The phrase “labor of love” doesn’t quite cut it when describing the absolute nightmare it’s been for Konnor Ervin and his band to release a new album.

It’s been about four years since Kansas City band The ACBs put out anything new, and it didn’t come easy. In addition to Ervin’s perfectionist style that involved a lot pickiness and re-recording, he’s had to deal with two band members moving away and a van fire that did more than dampen their spirit while traveling to Norman, Okla., to cut an album.

Fiery Fiasco

“We were an hour outside of Norman, driving this old van that used to belong to The Roman Numerals,” recalls Ervin. The van had been passed down from band to band and Ervin saw it as “a time bomb that we were driving around.”

Before they knew it, Ervin says they were sliding all over the road at 70 mph when he heard his drummer say “Is that our tire?”

“We look over and our tire was following us on our left at the same pace, and it was on fire, burning bright red,” says Ervin. The band then watched the tire roll down an embankment and fly 100 feet into the air before busting through a warehouse.

After paying a hefty repair bill for the van and the warehouse, they did make it to the studio to record, but Ervin insists “it wasn’t anything special.”

It was clear after the fiasco that they had given up on the idea of a new record. “It seemed like it wasn’t going to be better than the last one, and then the two guys moved.”

A Fresh Start

After losing half of his band, the pity party didn’t last long. “We were trying really hard to record this album and we just kept failing everywhere,” says Ervin. “So I just started recording it myself with Mike Nolte (of Ghosty).”

Ervin started recording songs in his bathroom one at a time before taking the demos to the studio to re-record. “We ended up keeping some of the bathroom tracks.”

Then along came Andrew Connor, also of Ghosty fame. “Andrew sort of records at the same spot, so Mike would have him listen to what we were doing and I think he liked it.” When Ervin sent Connor a Facebook message asking if he knew anyone who would be interested in playing guitar for the ACBs, he got a nice little surprise. “I didn’t expect him to be interested in the position at all.”

With the new lineup (Kyle Rausch from the Abracadabras also joined on) and album, Ervin got his groove back and got to work. “From here on out, I don’t want to go that long again,” says Ervin. “I want to stay really busy, make up for lost time.”

Music for the masses

After all the time it took to put out Stona Rosa, faithful fans are getting a little reward for their patience. The band is letting fans name their price when downloading the album. “I just thought that’s how things should be these days,” says Ervin. “If money is going to be a barrier between us and them then that seems kind of silly. I’d just rather have them listen to it.”

They’ve already introduced Stona Rosa to their Kansas City audience. This weekend, it’s Lawrence’s turn. They’ll be playing Noise for Toys: A Benefit for Toys 4 Tots at the Bottleneck on Saturday alongside Lawrence favorites Cowboy Indian Bear and The Noise FM. That along with an entry costing a mere $5 means they’ll most likely be playing a packed house.

“It seems like there are more people in Lawrence to go out and see,” says Ervin. He’s hoping that the bad luck has slowed down in his life, but isn’t ready to completely mellow out. He wants to go out and see some new music, even if it’s in some unfamiliar territory. “That’s what makes it a little bit more exciting.”

You catch can The ACBs on Saturday, December 11th at the Bottleneck. For more on the show, click here.