Photo credit: Jeff Fasano
Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
We’ve gone through a few tour vehicles over the years and currently drive a Honda Pilot. It has 100k miles on it and has been a great touring vehicle. We have a small 5 x 8 trailer we can attach and bring if needed as well. I have had to do some body work to the Pilot in the last couple years due to Maggie hitting a file cabinet that flew off the back of a pick up truck directly in front of us. We ran out of gas when we were heading to set to film our scene for movie The One earlier this year – with the trailer full of gear and had to have our bass player come rescue us by bringing us gas.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
We typically start each tour with a good amount of healthy snacks and breakfast items that last a while. We drink a lot of water and keep up with our vitamins daily. We typically use Yelp to find healthy and affordable meal options and tend to have a lot of chicken/rice/veggie bowls. We also love to support local spots rather than chains and will also stop and get groceries when we will be somewhere for more than a day.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Luckily my guitars are set up really well and I don’t typically break strings. For acoustic, I use Elixir Nanoweb Strings (coated) and they usually last for 3-4 gigs. These strings cost $20 for a set so I probably spend $500+ a year on strings (hint hint – now seeking string endorsements).
Where do you rehearse?
We aren’t afraid to get scrappy and make a rehearsal space out of wherever is most convenient, especially when it’s just the two of us. But for band rehearsals in Oklahoma, we rehearse at Maggie’s parents’ house as there is a great space set up for that there. And then we’ll rehearse at studios/spaces when we have full band shows in Nashville or LA, etc.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
“You’re Coming Home” from You’re Coming Home
“You’re coming home baby, put down that bottle of crown…” a classic blues song written by a young Shane Henry circa 2002
Describe your first gig.
One of my first gigs as a high schooler was opening up for the Crosstown Blues Band at the Park Tavern in Medicine Park, OK where a guy had a massive heart attack and sadly died in the middle of our third song (“Little Wing” by Jimmy Hendrix) so that was the end of that night…
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
Well, I still currently technically have a non-music day job and it’s pretty cool as it helps us continue to do music. We are AirBnB hosts and manage our properties in Oklahoma. This is probably my favorite non-music day job I’ve ever had – working for ourselves has its challenges but it’s also flexible and 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?
We are generating the most money we’ve ever generated now with live performances along with film/tv projects and my guitar pedal company Westerlund Audio. We are working in music in a lot of different ways these days and it’s exciting. We expect things to continue to grow in the next 5-10 years.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Be willing to roll up your sleeves and work hard everyday because no one is going to care about your career as much as you do. Also, you can never rely on one deal or opportunity to change your life – it comes down to consistency and hard work.
Another fact I wish I would have known when starting out is that everyone’s career happens and grows differently. Just because something works or doesn’t work for one artist, that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen the same way for you.