Photo credit: Christina Frary
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
For years I toured in an old conversion van, then moved over to a 30-foot Class C motorhome that I lived in for four years. I’ve been off the road for the last six years, essentially. I sold all that and got more “domesticated,” so to speak. I have a newer truck now that I plan on loading up with music equipment and merchandise for the tour this summer. I shouldn’t have issues like I did in some of those older vehicles over the years.
For instance, my AC stopped working in the RV at one point in the Arizona desert. I had to find an old mechanic out in the middle of nowhere to help me fix it. Those were brutal days, but taught me a lot about being grateful and putting everything into perspective.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I wish I could say I eat healthy when I’m on the road, but the truth is I don’t, at least much of the time. I’m a foodie. I went to culinary school many years ago. So when I’m in certain cities or a new place, I always look for the most interesting or best reviewed local restaurants to check out and try. About 10 years ago I did what I labeled the BBQ tour. I was determined to try as many different BBQ places across the country as I could on that particular tour. I had started writing a food blog as I traveled as well (which no longer exists I’m afraid).
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Honestly, not many…. maybe one or two. I used to have an endorsement from a string company, which I no longer have. But I still have boxes of strings, and keep a few packs on hand. I also keep most of my acoustics tuned down a half step, which deters breaking strings… that’s not the reason I keep them tuned that way, but it is one benefit.
Where do you rehearse?
These days my rehearsal space is my home. I live alone, and have it laid out and furnished in such a way that it’s truly a comfortable and creative space for me. So, setting up in my living room or office, and just running through songs on the acoustic or electric, is the perfect rehearsal spot for me. When I was touring as a full band, many years ago, we had a number of rehearsal spots, including a used car dealership and an old warehouse. Whatever we could find that was affordable and convenient.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
Over the last 20 years, I’ve written around 500 songs, so I couldn’t tell you the name of the very first song I wrote. But a song off of my very first EP called “1,000 Miles” had one of my favorite lyrics off of that particular record:
“A little boy with big dreams
Becomes a man with fantasies
But he don’t change”
And that still rings true and resonates with me. We have such big goals and dreams and aspirations when we’re young, and those begin to fade over time to some degree. But deep down inside, we don’t really change. We all still long for those same things, sometimes just labeling them different or looking at them from a different perspective.
Describe your first gig.
I can’t recall much about my first gig either, but some of the early ones were tiny coffee houses around North Georgia. I remember one in particular where maybe 20 or 25 of my friends from around town showed up and I played in the backroom. It was a really neat show and I felt so loved at that time.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My last non-music day job is my design business. I do some graphic design and websites on the side, and I still work in that space when I’m off the road. In the early days, I worked a short time at a radio station in my hometown, doing some website stuff, but also had the opportunity to do some voice-over work for the radio. I enjoyed that. It was a lot of fun!
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?
Well, since I’ve been off the road and focused on other things the past six years, most of my income has come from other endeavors – like my design work and a small cigar business I run. But now that I’m releasing music again and headed out on tour, I expect that to change. I don’t know what the next year will look like for me, much less 5-10 years from now. But I have considered getting into writing for other artists. I’ve discussed that with some industry folks a few times over the years. I think that might be something I’d be interested in and potentially good at. Just waiting for the right opportunity!
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
There are no shortcuts in the road to any type of measured success. And no matter how much skill or talent you have, there’s no substitute for hard work and the grind. I had to hit the road for many, many years and play hundreds of shows to even build a small following, and I wouldn’t trade that. But if you had told me in the early days how difficult that would be at times, I would’ve second guessed much of my journey. I’m glad I didn’t… and I’m happy I stuck with it and really ground it out. But nothing came easy, and that hard work and grind makes any type of success or accolade worth so much more.