Rippleton Cross

RIPPLETON CROSS BIO

Rippleton Cross is an acoustic/folk duo located in the Greater Portland (ME) area, and consisting of Mark Sanborn and Michael T Barden. Both Mark and Mike have been playing and performing since their teens, and have been members of a number of Maine-based bands representing a wide array of genres. Interestingly, although virtually the same age, active in the local music scene, and having attended high schools in adjoining towns, Scarborough and Gorham respectively, they had never met until 2002. At that time, Mike had just returned to Maine from Upstate New York, and a mutual friend, who was doing sound reinforcement for the band Flashback, contacted Mike to consider playing bass for the group, which had recently lost its long-time bassist. Mark was playing rhythm and lead for Flashback, and the two immediately became fast friends.
Flashback disbanded in 2012, but Mark and Mike didn’t want to give up playing and performing, so they set about exploring various musical options. For several years, they strove to establish a dance-oriented band, but were never quite able to make it work… Finally, late in the winter of 2016, their long-time drummer and his wife decided to relocate to Florida. Tired of the difficulties, frustrations, and complicated logistics associated with trying to get a band up and gigging, the friends agreed to abandon the effort altogether and form a duo. In fact, they realized that their real musical interests actually lay in the realm of acoustic cover tunes.
Rippleton Cross began gigging in the spring of 2016. It takes a while to establish a reputation and secure bookings, but as of mid-summer of that year, the duo was becoming quite busy, and still looking to expand into new venues. Rippleton Cross has a Facebook page that features pictures of the group and a number of full-length live performance videos, as well as notifications of upcoming appearances.