Photo credit Jerry Bernhardt
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
My touring vehicle is a twelve passenger Ford Transit van that I named the Jambulance. At this point the mileage is high! Pushing 215k.
A notable breakdown was on a tour in 2023. We stayed at a cabin in the middle of nowhere in Idaho on our way to Salt Lake City. Fifteen minutes from the cabin the van started over-heating. We bought coolant and drove it the rest of the way. When we arrived at the cabin, the van still wasn’t cooling down. There wasn’t a business around for miles and miles. I decided to message the cabin owner. To our incredible luck he was a self-proclaimed mechanic, and he rigged my engine with ziplocks. To my knowledge, the ziplocks still hold that part of the engine in place. Whatever he did worked because I drove it back across the country.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
When I’m on a budget, there’s nothing like a green room meal. Hummus and Mary’s Gone Crackers. Otherwise, there are tons of cheap eats around; pho, falafel, and tacos!
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I rarely break a string. I don’t like the sound of new strings so I try to only replace them every year or two.
Where do you rehearse?
I don’t have a real rehearsal space. I have a small room in my house with some gear. But my rehearsal space is wherever is coziest to play my guitar, or at my piano.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
The title of my first song was “Loser”. It was a punk song!
Describe your first gig.
My first gig was at a trailer in Phoenix called Fiddler’s Dream. It was a haven for all the old folkies. I called them and asked if I could play one Saturday night. To my surprise, they agreed. My mom drove me because I was only fifteen.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last non-music job was bartending, and I’d say that was my favorite as well. I loved bartending. You basically get paid to host a party.
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’s always in flux, and I’d imagine it would stay that way! Ha.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
I wish I would have known just how up and down the ride can be!