Photo credit: Ruben Garcia Carballo
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
Larry Campbell: During my career I’ve toured in everything from a beat up ’75 Ford Granada to a private jet. Most of the time it’s been a tour bus when I’ve been a band member with some of the great artists I’ve worked with. Teresa and I are currently driving ourselves in a Subaru Ascent when we travel as a duo, but when we’re fortunate enough to have the band we have to deal with either a good van or bus depending on the budget and a driver on top of that.
Teresa Williams: Everything from a small car to fabulous tour buses, and commercial flights, of course.
Decades ago on a van tour, the truck broke down, and we were all really late getting to the venue. The catering food — in this case pot luck from the local volunteers — had been out for hours I guess, so after the show, I had a full blown case of food poisoning. Luckily we had the next day off.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
Campbell: Eating healthy is always a challenge on the road. We try to put stuff in the rider that has some nutrient value and request certain foods for dinner that the venue provides. On days off or travel days we try to find the nearest Cracker Barrel, not necessarily healthy or cheap but consistent at least.
Williams: Okay this is the big question, and this is how obsessed I am about it, although often failing miserably:
Breakfast: I usually travel with my little travel blender for a healthy smoothie in the hotel room for breakfast — I hate wasting the morning getting dressed to track down breakfast somewhere, and I can’t control that menu. (One singer friend of mine used her carry on bag just for her serious “road blender.”) For the smoothie, yes, I pack little containers of cocoa powder, walnuts and sometimes almond milk in my food backpack. I get the banana from catering or the truck stop.
For lunch, when just in a car, I might keep a jar of almond butter and the healthiest bread I can find, and an apple. On a bus, it’s harder cause I have trouble ignoring all the fun junk food that’s there for everybody else… If I haven’t been able to get any lunch, I really need the rider food to be there when I walk in the venue before soundcheck, but often it’s MIA till after soundcheck. I think some places don’t grasp the realities of our travel days — or maybe they just can’t get anybody there to set it up on time….
Dinner’s not hard if there’s catering. But often that dinner meal (supper to the old school Southerners) is your comfort moment of the day, and I just want, well, COMFORT, i.e. “don’t get between me and the dessert!” Plus, in my defense, I’m usually sleep deprived out there, so the will power is at low ebb in general…
Wrapping up this very, very serious answer: I am always totin’ at least 70% dark chocolate bars with a little sea salt — because, well, you just have to.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Campbell: I don’t break strings often at all, they get changed about every 3 or 4 shows when we’re on tour. I use D’Addario strings and get a good deal from them.
Williams: Very rare occurrence for me, unless I stretch the high strings too aggressively changing them. And they’re free. Larry has a sweet d’Addario endorsement.
Where do you rehearse?
Campbell: We usually rehearse the band at Justin Guip’s studio in Milan Hill NY where he and I do most of the records that I produce with Justin as engineer. Great space to work or record in and he’s a fantastic cook.
Williams: The rehearsal space is in front of our fireplace, on my parents’ porch or Justin’s studio. Peculiarities or crazy experiences? Keeping the peace when we have decided differences of opinion on an arrangement, song, etc. And keeping the instruments in tune because Larry builds a great fire in that fireplace.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
Campbell: The first song I ever wrote that actually got finished is a song called “Down On My Knees” which Teresa and I put on our first record:
“I woke up alone today,
A dream by my side
Thought I heard myself call your name
So much for pride”
Williams: Not sure if this was the absolute first, but one of the first: “Lookin For Trouble”. Can’t remember the exact lyrics. I’d have to dig them up. When I was in high school, my boyfriend went on a date with someone else. I got dolled up to hit the strip that Saturday night in town with my friends. When Mama asked where I was going, Daddy said angrily, “She’s goin up there just lookin for trouble! Just LOOKING for TROUBLE!” And she was. (Ummmm, don’t think I’ve ever shown this one to Larry….)
Describe your first gig.
Campbell: The first gig I remember was when my brother Bill and I played for “Bitter End Night” at our high school. We did stuff by Simon & Garfunkel, Donovan, Pete Seeger, Lovin’ Spoonful etc.
Williams: At church, four years old, placed up on this massive heater thing so I could be seen singing my first public solo: “Away In A Manger”.
First one with a group: 6 years old — “girl group” of 4 first graders singing “Frosty The Snowman” in crepe paper dresses trimmed in tinsel for the school Christmas program. (This group stayed together throughout the eight years of grade school doing all the local charity drives, fair talent shows, etc. Yep.)
I distinctly remember the first time I sang for people who were eating, drinking, talking and were NOT there to strictly pay attention to the stage: a Holiday Inn in Knoxville, TN the day Elvis died.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
Campbell: The last day job I had was working in the receiving dock at Bloomingdale’s department store in 1972-’73. That cured me of any day job ambition. I promised myself that any income would have to result from playing music even if it meant sleeping in a van and people throwing coins in your fiddle case on the street.
Williams: Last day job was at Harper Collins Publishing, NYC, college text books department. Nice place to work if you needed a survival job. I worked a temp job into a job where I could come and go as I pleased as long as I got the monthly/annual reports in on time. I took acting lessons during all this, did “bread and butter” recording gigs, sang at nights in evening gowns (a la Peggy Lee in Stage Door Canteen) with Swing Fever at Cafe Society (sadly it no longer exists, along with a lot of other live music venues in NYC.) When I was on the road, they had me do my job for them with a laptop. Sweet deal. They knew my real gig.
“A favorite day job?” Isn’t that an oxymoron?
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?
Campbell: Most of my income during that time has come from producing records and that’s been pretty consistent. Like everyone, our touring income took a real hit through the Covid experience and we’re about to see what the ramifications of that are as we head out again after the new year. Fuel prices and accommodations have all gone way up and guarantees have gone down because of promoter’s fear of attendance in a public gathering, but I’m hopeful that those issues will get back to some sort of equilibrium.
Williams: My music related income was and is wildly up and down. I imagine it always will be. I just keep thinking “Plenty.”
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Campbell: As rewarding and fulfilling as a career in music is, the hard work never stops. If you’re lucky it doesn’t feel like work because you love what you do but moving forward requires constant vigilance, constant upheaval, plenty of opportunities for disappointment, and unending devotion to your instrument(s). If you feel you have the stuff to navigate through that maze and you’re driven to do it, don’t let anyone tell you you’re not gonna make it.
Williams: I wish I’d realized a country kid, a farm kid like me, could have a career; that to “git above your raisin’” isn’t a real thing; that being successful didn’t mean you were “too big for your britches”; that people wouldn’t say “Who does she think she is?” Well, they might, but who cares!