Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
Newish Ford Transit with captain seats and I get to have the whole back row for myself and our toddler. Thank God we did not run into any major issues. But in our history, we have bought 4 vans and 2 SUV’s in the past decade. We got broken down in Arkansas, Missouri, New York and who knows where else? it’s all part of the journey. Ori always makes sure we service the vehicle and he repairs the trailer, it’s a full-time job.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
It’s not easy let me tell you, especially when you’re driving all day and loading in and out at night! We try to keep snacks like nuts, fruits and protein bars in the van. Our bass player Matt has a bag full of goodies that I grab snacks from all the time. I like to find local grocery stores instead of fast food. I’ll make little meals from the deli or grab some veggies and hummus. We have a rider that has most of these items. The real key is drinking water!! When I don’t eat right on tour, I feel it in my voice and energy.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Well, I don’t break drumsticks or strings myself, but my band goes through a lot. TK definitely breaks the most stuff. Sticks, drum heads, pedals — she hits hard. Ori says he used to break strings all the time too, especially during high-energy shows but these days he found a set that never breaks for him to a point he replaces the strings before they even get to break, every 2-3 shows. I’d guess we spend hundreds each year just replacing gear. Probably more when you count things like cables and mics that go out. We are lucky that DR Strings supports Ori for almost a decade now with fresh strings and TK endorses Dream Cymbals, Pro-Mark Sticks and Evans Drumheads.
Where do you rehearse?
We rehearse in our house-turned-studio in Memphis suburbs. It’s a tight room, cozy, and a little chaotic! but it works. There’s gear everywhere, wires running across the floor, and usually one of our kids or dog hanging around. We’ve written most of our songs in here over the years. We also like to rent a studio to get a more realistic experience when we test stuff out. However to be honest, we rarely practice. We spend a lot of time on the road, and writing. So we improve from show to show by communicating, having honest conversations and always checking each other. We improve naturally and practice a few times a year when we have a suitcase full of issues that cannot be fixed on tour.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
The first song we wrote together was “What Did I Do”, in 2015.
Sit your ass down, baby
And listen to me
I’ve been feeling out of place in your heart
And I know you’ll agree
I’ve been giving you my best
Doing all that I can
But I need to make it right
So help me understand
Can I fix it? Is it fading?
Am I losing? Contemplating?
How can I win you back? Oh, tell me baby
What did I do?
What did I do?
What did I do?
What did I do wrong?
Describe your first gig.
Our first show as Southern Avenue, was in Memphis at the long time, famous festival called “Heritage Festival”. We barely had enough songs to finish the set!
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
This one’s easy to answer, when the pandemic hit, like so many other musicians, we had to step back from touring and figure out how to survive. The world shut down and all of a sudden we were sitting at home wondering what comes next.
Ori started working in IT. I ended up doing sales for a development company. TK went into healthcare. It was heavy! We did what we had to do. We worked hard and we were thankful for the income, but none of us ever thought, “this could be my thing.” Because music is our thing. Always has been. It’s not just a job. It’s the way we express ourselves. It’s where we find joy, purpose, connection. So no, we don’t really have a favorite non-music day job. Those jobs kept us going, but they never felt like home. Music is home. It always will be.
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 changed a lot. In the beginning, we were living show to show, sometimes sleeping in the van, barely scraping by. Over time, as we built our name and started touring more seriously, we had more stability, but it’s still a hustle. With streaming and merch and touring, we’re diversifying, but it takes a lot to stay afloat. In five or ten years, we would love to see it be more sustainable, with a bigger fan base to support us.
When we started out around 2016, the digital world was already shifting things, but we were still selling a lot more CDs at shows, and social media wasn’t as intense as it is now. Streaming was big but it hadn’t fully taken over yet. Fast forward to now, it feels like everything is digital! Music discovery, promotion, even fan connection it all lives online.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
That saying no is just as powerful as saying yes. In the beginning, we said yes to everything because I was scared to miss an opportunity. But not every gig, not every person, not every deal is meant for you. Protecting your energy, your voice, and your time is part of being an artist. We wish I had learned that sooner.