Alexisonfire's 2010: Touring Australia, Hoarding Guitars and Meeting Motörhead

It sometimes seems as if Alexisonfire have been on the road for 10 years straight. Since forming in 2001 in St. Catharines, Ontario, the post-hardcore outfit has been enjoying the kind of schedule that comes with modest indie success, packed with Warped Tours and European festivals and opening slots for the likes of Billy Talent, Cancer Bats and Anti-Flag.

And this year was no different. They continued to tour in support of 2009's 'Old Crows/Young Cardinals,' including trips to Australia and Japan. They made headlines with their appearance at the Vancouver Olympics (cut short after a crush of fans broke through a barricade and audience members were trampled underfoot), and their performance of 'Tom Sawyer' at Rush's inauguration into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in March. Singer-guitarist Dallas Green also toured for his other project City and Colour while singer-guitarist Wade MacNeil squeezed in dates for his resurrected Black Lungs project.

There were a few releases, including Alexisonfire's 'Dog's Blood' EP and Black Lungs' 'Valley of the Dolls' seven-inch, but the band is going to need some time off to conjure its next record. MacNeil took a moment while home for the holidays to look back at the year that was, and glimpse at what's to come.

Your last two releases (with Alexisonfire and Black Lungs) have been on vinyl and digital. Do you think 2011 will finally see the end of CDs?

It's funny, I wouldn't have expected us to be a "vinyl band," but I'm glad it's happening.

We had to twist some of the label's arms for a long time to do that, but now that people have seen how well it went, it's easier. I hope we're done with CDs soon. There's just something about them that are so disposable. I find I buy a record and am so careful with it, I love it so much; I buy a CD and I throw it on the floor of my car. I've definitely got this nice meticulously kept record collection, then a pile of CDs in the spare bedroom.

Watch Alexisonfire's Video for 'Born and Raised'

What would you say was the highlight of Alexisonfire's year?

In Glasgow, after we play, we go out to this bar -- and we've got this room backstage just for us -- and this woman comes into the room, this American woman, and she asks if we're the guys from Alexisonfire. I said "No," because I didn't want to deal with whatever situation was happening. And she says, "I've got [guitarist] Phil [Campbell] from Motörhead outside. He says you guys played together in Japan recently, and he wants to meet the band." So I tell her I was just kidding, to bring him in. And then I pushed the guy that I was talking to out of the way so I could talk to Phil for a while.

What about Australia? You recently released your covers of Midnight Oil and the Saints. Were you inspired there?

We love it so much there because it feels Canadian but you're on the other end of the world. Europe is amazing, you are exposed to so many different cultures, but, after a while, you wish you could communicate with people better. So being so far from home and having little things that remind you of Canada, I think that's why we like Australia so much. And also at the Melbourne show somebody stage dove 15 feet off the balcony and was totally fine. People caught him. I'm sure the bouncers would want to beat that guy up. But he did this incredibly dangerous thing and didn't get hurt -- we all held our breath for a second, but he was okay.

Looking forward to the next year, what's the grand plan?

For me, it's write tons and tons of music. Whether that be a new Alexis record, or maybe I'll put out a new Black Lungs record and a bunch of singles. Maybe work more with Bedouin Soundclash. There will be a new City and Colour record from Dallas, too. There might not be a brand new Alexisonfire record right away, but there will be plenty of music from us.

Any personal New Year's resolutions you can share?

I need to curb my collecting of records and guitars. I've watched that show 'Hoarders' -- and it's starting to hit a little too close to home.