Photo credit: Josh Huskin
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
Currently, I’m touring in a pretty trusty 2014 Chrysler Town & Country, with 122k miles on it. I’ve only had it a couple of years, & have proudly earned 80k of those miles. My brother (mostly) & I have built a loft in the back, that has a bed on top & room for storage underneath. I’m able to fit all the crap I need on tour & sleep pretty comfortably in it. Thankfully, no breakdowns, as of yet.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I could honestly write a blog about how cheap I am, on tour. I make burritos at home, keep them in an ice chest, & heat them up at truck stops… or, just eat ’em cold. Enough of the venues give me a meal, that I don’t go crazy from eating the same thing, all the time. Those typically last me the first couple of weeks, then I buy groceries. As a rule, I won’t let myself pay for food at a restaurant, unless it’s a special occasion, like a release day for new music, or something like that. Full confession, I do go to Waffle House, at least once a tour, because we don’t have them in San Antonio. That’s a guilty pleasure & does not count as healthy.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Fortunately, I very rarely pop a string. Which is great, considering when I was younger, I could barely get through a night without popping a string. I change my strings at least once a week, though & it does get expensive, but it’s just part of the deal. I had an endorsement for a couple of years; that helped a lot. I think you just motivated me to get that renewed.
Where do you rehearse?
Because I play solo, my rehearsal spot is usually my couch, at home. I’m very happy to report that not much peculiar or crazy happens there.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
In the 5th grade, I wrote a song called “It’s Over” & I’m pretty sure that was the only lyric in the whole thing, though it repeated incisively.
Describe your first gig.
5th grade talent show, if that counts!? If not, my first real show would’ve been when I was 15, at Mulligan’s in El Paso, TX. I was actually just in there, with a friend, a few weeks ago.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last day job was at an insurance agency. I didn’t hate it, but I think my favorite day job was waiting tables. It was easy, & nice to be off & not have to think about it, when I wasn’t there.
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 gone up, quit a bit, over the last few years. I’m pretty thrilled to report that I’m making more now, than I ever have, from my music. I’m pretty confident that it’s going to go up, over the next few years, but you always have to be ready for crazy & unexpected bumps in the road, with this job.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Don’t sweat the small stuff… and it’s all small stuff. Just show up every day & do the best you can with the situation, whatever that may be. If you do that every day, everything tends to work out.