Photo credit Bobbi Rich
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
I’ve had three Sprinters. My first one was a 2003 Dodge 2500. I put 100K miles on it and only ever had to change the tires and brakes. It was a superior being and really cemented my trust in Sprinters. I loved it so much that I bought a new one as soon as I sold the ’03. The problem was that they changed the turning radius and other incredible features on the newer models so I didn’t hang on to the 2019 Sprinter too long. I tried again a year or so later with a 2016 but it just wasn’t right. 2003 was truly the sweet spot for Sprinters. I hate breaking down so much that now I just rent a Chrysler Pacifica and somehow fit a full band in it. They are wonderful lil minivans and worth the sacrifice of space.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I live by the rider. To those who don’t know, a rider is a list of things you can ask venues to get for you to have backstage. I love to get protein bars, sandwich material, tea, and Starbucks gift cards. Venues don’t always provide riders but when they do I like to stretch it as far as possible.
If we can wake up and go to Starbucks we’ll get free hot water to make hot tea and oatmeal. Then we’ll get our calories from the free half n half. On the drive we will skip lunch and just eat protein bars and more hot tea.
By dinner time, if we haven’t burned too many precious calories, we can get by making sandwiches at the venue. Some days I’ll go without spending any money on food. Those are good days.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I don’t know what was/is wrong with me but when I first started “playing” music, it was just me singing acapella on the streets of Charlottesville, VA. I remember being really offended by commercial country music in my youth, so I would come up with these stream-of-consciousness songs that kinda mocked modern country music. It wasn’t good music at all but I was 18 and had just dropped out of high school so getting a rise out of people was good enough for me!
My first song was called “Testify My Love” – “Testify my love to your oily hair, I’ll rub my love all over your little red bumps, I’ll plant a tree in your memory and I’ll chop it down just to sit on the stump”
Describe your first gig.
I got my start opening for a goth band called Bella Morte. They had a really great sense of humor so they would let me sing my acapella country songs between their set and their encore. I was hooked when I first saw the jaws of thousands of goths drop at the sight and sound of my “music”. I knew then that confusing an audience was almost better than pleasing them.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last non-music job was Historic Restoration working with a hand hewn log cabin builder named Charles McRaven in Virginia back in 2002. I remember when I quit, Mac told me something I’ll never forget. It’s stuck with me forever. He said “Jonny, I have met ten thousand musicians and you are just another one of them”. I always loved that. He was 75 years old and was trying to help me in his old timey, Virginian way. I’ve felt the importance of standing out ever since then.
I have a music related job right now as well though. I’m the Music Director of an incredible music venue in Healdsburg, CA called Little Saint. I book all the music at the venue from my home in L.A. It’s a dream job that allows me to tour and stay connected with all my musician friends.
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?
Jesus, what income? When you really look at the finances of any touring musician at my level, it’s a break even game. Breaking even should be viewed as a success (at my level). The only money I make from music is from merchandise and if there’s ever profit I just roll it back into making more merchandise. If I could tour like I did in my twenties, I’m sure I could kill it but I’m certain it would kill me first. It’s a zero sum game.
That said, I feel confident that if my numbers were to double, I would be sitting pretty. It’s not too far fetched to imagine numbers doubling. I sell about 100 tickets a night but my expenses are exactly the same as they would be if I sold 200 – 250 tickets per night. Hotels, gas, meals, musicians… all those expenses are kind of set and you can’t cut corners more than I already am budgeting but if more people showed up to the shows, there would actually be some good income. So, the goal is to sell more tickets to more shows. I am not concerned about it. I’m just doing my thing and working my lil buns off. If it clicks, I’ll be ready but if it stays the same then I’ll still do it because I love it and am so proud of what I do.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Get all agreements in writing. Music business people are sharks and don’t sell yourself short! Write with anyone who wants to write and just keep making music. Don’t get hung up on what people will think about what you’re making. You gotta make it for you! Those are all big ones I’ve learned the hard way.