From the outside it may have seemed like a slow year for By Blood Alone, but trust us, this was far from the case. Originally we intended to concentrate on recording our next cd. We didn’t even actively seek any shows for the first half of the year, though we were asked to play in Portsmouth NH in Feb and Providence RI in March. While those shows were fun, our main thoughts were on finishing writing the new cd and finishing building our new recording/rehearsal space before we could even begin to record. Of course, none of this happened in the intended timeframe, but after the disappointment of Cruella’s breast cancer battle fucking up the release schedule of Seas of Blood in 2007, we have learned to not get bent out of shape when things go awry. So, we took our time and got it right. We moved into the new studio in the heat of late summer just as we were finishing the writing of the last two songs.

However, there was one more fly in the ointment to consider. back in March I had, on a whim, thrown our hat into the ring for the Utica Music Festival in Utica NY. Surprisingly, we were accepted fairly quickly! Surprisingly because these things are NEVER this easy. So, with a bit of skepticism I kept in the back of my mind the fact that we may have to go out to Utica for a show in Sept. We we’re not notified of our actual slot until June, and at that point I proposed turning the one gig into a short tour, our first. Again surprisingly, everyone else was into the idea! I think the fun factor was the biggest selling point.

So with that in mind, we were able to rustle up two other gigs (Tammany Hall in Worcester MA and Dingbatz in Clifton NJ). Though no one else in the band had ever been on tour, I had when i was decidedly younger, and it was a fucking horrible experience, with several close friendships ending before the tour ended. So with that in mind, off we went on the tour we dubbed “the Unfinished Business Tour 2009″, named so due to having to cancel the tour we had planned for 2007. I kept trying to focus on the fact that we were all adults and good friends as well as band mates, and that everything would go fine. In actuality, it went more than fine, it went great, and everyone had an awesome time. So much so that we’re planning another tour for the coming Spring.

Once back from the road we realized our 5 year anniversary was coming up, and since we had not played in Portland for the entire year, a special show at Geno’s was in order. Our very first gig in Oct 2004 took place at Geno’s, though admittedly at the old location on Brown Street. At our 5th anniversary show everyone there made us feel so welcome and accomplished. It’s truly our home away from home.

So, now that the studio is done, recording will start very soon, and then another tour. The new record will kick major ass, and not meaning to sound all high and mighty, but I really feel we have moved into a new strata, as we are now a “touring” band. Some friends of mine who tour for a living have warned me that sometimes the road can get draining, especially if you’re out for long periods, but actually I doubt we’ll ever get beyond 4-5 shows at a clip, as our personal lives aren’t flexible enough for anything else.

But that’s fine by us. We just want to keep it fun and challenging. Life’s too short for burdensome and draining.