http://www.lawrence.com/users/photos/2013/dec/25/266549/

A year’s come and gone, and Split Lip Rayfield has been nowhere to be found. Their last record, “I’ll Be Around,” was released by this Wichita punk-bluegrass trio in 2008, a long five years ago.

After a year out of the public eye and off the stage, the New Year’s Eve show they’re playing at the Bottleneck tells me they’ve gotten a resurgence of energy. Banjo player Eric Mardis says they have played this particular slot seven or eight times in the past 15 years and the energy the night before the year resets always carries a unique, electric kind of energy. Needless to say,

“We’re hungry to start playing again,” Mardis says. “The Bottleneck on New Year’s Eve has been a tradition of ours.”

This past year has not been wasted. For the New Year’s performance, Split Lip Rayfield will be bringing out some new material they’ve been mulling over. Mardis says the time off really helped them recharge after intense touring schedules; they chose to dedicate the past year to focusing on writing. They hope to put out a new studio album in Spring 2014.

Not only will you experience new tracks for the New Year, but it seems they’re going to provide the crowd with some throwbacks.

“We did some archeology and dug up some stuff off our previous albums that we never played live that much,” Mardis says.

As far as the evolution since the first album in 1998, it’s been slow and steady as far as instrument skill goes, but they’ve always remained true to their aggressive, mean acoustic sound, fueled by the homemade one-stringed gas tank bass played by Jeff Eaton.

Originally intending on making a washtub bass, Eaton found an old automotive gas tank, bolted a neck onto it, and strung a weedwacker line on it. He can play anything they throw at him, Mardis says. It’s only one string and the metal vessel provides a unique tone, but it’s surprisingly incredible.

“When I first saw it, I dubiously looked at it like, ‘wow that’s neat looking but obviously a gimmicky schtick,'” Mardis says. “But that instrument is really a part of our unique sound. I wasn’t convinced at first, but I’m convinced now.”

Eaton created his own technique of how to play the gas tank bass, often playing both bass and percussion, which has much to do with taking their traditionally country-acoustic influences and adding hints of pyrotechnic, fast and bombastic metal influences.

“It’s a dark, nasty, mean creature,” Mardis says.

Granny Tweed from Colorado and local progressive bluegrass band The Sunflower Colonels will start the evening. Tickets for are $26 for 18 and up. The show starts at 8 p.m., and includes a champagne toast at midnight.

Here’s to hoping it’s not another six years before Split Lip puts out a new album!