Known for its 1970s hits, Renaissance is a progressive rock band that was formed in 1969 in London by former Yardbirds members Keith Relf and Jim McCarty. The band released its eponymous debut LP in 1969 before embarking on its first tour with The Kinks. The tour was a unsuccessful due to the audience drawn by the British pop sound of The Kinks, and as a project devoted to the experimentation between folk, rock and classical music, Renaissance was received with minimal enthusiasm. The band was stripped down and built form the ground up. Relf became a producer and McCarty a songwriter as they build the band around vocalist Annie Haslam. Renaissance soon began releasing a string of hits including the 1973 track "Carpet of the Sun", 1974's "Mother Russia" and arguably its most recognizable song, "Northern Lights," a 1987 single featured on the A Song for All Seasons album. The band continues to write and release new material, including its 2010 EP The Mystic and The Muse, and its 2011 live album.
