What’s your favorite kind of sandwich?
A grilled chicken tenderloin BLT on sourdough from Cracker Barrel or an Italian beef combo sandwich from Portillo’s in Chicago.
The Beatles or Elvis? Why?
I’ll say The Beatles for sure, but I really do love Elvis too. The Beatles just have more songs that I like. They wrote their own songs and played most of the instruments on their records. Just about every musician that has influenced me has referenced The Beatles Ed Sullivan appearance as what inspired them to play music. But Elvis inspired The Beatles and he was one of the most amazing talents ever.
Lyrics to live by?
Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders.
“Desert Island” album?
Tom Petty Greatest Hits
What country music artists do you listen to the most?
Lately it’s Whiskey Myers and Lori McKenna. It changes a lot.
How do you see country music evolving within 10 years?
It’s hard to say. If you’re talking mainstream radio country, it will probably continue to lean more pop and electronic. It will crossover with pop more and more. Eventually there will be “country” artists that only have a dj with a laptop on stage and no band at all. But there will always be the traditionalists and the americana/alt country/red dirt side of things. It’s all about the ways songs are produced. So it’s really up to the artists/engineers/producers on how they choose their records to sound. I think country music overall will continue to be embraced for a long long while. It’s part of the fabric of America.
Where do you see your musical career in 5 years?
I just hope to write good songs and have as many people as possible hear them. I hope to be playing great shows live with my band, and be doing well enough to be able to give back as much as possible.
Are there any instruments you don’t play but wish you did? Why?
The violin would be nice. It just a beautiful instrument and takes some discipline. Steel guitar would be great, it’s such a strong sounding instrument and adds a lot of depth to songs. The saxophone would be awesome. It’d be fun to be able to have the ability to play these, especially in the studio. Maybe one day.
What was the best advice you have received?
If things aren’t working, change something, starting with yourself. Believe in yourself even in the darkest of times.
What advice would you give to yourself at the start of your musical career?
Meet as many people as possible and practice your craft a lot. Collaborate.
Where does most of your inspiration come from?
Life, death, love and music. The highway, the struggle, the search. People’s stories and journeys inspire me. I’m inspired by other musicians.
What do you consider to be your biggest achievement in your career so far?
I guess the fact that I’ve stuck with it even though the music business can be so disheartening, and that I’ve actually been able to make an ok living doing this for several years. It’s hard to do.
What’s on the horizon for you that you would like to share?
My debut full length record “Wayward Skies” will be released February 22nd, 2019. I’ve playing music a long time and it’s exciting to finally put out a full length record. I’ll be touring a bunch in the coming year.
Meet Country 