The Year in Review - 2015

My calendar may be a dirty liar, but it's telling me that in just two short weeks, the year 2015 will be over. I'm not sure how that can be true since it *just* started, but the Internet seems to confirm it, and we all know that if it's on the Internet, it must be true.

So, assuming that the year is, in fact, almost over, it must be time to look back over 2015 and review the year that was. For the band, it has been an interesting year.

Okay, I will!

New music
We decided this year to start releasing singles, rather than waiting until we're ready to release a full CD or EP. We wanted to give people the opportunity to buy new music as soon as its ready, rather than having to wait as long as two years for some songs. It's been an experiment, and for the time-being, we're going to continue doing it, but we have learned a few positives and negatives.

The positives are that our fans can have a more steady stream of new music, and it motivates us to keep the new tunes flowing. When you know that a song can be live in the world as soon as you like, it's easier to keep working on new stuff.

The negatives are that releasing a string of singles feels a little less "eventful" than releasing a full CD, and we've found that we have to be careful to let songs really develop before we rush to record them. With some songs, as you play them over time, you find yourself playing certain parts differently. You settle into the final version of the song by playing it over and over in rehearsals and shows. That takes time. If you jump into the studio as soon as you've got the parts worked out, you may not record the best version of it. So, patience, Grasshopper.

New venues
We also had a lot of changes in venues this year. We stopped playing a place we've been playing for years, we tried out a few new places that ended up being one-offs, and we started playing regularly in some new venues in new markets this year.

It's a bummer when you've developed a fan base at a particular place, and then that relationship ends. And it's always a little perplexing when you play a venue, and it seems to go well, but then they don't book you back in. You never like to feel like someone doesn't value you.

But it's exciting when you go into new places and get an enthusiastic response. We've been pleased to be told, "You're the best band we have" by more than one venue, and we had several occasions this year where folks approached us, rather than us pitching them, to play their venues or events. That feels good.

Lesson: Don't dwell on the places who aren't feelin' you - focus on the ones who love what you do. It's always more fun to play for people who want you.

Challenges
We also had several unusual challenges this year. Our band van took one to the face in a car accident early in the year. El Nino brought a lot of disagreeable weather in the spring and fall that caused several gigs to get cancelled. And we had some equipment fail us that, luckily, we were able to replace with even better gear.

But despite all the crazy ebbs and flows this year, we got through it all together, and we're excited about some new opportunities on the horizon. We're going into 2016 with a Zen attitude.
We can't always control what venues will do, what the weather will do, or even what our equipment will do (the robots have their own will). But we can choose to follow the path we're on and enjoy where we are.

We're going to enjoy each gig, appreciate each fan, and make the best music we can - and we hope you'll all be along with us for the ride. We hope you have a safe and happy holiday season, and we look forward to lots of fun with you all in 2016!