“Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear…”

It’s officially 2012. And I’m excited. And I’m nervous. I have a feeling and it’s telling me that this year is gonna be special and very different than any year before it. As I think back over the last 12 months that River James has been actively playing recording and playing shows, we’ve had the privilege to meet and interact with so many awesome folks! And that, for me, has been the biggest highlight. We’ve gotten to share our music and inspiration with you, and have received so much more inspiration in return. Thank you sooo much!

Ok, since it’s already 2012, the 2011 ‘best of’ list seems a little inappropriate. But i’ll be honest. I wrote this list last week, and was planning to post it yesterday. But my day didn’t go exactly as planned, and I never got a chance to get to my computer. So here goes… a little late (which isn’t really that surprising to anyone who’s ever made plans with me). My top 10 most memorable musical moments of 2011, as I think about the many more to come in the new year:

- January & February - entering a humble little studio, a stones throw from the James River in Southern Virginia, and recording the River James EP with my three pals Tyler, Jacob, and Scoops

- Getting acquainted with a really cool town called Nashville and the people who live there during the month of May, when we did a residency at Springwater Supper Club.

- Driving the country roads with Tyler, outside of Nashville, shooting footage out of the back of the RJ van for the EP Teaser video. (And almost getting shot by a local who wasn’t happy that we’d driven up his neighbor’s driveway! Exciting, right?)

- Spending 3 days at the vacation home of a friend in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where we hung out, rehearsed, wrote, and scouted out local waterfalls.

- After scouting, we shot our first music video with the help of a mere tripod and some amazing scenery.

- Heading out on the road for a summer tour with Jack’s Mannequin.

- Favorite night of that tour for me may have been New Orleans. After an amazing show, we got a private tour of rooftop garden/residence of the House Of Blues, by Mama T, who owns the building.

- Scoops had an unfortunate run-in with an angry insect which landed him in the hospital. But being the champion that Scoops is, he was discharged in the early afternoon and played the show that evening at Greenfield Lake Ampitheater in Wilmington, NC. He was the hero!

- A very special early morning performance at Grow Interactive in Norfolk, VA. It’s a really cool company with an amazing work-space. It was a magical moment, and who knew rock n roll could be that good, that early in the morning!

- A killer evening at Jewish Mother in Norfolk, VA with our friend Ross Froehlich from 96X. He gave us a lot of love this past year and we’re very grateful.

Happy New Year! Please stay tuned for news about new music and new horizons in the very near future. It’s gonna be a good year and I’m so happy to have anyone who is reading this, no matter where you are, as a part of the fam. xo. - Vintz