This year, Shane Deyotte, is hoping for March to come in like a lamb, and go out like a lion, Acres of Lions, in fact.
The Montrose drummer joined the Victoria-based band, Acres of Lions, in June of last year.
And now the band is set to unveil a new CD, tentatively scheduled for a Canadian release in April.
The new album came to fruition in the fall, when the band went on tour in the United Kingdom. Gigs included all-ages shows and bar venues in London and Bristol.
During a week off of booked shows, the band decided to begin pre-production of its original songs.
“We thought it would be cool to rent a space just to jam,” said Deyotte.
“We wanted to bring the songs together and make them exactly what we wanted.”
Although, there hasn’t been a decision made for the CD’s first single, four “candidates” have been sent to radio stations, and managers at the records labels, he said.
“We let them have a hand in picking which song will be the one,” explained Deyotte.
A festival that Deyotte is looking forward to performing at is Canadian Music Week in Toronto at the end of March. It is a 1,000-artist event, set in 60 venues, over six nights.
“That week is set in stone, and I can hardly wait,” he said.
But for now, the band has two months off to rest and recuperate from the grueling months of travel and tours.
However, instead of taking a break, Deyotte headed north to Fort McMurray, working as a welder.
“In March, we will all be finished our separate little things we do,” he said.
“Then we rehearse, and it’s off to Toronto.”
Deyotte has known the band members for years, and played a few shows for them while he was on tour with fellow Fruitvale musician Gary Morissette.
He was a big fan of the band before becoming a member, and its genre of modern rock with a pop edge, is more his style, he said.
Deyotte’s band mates are Jeff Kalesnikoff, vocalist from Castlegar; Dan Ball, bassist from Nelson and Tyson Yerex, a keyboardist and guitarist from Kelowna.
“They have worked really hard for the last six or seven years,” said Deyotte.
“I’m really lucky to be coming in at this point in their success.”