Photo credit: Nikki dellAnno
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
My sister Charley used to have an old Volkswagen when we were teenagers, I would sometimes borrow it. We would drive around playing gigs, also the lil car taking us to and from the local train station in Kent to rock up to London.
There were often puddles in the footwells so one had to wear appropriate footwear.
I am not hugely car savvy so I wouldn’t know the number of miles it had done but this little car had been around the block. She never broke down and was a trusty stead. We moved to LA when I was 20 and Charley sold her to another teenager who I think paid £50!
On tour with Leonard Cohen we were in quite a few buses and coaches to and from the airport and the venue. The local drivers were great to talk with, the chats ranged from asking about the area, recommendations about what to do nearby and also asking for advice on the secret to long term love in relationships!
When on the road with Tom Petty, Charley and I were driven around in a black SUV, which was probably the poshest car we’ve ever been in. I did worry about the amount of fuel she guzzled.
Living in London and having great public transport, I don’t own a vehicle. I am rather fond of gazing out of the window on trips, generally preferring to be a passenger. I think everyone else is glad I’m not in the driving seat, I find myself getting confused on roundabouts!
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I find it is worth doing a supermarket sweep soon after arriving in a city, picking up some nuts, dark chocolate, hummus, fruit and veg dippers and crackers, oat or almond milk. I often have a food bag in my suitcase where there are treats ranging from sweet to savoury. Knock on my door for tasty delights and herbal tea.
Often I will devour the hotel breakfast and hope brekkie and snacks top me up until I get to the venue in the afternoon.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I rarely break a string, perhaps only 1 or 2 a year. When it is a higher nylon string, they are about £5 each but when it is one of the lower wire strings or a gut string, they are more in the region of £20. Occasionally I will change all the lower strings as they can loose their resonance over time. Every 6 months I tend to have the levers regulated by a harp technician (levers make chromatic notes on the harp). It is always helpful when these are tweaked to be precise tuning wise, this means less manual tuning between songs during gigs (humidity depending!).
Where do you rehearse?
I don’t have a permanent rehearsal space, globally speaking I’ve always practiced in my bedroom, there have been numerous crazy experiences in there, music and non-music related…
Rehearsing with Leonard Cohen we were at a place called SIR in Hollywood. It is very atmospheric, an old style LA rehearsal haunt with a unique painted bathroom in 1920’s style. It often had a sweet scent in the air, it was either an air freshener or perhaps some anti-bug spray. I remember being there for our first audition and feeling a huge sense of déjà vu, that I had somehow previously seen snap shots of us being at SIR and this time it was for real.
It was amazing being at the Clubhouse, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ rehearsal space. We were there to run songs from the Wildflowers album for a possible tour ahead, playing the album in its entirety. There were many eclectic instruments and memorabilia on the walls, here and there. The guys had recorded there a lot too, so much life and feeling had resonated within those four walls. It was amazing to sing without microphones with Tom and my sister Charley and hear our voices buzz.
I recorded some of these songs on my phone to practice to later. Sometimes I revisit these recordings and it takes me right back to being in that space in such a magical time.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I wrote songs throughout my teenage years and have many books and tapes saved in boxes in my apartment. I don’t remember the first song written, but I remember an early song written with my sister Charley called ‘Fireflies’.
We were fireflies
Doo doo doo
You opened my eyes to find
Doo doo doo
We’re dancing in a dream in my mind
Describe your first gig.
Charley and I were playing gigs from a very young age, with our two brothers too. Probably when I was about 5, I remember us playing at a residential home for elderly people, a concert at Christmas time. We played songs and Christmas carols, we brought our chocolate Labrador as well who had tinsel wrapped around her dog lead, poor pup!
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I work with a charity supporting people through domestic abuse called AAFDA – Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse. It is a very powerful experience being part of their team and a huge learning curve. They support people in such a crucial and devastating time, with huge compassion and care.
I have done some interesting temp jobs over the years, one of my favorites was cooking for a nursery school. The creamy fish pie was always a favorite, bowls were scraped clean on ‘fish Friday’!
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?
This is a very interesting question. I find my income has always oscillated hugely. I seem to be in a similar place today as I was 10 years ago, where I could be part of a band and paid good money for a chapter and then have a few months where I am relying more on my savings while I write, record and live life. It has been a beautiful balance between being a supporting artist for other folks and diving into my own music. I welcome in more passive income, where my songs and recordings are utilized bringing in more and more income supporting me to freely work on new material. That is living the dream.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
A few things spring to mind. Firstly, that there is always more space to grow, to stay open hearted within and also, when working with other people, no matter their age or what their journey has been. To trust that when it comes to me and my musical offerings, that no one else is in my gut (thankfully for them ha!) to know what my gut feeling is. I think at times I have felt ‘less than’ when working with people who have a successful track record. But now I know that it’s a privilege to work with people who are good at what they do, and, I trust my own instinct too.
Also, to enjoy exactly where I am at. It’s easy to get nostalgic about the past or hopeful about the future, but all of that is outside of the gift of the moment.
It is amazing to get the call for a new adventures, I am so grateful to play any part in our wider musical community.