Photo credit: Chris Orwig
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
I’ve never owned a touring vehicle for solo shows. I’ve taken my Prius up and down the west coast a few times, but mostly I just rent a compact.
Early on in Toad’s touring career we went out with the Gin Blossoms and someone put sugar in the tank of their brand new van. Remembering their trouble made us decide that we were fine just renting.
Toad was in a van for a few years but we’ve been renting buses for the last while. We did have a bus break down in the snowy mountains years ago, back before cell phones. The first person to pull over got out of their truck, threw all of our emergency cones in the back of his pickup and drove away.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I try and eat mostly vegetarian on the road, and to resist trying every little local specialty. When I’m out solo I don’t get any food backstage. I’ll just shove it in my mouth if it’s there.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I only break a couple. I use coated strings now on my acoustic and don’t currently have a deal with anyone so they’re pretty expensive. They last forever, though.
Where do you rehearse?
Haven’t had one in a long time. I do have a room in the house we rent where I’ve set up my gear for recording and live-streaming, but not much interesting happens there.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I can’t even remember. Sorry. That was a long long long time ago. I remember I was listening to a lot of Rush and though that all songs had to be 8 minutes long, but none of it was good enough to stick in my head. I think it was a love epic to a girl I met at summer camp after 7th grade.
Describe your first gig.
My first gig was at lunchtime in the school theater in 8th grade. I played bass and sang for a Rush inspired trio called Destiny. It was our only gig ever. Someone threw a milk carton at my bass and it exploded all over me. Destiny, indeed.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I worked at a cafe when I was 16. That’s the last straight job I ever had.
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 seems to stay about the same. I’m a worrier so I usually think it will go down in the future. It seems like they keep figuring out new ways not to pay musicians or to take a bigger cut. That said, I was also super surprised that I was able to make it through lockdown by playing online. People carried me through that time and build a lovely community through the livestreams. It was really humbling.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Not to take anything for granted. It’s lightning striking if anyone ever cares about the music you make, and it’s not a gift to take lightly. It can (and does) disappear very quickly if you don’t show up.