "Bearing Straight" | |
| 2005 | "You Make Lovin' Fun" | Pages |
Music videos
| Year | Video title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Jagged Edge of a Broken Heart" | Deaton-Flanigen Productions |
| 2003 | "Bearing Straight" | Stephen Shepherd |
External links
- Audio/Video - Features all six members on episode 254 of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour