Photo credit: Josh Abel
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
At the moment, the only far reaching touring I’m doing is to do solo shows so I guess technically my tour vehicle is various Southwest airplanes or my 2018 Kia Niro – a tiny hybrid car that’s a glorified go cart that gets 45 mpg. I love driving and I love traveling solo. I get to listen to whatever I want, have loud phone conversations with old friends, do whatever I want after the show, eat what I want, and do everything on my own terms. I’m an extrovert and I love making new friends which I think makes traveling by myself easier. For the full band shows in the fall, I’ll be renting or borrowing some kind of van – most likely a Ford Econoline. I should probably figure that out soon…..
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
I start by bringing my own food. Honestly – it always starts off great and falls off of a cliff towards the end. That said, I’m getting older and have high blood pressure (so cool) and I need to be eating better on the road.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Not very many. Because of the fine folks at D’addario strings, it costs me next to nothing. They’re a fantastic company and I’m proud to endorse them.
Where do you rehearse?
I wish I had a dedicated rehearsal space. I’m working on building one right now but it’s a ways off. We had a baby three months ago so now the only place in my house relegated to me is a spot on the bed that’s just a bit wider and longer than I am. The drummer I’ve been playing with (Patrick Herzfeld) has a kickass studio in his house that we do full band rehearsals at (@signalhillrecording). I’m mighty thankful we get to use it.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I started writing songs when I was 11. The lyrics from those songs aren’t appropriate for this publication, I assure you.
Describe your first gig.
I was in the chorus in high school….. maybe that counts? I guess I didn’t get paid. I think the first time I got paid for a gig was 10 years ago or so. It was at the Continental Club in Austin w/ my good buddy Graham Wilkinson. I was completely terrified and my friend in the crowd kept signaling to me to relax, which (shocker) did not help me relax.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I sold orthopedic implants for total hip and knee replacement surgeries for 7 years before I quit to play music full time. Honestly, I loved it and I miss it sometimes. I was in the actual surgeries, it was super fascinating, challenging, and I got to work with a lot of nurses and techs who I’ve found to be some of the finest people on earth.
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?
No idea anymore. I’ve let that sort of planning float out of the realm of things I can control. I focus on making good music and getting it out there. Hopefully some money follows. I like to say “I work my ass off at not working”. So far I’ve managed to keep that going.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
That no one cares. No one cares when you mess up a song, miss a note, or even when you do something great. Success is incremental so you just have to put your head down and do the work. If you’re really lucky, it’ll be fine!