IN the late '90s whenever The Corrs were in Australia, the focus was 100 per cent on work.
Do the next promotional performance. Give the next media interview. Everything to build the brand of The Corrs.
At the time the Irish family band of Andrea Corr (lead vocal, tin whistle) and her elder siblings Sharon (violin, keyboards), Caroline (percussion) and Jim (guitar, keyboards) were one of the biggest pop acts in the world.
Their Celtic-pop hit singles Runaway, Forgiven Not Forgotten and I Never Loved You Anyway particularly resonated in Australia.
Last November The Corrs played their first concert together since 2017 at Hope Estate in the Hunter Valley. It was also remarkably the Breathless hit-makers first trip to Australia in 21 years.
Following the success of the Pokolbin show, The Corrs are back in Australia for their first full-blown tour anywhere since 2016.
On Tuesday night they perform at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre with support from Central Coast-raised pop singer Natalie Imbruglia, US singer-songwriter Toni Childs and Adelaide band Germein.
In their only print interview of the tour, Andrea Corr told the Newcastle Herald from their Brisbane hotel that the focus of the band had completely changed.
The Corrs are no longer their entire lives, but an element to be cherished.
"Now we have other lives," Andrea said. "Back then it was hard to appreciate the moment while it was happening because we were always working.
"We had no contrast in life. We didn't really have a personal life.
"Now we all have children and a family life. Because we worked so hard and toured, and promo-ed all at the same time, I think we're all pretty traumatised by the promo aspect.
"This time, and with everything else that's going on in the world, it makes you really aware. The blinkers are off. You can see how fortunate you actually are to be in a room where there's nothing but love.
"These are really good moments to be cherished."
Outside of Ireland, Australia has always arguably been The Corrs' most successful market.
Their first three albums Forgiven, Not Forgotten (1995), Talk On Corners (1997) and In Blue (2000) charted either No.1 or No.2 in Australia.
If life had turned out differently, The Corrs could have been Australian, rather than growing up in Dundalk near the Northern Ireland border.
"It's so strange, our parents before they had us - and it's probably why there's so many Irish people here - there was this incentive to move to Australia, particularly back then when they were first married," Andrea said.
"They were considering it. It does feel like we could actually be from here, but then they didn't come because mum realised she was pregnant and Jim [born in 1964] was coming along so that scuppered those plans."
The Newcastle Entertainment Centre show will also be somewhat of a homecoming for Imbruglia, who was married to Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns for five years in the 2000s.
Andrea said she's long wanted to share the road with the England-based Imbruglia, who is best known for her '90s hits Torn and Big Mistake.
"She's a very good friend of mine and we love each other," Andrea said. "We've often had great times over the years together as pals.
"I'm a really big fan of her music and singing and performance. We went through the same '90s-into-the-2000s-pop-star world.
"We have a really good understanding of each other and have a good humour about it all."
The Corrs play the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Tuesday.
