Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
My car is named Maude, and she’s been with me all through the many tours I’ve done as a solo artist. There have been a few Maudes, as she keeps getting rein-CAR-nated every time I need to get a new vehicle! My first tour, opening for Blues Traveler, I drove myself 12,000 miles around the country. When John Popper saw me, being a small female, he said, “Oh my God, you’re going to end up in a ditch on the side of the road!” And he and the band kept an eye out for me. We’ve become good friends, and even dueted on a song together.
All the Maudes, I run them up into the 200,000s, and they all been really good to me. Although I once did a tour all through Florida, opening for Shooter Jennings. At the time, Maude had a lot of miles on her and I hesitated to take her out for the tour. But I was doing solo acoustic shows, and I didn’t need a large vehicle since it was just me. I finally decided, yes, take her out for the tour. Big Mistake. I spent the first half of the tour at many car dealerships all throughout Florida. I luckily didn’t miss a show. I ended up in a rental vehicle for the second half of the tour. Live and learn.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I have Type 1 Diabetes, so I have to deal with finding low-carb foods, and some foods that need refrigeration, as does my insulin. I get rooms with a fridge, and I even have a portable fridge. I am crafty in finding healthy food that is budget-friendly, but it does take effort! Catering before the shows is a great thing, though with my dietary restrictions I must pick and choose through it all. When on the road, I eat for fuel, not really for pleasure.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
It’s only about $15 a pack for the strings I use. I use D’Addario extra light strings. I bring plenty with me on tour, and keep some in my guitar case so I have them nearby me if I break one during a performance. I change the strings about once a month. Not my favorite activity, but it must be done!
Where do you rehearse?
I usually rehearse with my band at a rented space that’s centrally located. One time we rented a space to rehearse, and I thought the PA system sounded less than great. Upon closer examination, I saw it was an old PA I sold to the rehearsal studio because I didn’t care for its sound! It came around full circle!
Another time we were rehearsing in a recording studio, working on songs from my new album, Vandals, Thieves & Lovers. We were working on one of the songs, “Wild Again,” kind of a Sly Stone groove, and I saw some guys who work at the studio in the control room dancing around. That’s when I knew we had a winner!
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
The first song I finished was probably when I was about 10 years old. My mom would always say I couldn’t use the word “damn” in conversations, but that I was allowed to sing it in a Joan Baez song she loved called “Diamonds and Rust.” I asked why I was allowed to sing it in the song, and she said it was “poetic license.” I thought “Awesome!”
So I wrote a song about the garbage-filled creek I often walked past near my local Wawa. The title of the song was “Creek.” The chorus lyrics, where I exercised my poetic license, of course, was “The DAMN creek is dirty, and the water’s ice cold.” My mother couldn’t get mad at me for cursing because it was in a song! Makes me laugh now.
Describe your first gig.
When I was four years old, I went with my family to a campground for vacation. One night they were having a talent contest, and I, of course, wanted to enter. So my grandmother dressed me up in an American flag for my performance of “America The Beautiful.” Since I was the smallest one, they put me up on a picnic table so everyone could see me. My first real stage! And lo and behold, I won the contest!
My parents loved me deeply, but they used to argue all the time. When I won the contest, I saw the whole family was clapping, smiling, and laughing, and I realized that by singing I could bring people together and make them happy. That was the start of my wanting to bring people together with my music, and I’ve been doing it ever since.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I don’t have those! However, I have a little side gig where I perform shows at memory care and rehabilitation facilities. To see the joy it brings to those people is an amazing feeling. Many of them may have memory problems, but they remember classic songs and sing along with me. I find that job very rewarding!
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?
My income has grown each year I’ve been doing this. Even during the pandemic, I was OK. I was asked to write a jingle during the pandemic, and found I had a talent for short ditties that got a message across. I even did some of the voiceovers, and I can still go into some area grocery stores and hear my voice coming out from the speakers!
I don’t forecast what my income will be in 5 or 10 years. I try to be prepared to meet all opportunities enthusiastically, and it’s tough because you never know what unexpected opportunities may come to you. I just keep my eyes and mind open. That’s how the TV show I created and hosted, that aired on The Comcast Network, came about. My motto is, “Forward Motion.”
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
When you set your sights on a goal which is just beyond the horizon, as you move forward, so will the horizon! I wish I had known this, so I could take time to stop for a minute now and then and take stock in all I’ve accomplished before proceeding forward again. It’s something I’m learning to do. I think I’ve spent too long not doing that!