Photo credit: Chris Strother
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
I have had various means of traveling to gigs over the years from tour bus to rental van to my own vehicles.
My first U.S. tour was on a tour bus with The Girls Room Tour with Shannon McNally, Kendall Payne and Tara McLean in support of our Capitol Records debut albums. (I had an EP out called “Transportation Songs,” because the full-length debut “Carnival Love” was out in the fall). That experience was a blast and a totally unrealistic portrait of the rest of my life on the road.
After that whirlwind summer-long tour, there were many more rental vans than buses, when I toured with the cellist Gerri Sutyak, opening for tours with Keb Mo, Richard Thompson and John Hiatt.
For many one-offs I had a workhorse called “Footloose,” a boxy red 240 DL Volvo with a lot of miles on it. It was dubbed “Footloose” by my friend, because the radio didn’t work.
One time, “Footloose” and I ran out of gas twice in one day in the Virginia/D.C. area. Not technically a breakdown, but memorable. I think the gas gauge was broken.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I can remember early on hearing from a tour manager that Sarah McLachlan always had her meals scheduled into her day, and I thought that was smart because a lot of days, mealtimes could get lost in the logistics of travel and promotion.
To save money, I often relied on what the venue offered. At the higher end gigs, a meal would be provided or a “buyout” from the promoter to pay for a meal. Of course, sometimes there was less than more: Hummus and carrots and Lara bars were a staple.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I very seldom break strings or even change them, as I prefer a duller tone than a bright sound.
Where do you rehearse?
I rehearse at home, or if I am playing with a band to get ready for a particular show, I sometimes rent a rehearsal space.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
One of the first songs I wrote was “12:04” on my first EP “Transportation Songs”
“12:04”
I bought an airline ticket
Just the other day
At 12:04 tomorrow
I’ll be flying away
From you
Describe your first gig.
During my lunch hour, after months and months of deliberation I got the nerve to finally walk into a cafe called Sin-é on St. Mark’s Place in NYC, where I saw Jeff Buckley play a number of times. I dropped off a demo tape to the Irish manager who was very kind and friendly, assuring me she would listen to it. She booked me shortly thereafter. I remember absolutely nothing about that first gig, but I started playing there regularly.
The first time I remember performing onstage in public was with the Boston-based band Treat Her Right, who were playing a show at Brendan Behan’s pub in Jamaica Plain, MA. My friend who knew the band asked if I could play a song with them, and they invited me up to do two of my original songs with them.
I had never performed with a band before and we were just winging it. They had never heard the songs, and they were amazing. I will forever be grateful to them for being so generous and showing such enthusiasm.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I was able to make a living as a full-time musician for about fifteen years and pivoted into a “civilian” job about five years ago, because I wanted the stabilizing effect of a steady paycheck. I work at a non-profit yoga organization in Los Angeles.
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?
Right now I’m focused on art for art’s sake, since that is the best way to
take care of my music.
As income streams dwindle with subscription services, I am encouraged to find music fans are willing to pay for music to support artists they like. The first time I really had a taste of this kind of direct support from fans was when I did a crowdfunding campaign that allowed me to raise over $37K and make my last full-length album You Go Your Way (produced by Paul Bryan).
I think there is potential for growth, if I continue to make music and cultivate an audience and focus on the music. I’ve always found if I do that, opportunities follow in its wake.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
I wish had known myself more deeply and trusted myself more.