ZZ Ward on Tour Bus Appliances and Working at a Candy Store

Tell us about your tour vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?

Last bus was called “The Ride” unfortunately every bus I’ve ever taken out has had a slew of issues all the time. It’s honestly a miracle that we’ve never had to cancel a show due to bus repairs. Once our bus got stuck in the snow and my fans had to pull us out. I think there’s a video on YouTube lol.

How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?

I bought a plug-in egg cooker and a mini air fryer that I use constantly on the bus, saves me so much money.

How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?

How much does it cost to replace them? I actually rarely break a string, I guess I don’t play that hard. Luckily DR Strings hooks me up with their new Dragon Skin strings!!! They are a game changer.

Where do you rehearse?

We usually grab a room that has no windows and an AC system that is generally freezing lol!! I can’t think of any crazy experiences I’ve had at a rehearsal space, thankfully!!

What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?

I think it was called “Collapse” and I don’t remember any lyrics from it.

Describe your first gig.

I had been up on stage many times singing a song here or there but my first “gig” was probably at a pizza parlor in Portland, Oregon. I played for like four hours and there were like two people there.

What was your last day job?

I was a baby sitter when I was a kid and I worked at a diner one day before I quit.

What was your favorite day job?

I worked at a candy store, that was pretty fun! I just ate all the candy and no one came in to buy anything.

How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years?

There are more ways to make an income as a music artist than there has ever been before. I know artists that make so much money with online music sales that they don’t need to tour.

What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?

It’s hard to say, but I think there will always be a demand for live music thankfully so it never hurts to be good at your craft.

What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?

To not be afraid to say no to things you don’t love. There are a lot of people with opinions and people generally want to be agreed with but they will respect you in the end for voicing your opinion, and if they don’t than you don’t want them on your team.

One of the most profound lessons ZZ Ward learned from growing up listening to the blues greats was to be authentic to your story. When the LA-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist began to write new music, she found herself in the midst of one of the biggest life changes a person will ever experience: motherhood.

The resulting music is her truest and most blues-infused to date. Freed from the pop pressures of her previous major label, ZZ is able to fully embrace the blues, her most formative influence. The Mother EP, released October 4th, features a mix of ZZ’s favorite Sun Records songs, and muddied-up versions of her well-known tracks to commemorate her blues liberation. The single and the EP were produced by multi-platinum producer Ryan Spraker (Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Weezer, In This Moment).

ZZ’s first single, “Put The Gun Down,” from her 2012 debut, Til the Casket Drops, broke into the AAA Radio Charts Top 10, and stayed there for 10 weeks. It was followed by the single, “365 Days,” which hit #2 on the charts. Til the Casket Drops also snuck into the Billboard Top 40 Alternative Chart. ZZ’s sophomore album, The Storm, released in 2017, peaked at Number 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts, highlighted by singles featuring GRAMMY-Award winners Fantastic Negrito, “Cannonball,” and Gary Clark Jr., “Ride,” which was also the end title song for Pixar’s feature film Cars 3.

Connect with ZZ Ward online and on the road.