Life, family, and music.
Lodging, Meals, and Bathing You will rarely stay in hotels after your gigs. Even a Motel 6 will be over your budget. Instead, you’ll crash on a friend’s couch. Sometimes a fan will offer a spare bedroom, which you will accept after doing a quick background check and Google search. Before going there, however, you […]
How to Become an Extremely Moderately Successful Songwriter Read More »
How do I get over the fear of sharing my work? – Aly Aly, this is a great question, and I have to be honest: the fear of sharing your work never completely disappears. That’s why I titled this post “Dealing…” rather than overcoming. I’m not sure many of us truly overcome the fear. However,
Dealing with the Fear of Sharing Your Work Read More »
I know the lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” are about West Virginia, the Blue Ridge Mountains and all. But last year, when my wife and I hauled our family around the Midwest in a camper for my Living Room Tour, I took a wrong turn near the Montana/North Dakota border. Though we tried
Happy Accidents: Where This Picture Came From Read More »
I’m a distractible person. Don’t get me wrong, I can be laser-focused for several hours on, let’s say, a guitar tone. But send me to the grocery store for an onion, and I’ll return with strawberries, ballpoint pens, tiki torches—pretty much everything besides an onion. I tell you this because I’ve realized that looking at
Why I’ve Been Going Back to Paper Read More »
I was at the age when all your friends start getting married. It seemed as if every other month I was performing “I Will Be Here” by Steven Curtis Chapman, while a bride and groom lit the unity candle. Their pacing always much faster than rehearsed due to nerves and the unnatural activity of lighting
Confessions of an Extremely Moderately Successful Singer-Songwriter Read More »
You probably have a method for capturing your ideas in the moment–whether it’s your phone, a recipe card, or a Moleskine notebook–but sometimes that method doesn’t work. For me, the combination of hot water on my scalp and the scent of shampoo often sparks creativity. If you wear a wedding ring–or any ring, for that
The Wedding Ring Hack Read More »
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Protected: Thank You for Keeping the Lights On Read More »
I wasn’t just interested in recording “I Love Rock N Roll” because I liked the challenge of reinterpreting it. I also recorded it because I knew my publisher controls the copyright. Back in 2020, they gave me a list of popular songs they can clear for licensing. I scanned through them and picked several that
The Art and Science of Choosing Cover Songs Read More »
It’s been a while since I’ve officially released new music. But starting tomorrow, I’ll be releasing one single every six weeks. I’ve got songs planned until December 2026! Question for you: Want to be on my online street team? What is it? Basically a group of dedicated fans who can commit to posting on social
The 2-Year Plan: New Music Every Six Weeks! Read More »
If you’re planning your first wedding, my guess is you’re just planning on doing it once. You’re not trying to get good at getting married multiple times, right? So pretty much everything is stressful. You’ve never done this before. What’s the budget? Will you have a band or a DJ? Who will perform the ceremony?
Act Like a Wedding Planner Read More »