Photo credit: Jodi James
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
Our touring van is a 1995 Chevy Beauville (G30). It’s a really stout machine. We bought it a few years ago from the Jambalaya Cajun Band in Lafayette, LA. They said they were getting a little too old to tour anymore and were thrilled that it was going to another musical home. We’ve brought it up to about 240,000 of pure highway miles. It’s got a cassette deck that sounds awful but somehow endearing. We took out all the ashtray-equipped bench seats and outfitted it with some fairly comfortable lodging amenities. Most of the time, we stay at RV sites or state parks. I replaced the water pump and the brake booster, but nothing has gone terribly wrong with it yet.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
Since we’ve got a pretty reliable home-on-wheels situation, we’re able to cook for ourselves most of the time. We usually have a grocery store run every three days to load up the ice chest. We keep a hot plate and a couple cast iron pans in the van, so it’s usually meat and vegetables for us. But sometimes, time just doesn’t allow for all that so we rely on nuts, hard-boiled eggs, and jerky from gas stations. Oh, and we allow ourselves one pizza night per tour.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
We never really break strings. Unless they get particularly crusty, we probably change them once or twice a year. The cheap stuff works for us. I do like to use that Fast-Fret stuff though — it seems to keep them in pretty good condition for a long time.
Where do you rehearse?
We have a home studio where the live room is the living room, but we don’t count much as sacred regarding either of those things. It’s a space where the days’ priorities are set up — sometimes we’ll hook up the PA for rehearsal; sometimes there will be some piece of gear in need of repair with its parts scattered across the floor; sometimes it’s just a space to listen to records and drink coffee. In a few days, it’ll be the place where all the outside plants live while this freeze runs its course.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
We’ve both been writing songs independently of one another for a long time, but the first song we wrote together was around late-summer of 2014. I (Clay) got a writing prompt from a friend that just said “Christmas.” I’ve always had a gut-twisting reaction to those sad, old war-time Christmas songs like “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” so that’s the direction I wanted to take it. Some time before, Jodi and I were chatting about the possibility of writing together someday, so I sent her a few lines and ideas. I remember the melody was a complete rip-off of the Louvin Brothers’ “How’s The World Treating You,” but it was a nice song that kind of set us on course to modeling a lot of our harmony parts off of the Louvins. The lyric that comes back around at the end of each verse was: “You’ve made it uncertain / You’ve made it unclear / Will you want me for christmas / Or do you want a new year?”
Describe your first gig.
It was a typical small bar show in downtown Baton Rouge. We only had a handful of songs we wrote together that were ready to play out, so we each did a solo set followed by a duo set. It was pretty full. Most of the people there knew us and our individual songs and performances, so I think the curiosity about what we were doing together made for a bit of a buzz in the air.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
Clay: During the pandemic (and still on occasion), I was lucky to get some work with a good friend of mine who builds custom cabinets. I’ve always enjoyed wood-working, but I don’t think I’d ever used really good tools… or plans, for that matter. It’s good work for the mind and for the hands.
Jodi: When Covid kicked us off the road I was lucky to find a local kitchen and bath remodeling center in need of an interior designer. I’d done a good bit of that kind of work as a freelancer over the years, but being thrust into a workplace dynamic after so many years of self-employment was a big shift. I’m pretty all-over-the-place when it comes to interim work, but the job that had the most impact was working as a music minister/therapist for hospice patients.
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?
Sometimes it seems like a direct reflection of how hard we work. Sometimes it feels like a heavy stroke of luck — some good, some bad. I suppose if you’re in a creative field, that’s how it’s always been. We only do what we know to do. There are always innovative ways that people come up with to exploit or silence or degrade art. And at times, they win. That’s not new either. In 5-10 years… rich or poor, we’ll probably still be rolling dice.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Diversify. Don’t get caught up doing one thing one way. As long as creativity is the catalyst for working in this business, you’ll be alright in your soul.