Photo credit: Annie Loughead
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
I’ve had a few. I have fond memories of driving my old 2001 Toyota Camry from Nashville to Rockford Illinois in 2022 to open for Gordon Lightfoot. I had to stop every couple hours to put fresh oil in it. But it had a cassette deck and wood paneling inside. It was such a great old car. Drove smooth. When it got close to 300,000 miles, I replaced it with a Subaru Outback that was so reliable and easy to travel out of, but it was sadly totaled by a tree that fell on it in front of my house not long ago. I’m now driving a Subaru Crosstrek that I love.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
It is pretty challenging. I try to eat vegetarian as much as possible, but ultimately it is important not to skip meals so I’ll have to make some sacrifices every now and then. For the most part, I seek out places that I know have options for me, Chipotle is usually a safe go-to. Grocery stores in bigger cities are great too, and every now and then I’ll get lucky and wind up in a place with a Whole Foods. Thankfully, I’ve been lucky to have had catering provided for dinner on most show days.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I rarely break a string on stage, mostly because I play so lightly. But I try to keep my strings pretty fresh and will change them every 2-3 shows. I really like Straight Up Strings on my main acoustic guitar, a Mark Whitebook dreadnought. They run about $10 per set, and are phosphor bronze 12-53.5. Great sounding and playing strings. My 12 string guitar is a 1967 Martin D-12-20 that I keep strung up with D’Addario EJ35 Silk & Steels. They last forever, and I rarely have to change them, maybe only once or twice a year. And those sets are about $20 bucks each.
Where do you rehearse?
My favorite places to rehearse are out alone in nature. Nothing is more inspiring to me than playing music to the sound of the wind or the breeze or a river. I am in the pursuit of stillness, and that is where music can easily flow through me. I see myself as a conduit, a channel. The music is out there and the best thing that I can do is surrender myself to it, to open my heart and my soul and my ears and listen to the music that is already abundant in this place, our planet, that we are lucky enough to call home.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
The first song I wrote was called “The Open Door.” The chorus was “Open up a door and let me in/there I’ll find a new life to begin.” Gotta start somewhere!
Describe your first gig.
My first gig was in 2008 at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta, Georgia. I opened up for my guitar teacher’s jazz band called The Bonaventure Quartet. I played two or three songs. It was one of my happiest memories from my childhood, getting to share music with a room full of people and experience a moment of collective unity.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My favorite job, that was also my last non-music day job, was working for George Gruhn at Gruhn Guitars. I was fortunate enough to be employed there every summer during my years in college. I learned so much about instruments and gained firsthand experience playing some of the finest guitars in the world. It taught me how to listen deeply and be in conversation with instruments, rather than playing them all the same way.
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?
I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been able to sustain myself largely playing guitar for other people, either on the road or on sessions. My hope is that over the course of the next 5-10 years I can figure out a way to sustain myself making my own music, either through having my recordings on the radio or playing my own shows.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self how important it is to stay true to yourself and not feel pressured to chase opportunities that ultimately may not be meant for you. It is so easy to get stuck in a scarcity mindset, but the reality is that we are all on our own individual journeys and the experiences that are meant for us will find their way with the most ease when we surrender ourselves to the present. The only thing we have control over ultimately is how we choose to show up to the moment, and what better way to do that then by being the most honest and authentic versions of ourselves.