By JONATHON REED
The Red & Black

It’s been a long, hard year for the Agents of Good Roots, but with a busy summer now past, the band is set to take it easy at home in Richmond, Va.

"We haven’t been home for longer than three weeks in about three years," said drummer/vocalist Brian Jones of the band’s much-needed rest.

On the phone at home, Jones spoke of recent outings and future plans.

"It’s been a crazy year," Jones said. "One by One" didn’t do quite as well as the record company had planned, he added, but the past summer helped.

A stint with the Dave Matthews Band was followed by a set of second-stage appearances at the H.O.R.D.E. Festival. The DMB tour took the Agents all over the country, and the band gained a lot of exposure.

Little bonuses made touring worthwhile, but Jones said the band is glad to be back touring the East coast again. Though some crowds are little more than die-hard fans in the group’s home region, they were able to pull crowds out West due to radio exposure.

"We’re still in that zone," he said. "It’s kind of inconsistent, but it makes you want to keep working and keep pushing through to see if you can find that success."

The band’s planned December hiatus is just a brief time off before the band goes back into the studio, this time in its own hometown.

"I think it’s time to do a record that’s a little more creative, a little more indicative of what we do live," he said. "’One by One’ was really polished. It can be misleading."

With this album, Jones said the band plans to go into the studio and play around with live recordings. After they find something they like, then they’ll go in with the vocal tracks.

For tonight’s show, the band will bring its eclectic, energetic live show to rock the house. Some new material likely will be brought out.

"And I’ll be singing on ‘em," Jones said. "So watch out."