Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
I’ve had many touring vehicles. From a Chevy van to RV’s to my Tacoma truck. One tour I had my RV breakdown on the New Jersey Turnpike when I was opening for Def Leppard/Journey. The tow guy towed it backwards and ended catching it on fire. The whole thing went up in flames. I lost everything, including the guitar I was playing on the tour. Luckily the Def Leppard guys let me finish the tour in their bus and gave me a guitar to play and keep.
The last one I had was an RV van that is now sold. It had 70k miles. My wife and I could bring the dogs and we could sustain with days off because it was self contained. I have several tour rides but that was the most memorable. It made the journey a lot of fun. It really is about who you are with.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
To eat healthy is a choice. It’s really about how you are feeling. Touring can bring down your spirit and by the end you just don’t care to try. With the RV we could cook our own meals and stop at the grocery but sustaining healthy eating habits is hard even at home.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I try to change my strings consistently. Especially playing live because you lose the sustain fairly quickly (between 1 or 2 shows). When I am writing and recording I want strings that are broken in. As far as strings I have been sponsored by Strings By Mail and they are the best place to get strings anywhere. They have so many types of strings that I have been able to really find what works for each guitar I use.
Where do you rehearse?
My rehearsal space now is my studio. I built it in a barn. The only crazy part is that I also make my records there. So it feels like a home for my music. I have had so many spaces over the years and you can make almost anything work. Spaces matter but if you are rehearsing for tour, every place you play is different. It would be best to rehearse in the worse place possible so when you get to the gig it feels like heaven.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
It was so bad that I forgot it. It was about fishing and in the key of A. That’s what I recall. I have written so many bad songs that just disappear after some time.
Describe your first gig.
When I was 16, I would play the weekends at a bar in Richmond Kentucky. I set up a band and we were allowed to do whatever. At that age I couldn’t rely on musicians so it was a group of misfits that could barely play. I can’t figure out why they would keep having me. I remember sometimes we would set up in the front corner and it was packed. I remember having one of my teachers play sax one night.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
My current job is in Brazilian tobacco. It’s my favorite day job. I travel a lot to South America. I have been doing this for many years.
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?
Music and Money has been the long running topic. The music business is really good for the ones at the top and then after that its painful. I have had many opportunities whether touring, songs placements, or writing and producing for others. Sustainability is what seems impossible to predict. At times my music is needed, and then others it’s not. I am a believer that the only way it works is to keep making records. When you try to figure it out, you lose the essence and thus the opportunity. Over the last 5-10 years everything has changed so many times. The next 5-10 years I will continue to write and make music, I can’t predict anything else.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
I had an incredible mentor in Mike Wanchic. He was clear and honest about the music business. He said “just write great songs”. I don’t think about doing it differently. So many great things have come out of my journey in music. The music business is not music. Music has shaped every aspect of who i am. Songs is what it is about for me.