After over five years of performing anthematic rock ‘n roll on the Portland music scene and across New England, This Way looked inward and pulled out the truest parts of their individual abilities. Though the raw energy and immediacy of the rock music on their first record “We Could All Make History” remained vital, even towards the end of recording that record, the group began to focus on the rootsier side. This Way’s lead singer and songwriter Jay Basiner, who was born and lived just outside of Boston until heading to Burlington, VT to go to college, has been around music his entire life. He often speaks of the daily after-dinner family sing-a-longs his father Rich Basiner (who sings on a few songs on the band’s new record) would start up and would go on for hours. Mostly old-timey folk songs, that Jay would end up taking with him for years to come. Jay met Dave Patterson (another founding member of This Way) at St. Michaels College in Vermont over a decade ago, and from there they have performed hundreds of gigs together. The progression of their sound also transformed over that time. Initially beginning as electric guitar driven rock music to the engaging americana / roots rock the band now performs. From Jay’s early influences and the progression of sound from the founding members came the establishment of This Way’s current lineup: Jay Basiner, Dave Patterson, Anna Patterson and Charlie Sichterman, with the final piece of the puzzle being fiddler and mandolinist Andrew Martelle. In a stroke of luck for the band, Martelle just happened to be moving his family back up to Maine in the summer of 2010, after ten years of performing and teaching music in Nashville, TN. With the band’s explosive live presence and rapidly growing New England fanbase in tow, they have recently finished up their most ambitious project yet -- a new record that is over a year and a half in the making. On May 10th the band will release their new record "Goodbye Forever" locally in all Bull Moose Music stores and online at Bullmoose.com and iTunes. The album is comprised of ten americana / roots rock songs and was recorded by Abel Adame at Drumshow Productions and at a few unique locations in Portland (including the Cumberland County courthouse). It was then mixed by Noah Cole and mastered by Jeff Lipton (Peerless Mastering). The band, through trusting each other’s artistic intuitions and giving the creative process time and space, have arrived at a sound that is in the realm of Mumford & Sons, The Low Anthem, Old Crowe Medicine Show, and The Avett Brothers, but with its own unique approach on the roots genre. This Way has performed alongside: Enter the Haggis, David Dondero, Tab the Band, Adam Ezra Group, Kittens Ablaze, Jacob Augustine, John Eddie and members of the E Street Band in Asbury Park, NJ and in Portland, ME for two Bill Chinnock Tribute Concerts. This Way has performed at: 2011 New England Americana Festival, 2009 Old Port Festival, 2009 Alive at Five Summer Concert Series, and venues from Maine to the Southern New Jersey, including six trips to New York. In 2009 the band was given the title of “A Band To Watch” by The Portland Press Herald and that same year was also nominated by The Portland Phoenix for “Best New Artist”. More recently the band has been nominated for “Best Roots Act’ by The Portland Phoenix’s 2011 music awards in June.