Happy New Year!

Photo by Siret Roots.

Yes, happy New Year y'all! :) 2015 got off to a nice start with another positive review for "Live In Lerwick" published, this time in Croatia, where Mladen Loncar writes in the Soundguardian webzine: "If traditional blues is what you want, you've come to the right place... Get the album and see for yourself!"

As you can see from the pic, Roots & Terep are currently working on a music video for "Chicken Man", with Asko-Romé Altsoo again directing; their January-February concerts in Finland and Estonia will also preview new material. But for now, let's have a closer look at the year that just ended...

In 2014, Andres Roots performed 35 live shows with six different band configurations. Festival appearances in 2014 included Blue Icicle (Pärnu, Estonia), Linna Pea Rock (Rapla, Estonia), Guitar Jamboree (Tallinn, Estonia), Kaavi Blues (Kaavi, Finland), Pärnu Bluusipäevad (Pärnu, Estonia), Ruskablues (Koli, Finland), and IDeeJazz (Tartu, Estonia).

There were two Roots Art albums released: Andres Roots & Raul Terep "Trad.alt.blues" and Steve Lury & Andres Roots "Live In Lerwick". Roots & Terep contributed a track to "Get On! Estonian Tribute To Hurriganes" with Mikk Tammepõld on vocals, and Andres Roots added guitar to a tune on Tapsa Kojo's "Vallilan Kojootti" EP and one on Erki Solna's "Ei ole must ei ole valge" album; two older tracks also appeared on the soundtrack of Peeter Simm's documentary "Eesti Tennis 100". In addition, Raul Terep can be heard on the Popsid album "Käsu peale!" and Peeter Piik on Tartu Popi Ja Roki Instituut's latest "Marienbad".

Most significantly, Roots Art Records became the first Estonian label to receive physical distribution throughout Scandinavia and the Baltics via Playground Music Estonia. Rock & roll! :)