Photo credit: Jesse Dufault
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
I’ve owned many 15 passenger vans in this lifetime. My favorite was named Vanzig.
On our best headlining tour, we were robbed after our first show and our van kept breaking down. They found sludge in the gas tank in Fort Collins.
A blown transmission in Florida served as an excellent opportunity to take a break and swim in the ocean. Then I got a sunburn and played a show that I don’t remember because of the heatstroke. A never-ending chain of good and bad luck, a rock and roller coaster.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I can’t eat for a few hours before we perform. And I can’t eat too late, or else I feel sick.
So the morning is for eating like a horse. I’ll eat as much salad as you can feed me. I’ll drink endless cups of coffee if no one says “stop.” Alive and awake until it’s time to soundcheck. Then crash out on the drum carpet. Then back to life for the show. And repeat.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I used to break strings every show. There was always blood on my pickups and cuts on my fingers. I don’t believe that these are good techniques for a touring musician.
I don’t recall how much it would cost. Credit cards can make everything seem free.
These days, I only break strings when I’m writing songs and making up new tunings. That’s when things get wild.
Where do you rehearse?
Our current spaces are the living room and the basement. It’s much more civilized than when we started. There are no stains on the walls or deliberately broken lights.
Rehearsals aren’t crazy anymore. Sure, there may be partial nudity and the occasional microphone electrocution, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I don’t like being electrocuted. When I was young, I was stuck to a live circuit for ten minutes — it was running through the handle of an ancient freezer and I was on the hunt for ice cream. But nothing has or will shake my love of ice cream.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I wrote about my favorite librarian. I believe her name was Jules. I would intentionally misunderstand the Dewey Decimal System in order to talk to her. The only words I can remember are, “Excuse me, Miss Librarian.”
Describe your first gig.
I don’t think I can clearly recall. I think this may be an ongoing case of intentional amnesia.
We’re about to play our first headlining show as The Natural Lines. This will feel like the true beginning. And I can’t see the future, but I know I’ll be slightly skittish and insanely thrilled.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I’m tour manager for the comedian, Nikki Glaser. All my years of shows have given me a strange accumulation of knowledge that lends itself to this job.
I love working for Nikki. Not only do I love her comedy and her hustle to put on a great show — she’s a great friend. She even bought me a new sleep mask because I’m also a professional insomniac.
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 not great. That’s why I’m tour managing.
Less people go to shows, less people buy music. Streaming is going to be in complete control soon. I wish I could be more optimistic about this question.
Maybe in the future we’ll brush off these social media revenue systems and search on our own. Because what I’ve always loved most about music is the discovery. The weird path that it took to get *here*.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Read the contracts. Sit down and read them with a lawyer you trust.
When your music is hot, everyone acts like your friend. Sometimes, it may be true — I have some amazing friends at labels, in PR and publishing. But I also know a few people who will never give me my masters back. (Which isn’t terrible because I can’t stop writing songs.)