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Matthew Stubbs of GA-20 on the “Road Condo” and How the Band Has Evolved

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 By Mayer Danzig

GA-20

Tell us about your tour vehicle.

We just retired the original “Road Condo” and purchased a new (to us) Ford Transit high topper, the big guy. We’re just a 3-piece, but we like to stretch out, and it allows us the opportunity to bring many t-shirts to the people. And gives us a little room to grow. It’s in good shape so we’re prepared to take on a ton of road miles, but it does have a very dramatic back-up beep. 

How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?

With the extra space afforded by the new Road Condo, we’re able to pack a cooler with healthy snacks and drinks, which cuts down dramatically on both the cost and calories of rest stop food. Also, our rider is made up of pretty healthy stuff – meats and cheeses, fruit, coconut water. The most indulgent item is probably chips and salsa (and a couple of beers).

How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?

We really don’t break strings very often. When touring, I typically change the full set of strings pretty regularly, so breaks are rare. Maybe 3-4 strings a year, tops. They’re $4-$5 a set so that’s reasonable.

Where do you rehearse?

We rehearse in my home studio. It’s very cozy and cool, IMO. Lots of cool guitars and amps and other instruments and pedals I’ve collected. It used to be a hair salon and we did renovations and repainting to get it into studio shape. Definitely some fun moments have been had, but we won’t talk about that here.

What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?

I’m an instrumentalist originally, but the first song GA-20 wrote was “Naggin’ On My Mind.” Pat and I both write the music but Pat typically handles the lyrics. “Hey baby, do you miss me? Do you miss me like when I’m gone?”

Describe your first gig.

GA-20 was a very different animal in its first incarnation. Pat and I played guitar with a harmonica player, no drums, and we played very quietly. Small amps. It was supposed to be a different sort of thing in the beginning. But as so often happens, after a few gigs there was an organic shift and we dropped the harmonica, got some drums stat, and kind of amped up the intensity and approach into the GA-20 you see today. Still no bass player.

What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?

My last day job was intermittently acting as a music tutor at a local community college. Pat and Tim both offer private lessons. My favorite day job was selling cell phones from a kiosk at the mall as a teenager. I made a ton of money!

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?

Hopefully our future is green. Please buy a ticket to our show.

What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?

It’s a tricky career path. It’s unpredictable and at times spirit crushing. You’ll have to do or learn so many more jobs than just playing music. But it can also be the kind of fun everyone longs for and can bring people together like nothing else can. There are so many rewarding aspects that I wouldn’t ever want to do anything else. Also, please buy a ticket to our show.

GA-20 was formed by friends Pat Faherty and Matthew Stubbs in Boston, MA in 2018. The project was born out of their mutual love of heavy traditional Blues, R&B, and Rock & Roll of the late 50s and early 60s. Faherty and Stubbs bonded over legendary artists like Lazy Lester, J.B. Lenoir, Earl Hooker, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and Junior Wells. Feeling a void in current music, the duo have set out to write, record and perform a modern version of this beloved art form. Joined by drummer Tim Carman in 2019, GA-20 is a trio of 2 guitars, vocals and drums. Raw, passionate and honest performance, both on stage and in the studio, is the only goal.

GA-20 released their debut album Lonely Soul Oct 18th 2019 on Karma Chief / Colemine Records. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard blues charts. Live: Vol. 1, released the following year, debuted at #1 on the Billboard blues charts and brought the band’s live sound to a wider audience.

In June 2021 GA-20 announced the new album GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor: Try It… You Might Like It!, a 50th anniversary celebration of Hound Dog Taylor, to be released August 20 via Colemine Records in partnership with the legendary Alligator Records.

Stubbs has spent the past 13 years as guitarist for Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite. During that time he has also backed up and toured with such Blues giants as John Hammond, James Cotton, Junior Watson and James Harman. Stubbs also leads his own original instrumental psych-rock band, The Antiguas.

Connect with the band online and on the road.

Filed Under: Blues, Interviews, Videos, Why It Matters Tagged With: GA-20, Matthew Stubbs

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