Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
Ah, yes, “The Baby.” It’s a 2012 Mercedes Sprinter van. It is tricked out into a lounge and has bunks on the inside. I find her very comfortable and consider her one of my oldest friends. We have seen many things together. How many miles depends on which part. We’re well into the 6 digits. I’ve made about every major repair possible, as my tour accountant can also verify. The most notable being when the guys almost caught her on fire staying up all night playing video games on the TV. I had to completely replace all the wiring and it cost thousands of dollars.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I ask for produce on my rider. And NOT pre-cut crap with those weird preservatives all over it. A BAG of carrots and sweet peppers, a whole bunch of celery and a bag of apples. I usually start with bits of that, a high protein bar, good water and black coffee every day.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Maybe 3? Not many, but when I do break a string, it’s usually as a result of traveling and extreme temperature changes for the instruments. It costs about $8 to take them somewhere to be adjusted and set up between each tour, which I typically do. But if it happens on the road, a pack of strings can be around $20 I think? I change them myself on the fly or someone in the band throws another one on for me, like my fabulous band leader Andrew Leahey.
Where do you rehearse?
I rehearse at The Purple Building in East Nashville, run by Todd Snider. We made the infamous East Nashville Tonight movie in there. I’ve had all manner of crazy experiences in that room and I would need an attorney to divulge further.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
Ah, it was called ‘Time On Her Hands’ and it goes a little something like “It’s another Friday night, with the TV guide, she’s a lonely gal, in a one horse town.” Not exactly Dylan.
Describe your first gig.
I was 4. I sang “I’m Having Daydreams About Night Things” (completely age inappropriate) with my parent’s honky-tonk band at The Fruitland Park Jamboree in Fruitland Park, Florida. It was 1976.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
Selling designer shoes in a small rich ladies department store in West Nashville called Jamie. It was my favorite because I got to pet a lot of Italian footwear and the rich ladies could be a real hoot when their drivers would pull them up to the store after a few morning martinis. My boss lady there was named Charlene and she sold shoes to Little Jimmy Dickens and Tammy Wynette, and still had their purchase records hand written in a little file on index cards. Little Jimmy wore boys sizes and Tammy was a 7 1/2 narrow and liked Yves Saint Laurent.
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 is diversified and much less about royalties and everything to do with touring, t-shirts and content. And now that I have business management, the IRS gets a lot more of it. In 5-10 years I will be stashing it all in beaver pelts in the side of a mountain in the Caribbean.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
That it’s a marathon.