Photo credit: David Gillis
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
I usually just rent cars. Lame. But true. 🙂
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
It’s actually pretty easy to eat healthy on the road. I usually bring lots of snacks with me and stop at grocery stores to get fresh fruits and vegetables when I get the chance. I don’t eat fast food anyways as part of my diet so I just eat what’s “normal” for me.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
My guitar strings get dull before I break them! I might break one string a year if I’m lucky. So…like 2 dollars?
Where do you rehearse?
I usually rehearse at home in my bedroom when I’m alone. If I have a band, I rent out a place in Toronto.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
Ha! Does writing a song at like three years old count? “They eat leaves and door-may-doo’s, so put one foot and put it in, put on foot and put it in together, like flowers.”
(It was about dinosaurs – don’t judge)
Describe your first gig.
I opened for my dad at a place called “Zooma Zooma Cafe”. I think I played two songs. I was hooked.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last day job was selling cars. It was super weird. Usually at a day job I’m always questioning why I’m even there…I feel like I should be on the road touring and playing my songs and building an audience in uncharted territories…. I don’t think I’ve ever had a favourite day job for that reason alone. Hmm. Wait. Let me re-phrase. My favourite day job is music.
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?
It ebbs and flows. I had a really bad concussion a few years ago that put me out of work for almost two years. It was a really hard time in my life. I couldn’t play, I couldn’t work, and the recovery was painfully slow. All of the momentum I had built up for my career seemed to vanish into thin air. It’s taken a few years to get back on that path again and things are really looking good.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Nothing. The reason you are the individual that you are is because of what you’ve experienced in your lifetime. All of my unique experiences have shaped me into the woman I am today. I needed to make a lot of mistakes in order to grow and I welcome all of my future mistakes. We learn so much from our mistakes – and usually (hopefully!) we become better people because of them. I want to always strive to be a better person than I was yesterday.