Tell us about your tour vehicle.
Of late my touring vehicle for solo shows is a 2011 Subaru Outback. It’s solid as a rock and comfy as hell. Best tour vehicle I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding around in.
I’ve had several interesting tour vehicles over the years. A 2000 GMC Safari that was a tank for a long time. I eventually put it out to pasture and sold it to a guy who wanted to live in it. Had a 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer that I loved that was also the worst tour vehicle ever. It died on the way into Omaha and I had to scrap it then and there in the middle of a tour. I had a 90s Ford E350 that was great. There’s more but I don’t know how much we’ve got room for.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I try to either find the Whole Foods/local grocery coop, or get recs for the best ethnic food, or if there’s a rider at the venue ask for fruit/pb and j, chips and salsa etc.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I don’t think I’ve broken a string since I was a teenager. I play heavy strings and I play really wimpy, like I just strum and fingerpick, never any bending or shredding or anything like that. But I usually change my strings a couple three times a year, both acoustic and electric guitars. Probably about a hundred bucks a year I spend on strings.
Where do you rehearse?
My work/rehearsal space is really great. It’s the first time in my life I’ve had my own dedicated space in my house and I’ve got it all set up the way I want. I love it and it’s quiet and I just work on songs, paintings, writing prose etc.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
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Describe your first gig.
First gig was at the Books A Million in Fort Smith where my mom worked. She got me and my buddies the gig to play in the Joe Muggs coffee shop. We actually built a shitty tiny stage to bring to the gig for some reason. We didn’t have a PA so we just played some of our original songs without vocals. It was great.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I actually work as a kind of Johnny on the spot pinch hitter for an amazing local coffee company where I live called Arsaga’s. They’re great people who make great coffee and food and they’re super supportive of the weird nature of a working musician’s lifestyle and schedule changes. My favorite by far.
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 fortunate to see my income go up a bit in the last few years relative to what it was in years past, but there’s never any certainty to it and I have absolutely no idea what to expect from the next few years.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Take it easy, but take it.