Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
– I travel in a 2000 Ford Excursion
– It has 224000 plus miles on it
– I just had to have an alternator put on.
– It happened to be on a day off between gigs, otherwise it would have been really bad. I would have had to cancel a show. As luck would have it, we just stayed an extra day in Memphis.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
Sometimes on longer runs we take a cooler with sandwich meat and yogurt etc. This cuts down on costs while traveling. Also, having food on the rider helps. We can eat at the venue for free and then carry left overs with us for the next day.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
I rarely break strings but I try to change strings once a week. They are roughly 5 bucks a pack. So that’s at least 3 guitars on a typical show. 15 a week I imagine it’s probably about 1000 bucks a year roughly.
Where do you rehearse?
I have a little shack in my back yard that used to be for lawn tools. I flipped it and put AC in it. I usually practice there. I have booked a professional rehearsal space in Nashville a time or two for rehearsal with a full band. The shack is too small for 4-5 guys. We never get crazy; that was when I was much younger.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
I was about 10 or 11 years old. I wrote, “Life is for Living in the purest way. It is only the richest if you take it day by day. There are no mediocrities there is only good and bad. How could you see the happiness if you never saw the sad.”
No idea why I still remember this. I can’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday.
Describe your first gig.
My first real gig was at a deli cafe for people eating sandwiches. I only knew 3 or 4 songs and was playing for tips. I would play those 4 songs and then say, I’m going to take a break. I took a break and gave those people time to finish eating then I came back and played the same 4 songs for a new group of people. The next day I knew 5 songs.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
I never liked a day job. That’s why I started making music. Trying to not get a real job. I used to cut grass in the summer and do some light carpentry work in the winter. I never liked working for other people.
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?
My income has gotten better over the last few years. I’m making some royalties on songs and make a little money from touring. I wouldn’t call it a living, but it keeps the lights on as long as I keep moving.
I have no idea where I’ll be in 5 years. I’ve never been good at projecting. Usually when I do try to project it only hurts when I never get close. So I just keep my hand on the plow and keep walking.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Nothing is ever what you think it’s going be. The best thing you can do is be authentically you and figure out how to be true to yourself and to your art. The last thing the music industry needs is another copy of a copy. People respond to the truth. They can spot a lie a mile off.