Tell us about your tour vehicle.
volvo cross country. right now, 170,000 miles. gets around 25mpg. no major repairs, pretty solid or lucky so far. had to replace front struts after my tour from vancouver to la.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
try to pack a cooler and replenish whenever i can at health food stores.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
on solo tours i don’t tend to break strings very much or at all. i don’t like the sound of new strings so i tend to stretch it out as long as there’s life in them.
Where do you rehearse?
it’s anywhere really, from four square walls to living rooms to garages, back stages etc – it’s all pretty crazy!
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
well this is embarrassing, i was 15, the title was “you and me forever” that’s about all i can remember, you can pretty much imagine the rest.
Describe your first gig.
well i was a street singer at boston’s faneuil hall marketplace at 11 years old. had a permit and everything. it was a duo with my childhood friend kristan callelo. scary but super exciting, a challenge to get people to listen and gather round. we did very well and it primed me to be a performer.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
it’s been a long while , i think it was waiting tables which i did not excel at to say the least. i’d have to say landscaping was my favorite. i like digging my hands in the dirt and being outside!
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 a series of ebbs and flows really. but for me the biggie is residual money from publishing, placements in tv and film etc – you can’t rest on that but if you keep building the publishing it can certainly add up.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
no regrets, I’m still learning and enjoying the ride!