Photo credit: Caitlin Cronenberg
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
My tour vehicle is whatever the rental place has available with unlimited mileage, haha. I’m not picky, I just need something that can fit all my stuff in there and get me from point A to point B.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I try not to eat out too much when I’m on the road so anytime I arrive in a new city, one of my first stops is usually a grocery store so I can pick up a few basics to get me through the long days ahead. Usually, that’s a few cold-pressed juice shots, a whole-wheat baguette, some vegan cheese, tomatoes, hummus, and sprouts. I know it might sound lame, but it’s true. I’ll also grab some chips & salsa to snack on throughout the day until dinner – and truth be told, on some long days, that is dinner.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Believe it or not, I do not break a lot of strings, and I rarely replace them because I like dead sounding strings. I use D’Addario strings and they are very well-made, so if I ever do break one, it’s usually because I did something stupid. They sponsor me, though, so I kinda wish I broke them more often so they could send me stuff more often, haha.
Where do you rehearse?
I’ve created a pretty cozy home studio where I do most of my rehearsing. Nothing over-the-top, but it gives me the privacy that I need to dive into my songs. If I ever need to rehearse with a band, I’ll rent the Bob Marley room at the Rehearsal Factory on Geary Ave in Toronto – it also helps that I get a great discount there with my AFM/CFM membership.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I couldn’t tell you the first song I ever wrote, and I used to freestyle all the time so it’s even harder to remember a specific lyric. But one that’s always stuck with me is “The ink stains on my finger got a story to tell.” I still like to think of myself as a storyteller, so I guess I’d say that one is still pretty relevant today.
Describe your first gig.
My first gig was probably some Black History Month event back in school, and I’m pretty sure it was unpaid, haha.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last day job was working for a telemarketing scam company called Universal Energy, trying to lock people into terrible plans. I hated it and I quit.
My favourite day job was as a program coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club here in Toronto. Working with some truly brilliant youth in low-income areas was incredibly rewarding.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to not only survive off of my music, but also make a living and contract others to work for me as well. Within the next 5-10 years, I’d like to get to the point where I’m making enough money to provide full-time employment to the people who help keep this thing going, so that I’ll no longer need to outsource talent and I can keep everything in-house.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
You’ll never know who you can actually trust, so you can’t be afraid to build relationships or break them.