What are the things you do to maintain your mental and physical well being while on  the road? 

Stay active: Even if its 10 push-ups in the morning or going for a walk around the  neighborhood after soundcheck. Sitting around all day in the van and at the  venue is draining. There’s so much waiting when you are on tour and doing a  physical activity like a small work out or walk goes a long way. I totally quit alcohol which was very hard. And I drink chamomile every night because I’m sensitive to it and helps with my anxiety. 

What strain does touring put on your life, if any?

There are a lot of times I’ve used touring as an excuse to put things off. The in between time always goes by faster than you think. For the past few years, I kept telling myself “After this tour I’ll go back to school” but another tour ends up happening and I put it off again. I think it’s doable to be in school online and tour, but for a long time I was self-managing and TM-ing. It was overwhelming to add school to that, so I never did it. I’m lucky now to be working with a manager and for the last tour we had a TM so I think having a team helping will finally make my dream of getting an education while being a working musician doable. 

Do you have health insurance? Do you have medical issues? Can you afford either from playing music?

I’m a Type 1 Diabetic. I live in Massachusetts and I get help from the state through MassHealth (MA Medicaid) to pay for my supplies and devices I need to stay alive and be comfortable. I think that’s the biggest reason why I’ve been able to be a touring musician for so long. Otherwise it would have been my top priority to find a job with healthcare benefits so I could live.‍

What does daily life look like for you currently? Do you have a day job - or some sort  of side hustle to supplement money for being a musician? What do you do for work?  

We always work when we’re home. We don’t make enough money to be full time musicians. Sometimes it feels like we’re close but work for a band is inconsistent, so we must have jobs when we’re home. I’m lucky to have found something that’s flexible and works with my touring schedule.

How can we as a society make the music industry better?

By participating in it. If you have the slightest interest in music just go check something out, especially if it’s at your local independent or DIY venue. If you see an artist who is doing something from their heart and is honest, watch it. Even for a little, even if you don’t necessarily like it... Maybe there is something you can learn...

What do you want people to know about the life of a touring musician?

It’s hard but it’s fulfilling. I’ve made some of my best friends through this life. I can’t think of another way I would like to spend my youth. I had bad anxiety before I started touring. I dropped out of school and spent most of my time at  home. It was a way to dive into the deep-end and experience some form of a real world. I went on my first tour when I was 20 and I had barely left Boston before that. I had never driven on the highway or slept anywhere but my childhood room. I had trouble making new friends before but I found out I was actually a very social person. It helped me break out of my shell. I encourage anyone who is  interested in this life to try it. Start a band, go on tour, make friends. If you are not sure where to start, play a show anywhere there is always SOME form of a local scene and you never know who you will meet and what will lead to what. Openness is key to starting your life as a gigging/ touring musician. 

Weirdest show you have played?

We once played a house show in Nashville to what looked like 2 or 3 people. Which was weird because we remembered there being more people at the house before we set up to play. After we broke down our stuff, we found a separate room to the side of the stage that had an AC and a big TV that was live streaming the show and like 20 people were sitting around ripping a bong watching the show on TV that was happening in the next room.

Why do you create?

Creating for me is like journaling. It’s my way of reminding my future self what was going on with me at the time. Life goes by really fast so I need to make songs as little bookmarks. It also just makes me feel good. I like to sit in my room and  play guitar, it’s very meditative for me. I don’t understand the bigger picture of why we create as humans, but I understand what it does for me.

How do you deal with writer's block or creative slumps?

The best thing to do is listen to yourself. If you are in a creative slump it’s for a reason. Creating takes a lot of energy, moments when you are creative will occupy 100% of your time awake (and sometimes in your dreams.) The best thing  to do is try to enjoy that creative slump by doing other things. Consume art: read, watch movies, play video games or basketball with your friends, and don’t force anything. Everyone can tell when something is forced. The creative slump is your mind replenishing itself after being creative. Another thing to do is practice. Run your scales, learn a new song on guitar. Last time I was in a big creative slump I  tried to learn a Wes Montgomery song on guitar and it was very fulfilling to my soul to just sit there and practice over and over. If that’s not your vibe then just do something else – watch youtube videos about something you know nothing  about. I feel like as creative people we are constantly feeling like we must create or else we’re being lazy. Making art isn’t supposed to be hard work – it's supposed to be food for your soul. The stuff around it is hard work but the art-making itself should make you feel good.

Favorite recording tools that you use?

My Tascam Portastudio 4 track. The limitation of it is the only way I can create. You can bounce tracks to make more space, but I never learned how to do that properly. The 4-track limit is the best way to get the basics of a song. If it’s not good enough with 4 tracks, then it’s not worth pursuing in the studio.