Happy Fall Everyone. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? But any regular readers of this blog, and folks who know me closely, know that the Fall is my favourite time of year.

I like the way it looks with the ever-changing colours. Hills that once were a mono blanket of green letting go and making way for oranges, yellows, reds, and browns. A little at first, then a full surrender to the variety and perfect randomness of the hills of Autumn.

I like the way it feels. The heat of Summer, slowly, or not so slowly in Newfoundland, retreating first in the early morning and late evening and gradually, or not so gradually in Newfoundland, disappearing all together and the cool breeze of September welcomes back my favourite hoodie.

Mostly, I like the way it makes me feel. I’ve long touted September, not January, as the dawning of the New Year. A time of new beginnings, new school grades, new University classes, new jobs, new places, new faces. And if you are a curious cat like me, nothing is more thrilling than seeing what comes next. Fall is like finding a new corner to look around. A new rock to look under. A new song to sing.

And new songs are a-plenty these days as me and The Beautiful Gypsies prep for a new album. I’ve been so grateful for the positive response to the one or two we’ve been playing live, especially Come Out with Me, which has become a bit of a concert fav even though it is not even on a record yet. Might slide a few more new tunes in the sets this fall. I’ve got about a dozen new tunes mapped out and demoed and need to get another 6-8 to choose from to make the final list. In a perfect world, we’ll get those tunes this Fall and record the new album in a few months. The plan is to get it in the can by year’s end, for a single release in the early Spring, and a full release in the Fall of 2017.

And in a most perfect world, I’ll drop a new book right around the same time as the album. So, I’ve got to get down to it and write the rough draft and submit it before Santa Claus comes. I’ve got about a third of the book on paper and so far the working title is A Newfoundlander in Canada, and will chronicle my first impressions of the world as it appeared to me out the Great Big Sea van window. Some road stories, some lessons learned the hard way, some encounters with famous people, and a whole lot of surprises for a young fella who’d never really been far from Home.

Looking forward to a bunch of live gigs this Fall as well, including stops in Vermont and Trenton, Ontario this weekend and Aurora, Ontario the next. As always, I would love to see you at the shows. All the info is at www.alandoyle.ca/tour. Come on. Come on. Come out with me.

There’s also a fun TV appearance in the works, where I suspect you’ll see me in some old period costume. Keep you posted.

Also, super excited to be helping Beautiful Gypsy Cory Tetford with the last brush strokes of his new album. He might be too bashful to brag, but I certainly don’t mind telling you that it is going to be spectacular. Can’t wait for you all to hear it.

As I type, it is fairly early on the Monday of Labour Day weekend. I got up early to make some coffee and breakfast for friends departing our cabin overlooking Placentia Bay. My own family are still sleeping and it is just me and the trees and the water. The sun is creeping over the hills behind me onto the hills in front of me across the bay. A slight breeze ripples the mirror of the harbour. This could be my fav seat in the world. On my fav day of the year. I am so, so lucky.

The Fall is upon us and all the new and exciting nexts that come with it.

So, lets go.

Cheers,
Alan