2015 done, bring on 2016

Hi Everyone,
Well thats our year over and what a year we've had.  Last night at 8.05pm we were in a plane and taking off from Zurich in Switerland after playing our last gig of the year in a bar in the Swiss alps, near the Matterhorn (for the record Zurich Airport is fucking comedically expensive), a few hours later we were back in the loving arms of our familes. To say its been our best year yet is an understatement.  We've played shows in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, USA and toured the UK twice and we signed a new deal with Alive Natural Sounds. 

Every gig is special but playing in Missiissippi was definatly a highlight.  We never thought we would every get to play in the states never mind in a place as steeped in musical history as Mississippi.  The home of the blues, we were so enamoured with the place we signed our new deal with Alive at the famous Robert Johnson crossraods.  We're indebted forever to Chris Johnson for inviting us to play the Deep Blues Festival. Playing in Junior Kimboroughs Juke Joint was a surreal treat and we can go to our graves saying we did that. To be perfectly honest, two white lads from Northern Ireland playing in these places we hope we don't stink the place up too much, we do know the significance of these venues and are genuinely humbled when we heap praise and lush about it. 

This year we started with a UK tour then recorded our new album here in Northern Ireland with our friend Mike Mormecha.  We've been talking about recording with Mike for a while now, ever since Walter, who recorded Folk Art, closed down his studio to go work for the BBC.  We hit the studio hard, recorded the album in a few days and mixed it in another couple.  We sent the album out to some labels and hoped we had recorded a good enough record to get some interest.  We got a few offers but where delighted to be able to come an agreement with Alive Natural Sounds.  We're huge fans of the label and have over the years come to play with some bands on the label and become friends with them.  

We played the Deep Blues Fest in Germany in the summer also which was supercool as we got to play with our Spanish pals, Guadalupe Plata and also, James Legand the mighty Johnny Walker of The Soledad Brothers fame. , that was a thrill, Andy got a bit star struck even though Johnny would be the last guy in the world to use that word to refer to himself.  In fact we know that Johnny and James Leg put a word in for us with Patrick from Alive, at that show both the guys suggested we should look to Alive for our next release.

Its actually hard to remember all that happened to us this year its been so full and busy.  We've got so many people to thank but as we sit in the warm embrace of our loved ones we're making plans for next year and hope to have our album released sometime around mid March , still waiting on the confirmed date.  After that we've making plans for tours in UK, Germany, France Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and the USA so as you can see we've got a big year to prepare for.  

Please come see us play, we love gigging for you, its what we do and we hope to do even more of it next year.  

Happy Christmas amigos from both of us.
Andy & Chris
The Bonnevilles

  



 

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