Tag: 5+5

BGS 5+5: Eli Lev

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Artist: Eli Lev
Hometown: Silver Spring, Maryland
Latest album: Deep South
Personal nicknames: “Ambassador of Good Vibes”

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

While I grew up playing basic guitar and writing silly songs, I never really wanted to “be a musician.” That changed when I was about halfway through my master’s degree for education. I took a personal vacation during winter break and camped out on a beach on the west coast of Mexico near Sayulita. I hiked in supplies and brought my travel guitar and just sang to the ocean for a week.

After that I got real quiet, and I listened. After a while I heard murmurings on the breeze that the trees and the sand, the water and sky really enjoyed my new songs and performance, and recommended I take my songs seriously and go for it. So I took that to heart and set the intention to make music my life for a while and see what would happen.

It took about a year for the gears of time and space to turn the right way before I played my first show in Washington, D.C., in the back of Tryst Cafe in Adams Morgan. A few people showed up who also enjoyed the performance and they asked me when my next show was. The rest is living history.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

This last summer I got the chance to play a full band set at the storied 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., as part of the DC Music Rocks Festival. I grew up going to see my favorite bands there, so it extra special being on the stage. Playing my original songs with a six-piece band to an amazing crowd of friends, family, and fans was a moment I’ll always remember.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Be your best, give your best — the world will smile back and give its best to you in return.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I listen a lot to rivers and oceans for songs, but they also come on the wind and in total silence. But there are songs everywhere, in train brakes, in people’s eyes, falling out of pockets and suitcases. It’s just a matter of how to listen and where to look.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Love this question. In my songs, sometimes I’m the “I” and sometimes I’m the “you.” Sometimes the people in my songs are actually things or ideas, like in my songs “Anywhere We Can Go” and “Walking Away.” I’ve found that when I do it that way, the listener has an easier time making the song meaningful for their own life. I love that different folks get different things out of my songs — that’s the way it should be!

BGS 5+5: Donna Ulisse

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Artist: Donna Ulisse
Hometown: Hampton, Virginia
Latest album: Time for Love
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Lots of family and friends just call me “Da”, which didn’t work so well for me when we were in Russia doing some shows because da means yes in their language so I was always turning my head in big crowds, thinking someone was calling me! My band members sometimes call me by my initials: D.U.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

My dad and I have always had a major crush on Loretta Lynn! From as far back as my memory will go, I have admired her sassy songs and her way of delivering them. In my world, she is and will always be the cat’s meow. It took becoming a serious songwriter to realize that I also loved her writing. When I was young I didn’t give much thought to who wrote her songs, I just simply loved them. As I matured in this business I was struck by how many of the artists I adored actually wrote their own songs and Loretta was at the top of the heap.

When I started my journey into the bluegrass genre, my first producer, Keith Sewell, hit the talkback button in the studio after we cut a song I wrote called “When I Look Back” and said he thought I wrote like a mix of Loretta and Dolly. I didn’t touch the ground for two weeks after that. What a wonderful compliment! Loretta’s influence is certainly pronounced throughout my song catalog.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

This one is easy! I was 12 and I was asked to sing one song at a popular venue in Mathews, Virginia, called Donk’s Theater. The show was loosely patterned after the Grand Ole Opry, with a staff band that would help spotlight young talent and I was one of the fortunate recipients. My mom and dad were SO excited! They invited all kinds of family and friends, probably thirty or so. The week before the show dad took me out shopping; I’ll never forget it. He let me buy a Gunne Sax dress that reached the floor. I thought I looked just like Loretta Lynn. I twirled in front of my mirror for hours when I got home and used my hairbrush to practice holding a microphone.

The night of the show is still so clear. The place was packed and the spotlights were incredibly bright. I was given a generous introduction and I walked out and sang a Loretta Lynn song, “Somebody Somewhere,” to the top of my lungs. I loved it, every moment, smell, sight, clap, note… all of it. Years later, my Aunt Helen told me that my mom and dad lost all their color when my name was announced and never blinked or swallowed while I was on stage, bless their hearts. I guess I didn’t have to be nervous, Mom and Dad did that for me.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

In all honesty, I knew I would be on stage when I was very young, maybe 5 or 6 years old. I have never dreamed of another career, it was always going to be the stage for me. But if you want to know the exact moment my star was born, it would be that Loretta Lynn song I performed on the Donks stage when I was 12. I owned it and never looked back.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I’ve never been good with homework, but I believe the topic of my mission statement would be perseverance! I have never given up on my dream of performing, even through the darkest of times. I was one of the blessed when I was signed to Atlantic Records in the early ’90s. A major country deal is a huge accomplishment and much coveted. I was out in L.A. doing a Dick Clark show when I got the call that I lost my deal. It was brutal, heartbreaking. I was so lost in those days but I knew deep down there was a place for me to sing.

I turned my heart and hopes into songwriting and it saved my music life. Through songwriting I discovered the mountains that lived in my soul and I started writing Appalachian sounding tunes that led me into this warm and wonderful world of bluegrass. I am having success in this business a little late, but so very cherished and appreciated. This is the world I was always meant for and perseverance got me here!

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

My husband and I bought a little farm outside of Nashville a few years ago. I’m not your typical farm girl but I love this land. It has a sweeping field that leads down to a creek and I spend lots of time watching goats and cows and all the changes that spread across the field. In the spring, vibrant yellow flowers show off the new season like a Sunday hat. In the summer there is so much purple bursting out all over the tall grasses, reminding me of an Irish hillside. In the fall there are elements that look like a harvest, like a bounty was laid there though we don’t plant anything, and in the winter the field lays there like temptation and whispers for springtime. This is where so much of my inspiration is found these days. I write about the spirit and the glory and the life that I see from my table on the porch.

BGS 5+5: Josienne Clarke

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Artist: Josienne Clarke
Hometown: Scotland
Latest album: In All Weather

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

This is a difficult question to answer because different artists have influenced me at various stages in my life, but to pinpoint one would be hard. I guess the first artist to influence me as a songwriter, or to [influence me beginning] to consider being a songwriter, would be Don McLean. My mother had his American Pie album on tape in the car when I was really young and I remember songs like “Winterwood,” “Empty Chairs,” and “Crossroads” grabbing my attention and drawing me into the lyrics, all heavily melancholic tunes! I would say I can hear the influence those songs have had on my approach to songwriting.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

In 2015 I got to perform in The National Theatre’s Production of Our Country’s Good (by Timberlake Wertenbaker) singing both songs I’d written and some that were composed and arranged specifically for me by Cerys Matthews. We did 43 shows of it on the Olivier Stage at The National on London’s Southbank. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my career. Having no professional acting experience, being on stage acting alongside extremely well-trained professional actors was daunting and a steep learning curve. I shan’t forget that in a hurry.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

I have a reputation for a love of brevity in song and that is certainly true on In All Weather. No song is over 3 minutes 30 seconds — the shortest one being just 59 seconds in length — and the entire album clocks in at a succinct 36 minutes long!

This is true to my career motto, I came up with it several years ago in relation to not overplaying one’s slot at a festival or gig…

“Get in there, smash it, fuck off!”

I applied this logic to the writing and setting of songs on the new album and one thing that can’t be said is that it’s outstayed its welcome!

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

The changing of seasons is always a reference in my work and none more so than this latest album. This can be seen almost everywhere but woodland areas are the most noticeable place to feel the changing colour of the leaves.

Also I grew up by the sea and I was living on the Isle of Bute while I wrote the latest album, so seascapes and beaches are a natural force much referenced in my work. I find the expanse of sea inspiring; you feel simultaneously closer to other places because you’re on the edge of the land and far away because you are separated by a vast natural moat, making them a great location for reflection.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

Almost never. I’m an extremely autobiographical writer. I’d say that’s one of the particular things about my work.

I only really write behind a character in commissioned works. For example, writing for theatre. You’re given a specific character’s narrative to create songs for. I find this challenging and it’s great fun for that reason but I actually feel like an artist reveals more about themselves when they do that, in an unconscious way.

I like to be as honest as possible in my writing. I’m usually working through something, some problem or concern from real life in song and the aim is to describe my emotional state as accurately as I can. I write emotional narrative, so this is not a series of events or actions in song form. It focuses instead on “what it feels like” and I find I can most effectively do that from a truly first-person position.

BGS 5+5: Micky & the Motorcars

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Artist: Micky & the Motorcars
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Latest album: Long Time Comin’

Answers provided by Micky Braun

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

It’s hard to say which artist was most influential, but I’d say John Prine, my dad Muzzie Braun, and Pinto Bennett. They are my favorite songwriters. Always a great story in every song.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I think my favorite times on stage are every year when we play the Braun Brothers Reunion in Challis, Idaho. At the end of every night we always end up on stage with our friend’s bands and family bands singing and having a blast.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

I’d say you can’t go wrong with putting on John Prine’s The Missing Years record, opening a bottle of red wine and cooking a good pasta.

How often do you hide behind a character in a song or use “you” when it’s actually “me”?

I tend to write a lot about personal experiences as well as stories I hear from friends or read. So I’d say about 50/50.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I’m not sure I ever had that big moment when I knew this was what I wanted to do forever. I just started playing music at a young age and started really enjoying writing songs, learning how to play different instruments and performing on stage. I’d say I really knew I was a lifer when I was about 20 years old. That’s when the band moved to Austin and we threw our hat in the ring. We haven’t turned back since.

Photo credit: Kat Smith

BGS 5+5: Aaron Espe

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Artist: Aaron Espe
Hometown: Roseau, Minnesota
Latest album: Wonder
Nickname: ‘Spe, Espe, Aar-bear (Mom)

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I used to fear (still do) that nobody would come to my show. But you want to know what’s actually worse than nobody coming to your show? Let me tell you. One person coming to your show. One. If nobody comes, you’ll feel embarrassed and ashamed, but it will be your embarrassment and shame to keep. If, however, one person comes to your show, you will find yourself sharing that awkwardness with a stranger. It’s a bit of a pickle, to tell you the truth.

And that’s what happened on a cold December night in Lewiston, Maine. The reason I’m calling this my favorite memory is because I’m still alive and that makes me happy. I can still remember his silhouette, backlit by the streetlight coming through the venue window.

After two songs, I finally just sat on the edge of the wooden stage.

“Hi, what’s your name?” I asked.

“Paul,” he said.

“Hi Paul, I’m Aaron. Thanks for coming to my show.”

“Sure, good music.”

“Thanks, you don’t need to clap after each song if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s ok. It’s good. I like it.”

One person clapping in a venue is how you think it sounds. Echoey. Strangely sad for an otherwise happy activity. Ask yourself when was the last time you heard someone clap at a sad event? You can’t think of one, can you.

For your sake and mine, I want this story to end like this:

…and when the light’s came up I saw Paul was actually Paul McCartney. Paul and I rode off into the sunset and never looked back.

Due to the truth of the matter, I can’t actually end this story that way, but I can tell you that Paul bought my CD and I learned a little about how he was feeling lonely and looking for something to do on a cold night. A traveling businessman, missing his wife. We had that in common.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

Actually, I’m surprised when writers and artist don’t have mission statements for their careers. As much as I know a lot of this business is serendipitous and out of my control, there’s still a lot within my control.

Knowing the mission makes it easier to say yes to things and, more importantly, no. Because I don’t know about you, but time becomes increasingly scarce and valuable the older I get. It could have something to do with having three kids and another on the way, but… still, FOMO is real and you often feel like you need to say yes to everything in the music business.

So, I find mission statements pretty much a must-have. Nothing fancy. Just, what do you offer the world and what’s at stake if you don’t?

Anyway, my mission statement for Aaron Espe Music is to share openly and honestly about my life experience so that others don’t feel alone.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

If what I’m doing is actually songwriting, then it’s always tough. Sometimes (once in blue moon) there’s a slight chance I might be song-channeling. Getting a gift from the song gods or whatever. That’s hardly work. That’s also hardly songwriting. It’s something else.

I’m not even saying I song-channel well, ha. The song fairies probably tap me, give me a chance, and then say, “Um… nope, we’re going to move on to someone else, thank you, goodbye.”

The reason I think actual writing is so hard is because the rush of serotonin leaves after you’ve completed the first verse and chorus. After that it’s mostly work ethic. Avoiding lunch, or watching Netflix, or falling asleep. Those are song graveyards. I bet a billion songs have died around lunchtime.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

Imagine me with my two cousins, Karl and Erik. I am 15. We ditch the wedding reception of our older cousin to hang out in the parking lot. We’re listening to music in my uncle Ed’s Lincoln Town Car. It’s got a CD player and a great sound system. Erik says, “You gotta hear this.” He slides a black disc into the player and skips to Track 02.

Out of those state of the art speakers come warm, bassy picked notes on an acoustic guitar. Rhythmic slaps in between the phrasing. A smoky baritone voice. Within 30 seconds of Martin Sexton’s “Glory Bound” I am convinced this what I need to do for the rest of my life.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

Before a gig, I’m in the habit of pacing in circles until it looks like a golden retriever’s been left alone in the room for days.

As for the studio, I turn off the WiFi. I put my phone in a drawer or facing down. I place my instruments and gear as accessible and ready-to-go as possible. I don’t want laziness to thank for an unrecorded part or an idea forgotten.

One thing I will say is that I try to never make important editing decisions after 2 p.m. I’ve learned that I don’t like myself or my art very much around that time. That’s right around the time I’m thinking of asking my father in-law if he’ll hire me as an insurance salesman.

The feeling goes away, so I just need to hold steady. It’s part of the process. But I used to make major changes, delete recordings, slash and burn. Now I know that I need to go on a walk and probably quit for an hour or so. Return to it in the evening or the next day.

Photo credit: Heidi Lin

BGS 5+5: Vetiver

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Artist: Vetiver
Hometown: Richmond, California
Latest album: Up on High
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Ange, Cabes

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

João Gilberto. It was very sad to lose him this year. He mastered a new form almost from inception. His soft voice, timeless melodies, complexity and brevity inspire me greatly.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I am always interested in what others are working on or have done. I read a lot… non-fiction, poetry, magazines… much more than I watch movies or TV. I like to work in our garden, planning, planting, and pruning. The art of walking my dog in the park is currently enthralling. All of these things are opportunities for melodies to come, for reflection and listening, and help open spaces for ideas to arise.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

If I’m having difficulty finishing a song, I usually set it aside and come back to it later. Try and forget it and remember it again. Switch lyrics in and out until it resonates and feels part of me and separate from me. It is rare for a song to come easily or in one sitting. Only a handful have happened like this. Most of the time I prune and shape them until they pass muster.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I like to go on hikes and walks in the hills and parks around the Bay Area. Melodies come to me in those moments, lyrical ideas, ways to arrange songs I’m working on. I like the canopy of redwood trees, the long, twisted branches of oak trees, the sound of creeks, and wind rustling the leaves. These draw me outside myself, my problems and doubts, help slow time down and reorder my thoughts.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

Caetano Veloso playing outside a tiny alley bar while my friends and I share a meal of pintxos and cider.

Photo Credit: Alissa Anderson

BGS 5+5: The Carolyn Sills Combo

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Artist: The Carolyn Sills Combo
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
Latest album: Return to El Paso
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): None that are fit to print

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

Literature greatly influences my songwriting. I love the written word, love the endless possibilities of alliteration, puns, double entendres… it’s a thrill to craft a song that doesn’t give itself away on the first listen. I’ve written a few songs based on the work of authors that had an effect on me when I was younger. On our last album, Dime Stories, Vol. 2, we put e.e. cummings’ “Buffalo Bill’s” to music.

Our upcoming release, Return to El Paso, is a collection of songs written about the main characters of Marty Robbins’ “El Paso” off his Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs album. I’ve always been fascinated with back stories and motivation… those characters that play a role in an event, but aren’t the main focus. Like where did the horse come from that Marty steals as he runs out the back of Rosa’s Cantina? And who was the ranger that shot him down at the end of the song?

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I learned early on that the best ritual to have is no ritual. For a short time, I refused to eat before singing Patsy Cline, after enchilada-burping during “Sweet Dreams” one time… but then I learned if you don’t eat before the show, the kitchen will probably be closed after. In the past I’ve had some rituals like warming up, using the restroom, having a shot of whiskey, but life happens and each show is unique, so unless you’re willing to warm up while having a shot of whiskey on the can with two minutes until showtime, it’s best to just let it all happen, and not tie the success of your performance to any rituals.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

Can we consider my dog, Cowboy, an element of nature? He is a force to be reckoned with. I spend the most time with him, and he’s definitely impacted my songwriting. A lot of melodies and lyrics were written on our walks along the Monterey Bay or in the redwoods. I think we’re all having trouble these days allowing ourselves to get lost from time to time. It’s hard to resist wanting to fill a free moment by checking your phone, as we’re getting more and more trained to need constant stimulus. The best ideas pop into my head when I’m not distracted, not doing anything but being receptive to what’s around me. I used to have more of this time when I lived in a city, and walked a ton or took trains every day. Now that time is harder to come by, and Cowboy is my sherpa to those needed moments.

Since food and music go so well together, what is your dream pairing of a meal and a musician?

If there are no limits to this question, my dream pairing would be eating pasta “fazool” followed by a banana split while being serenaded by Dean Martin and Louis Prima.

If you had to write a mission statement for your career, what would it be?

My mission is to write as many meaningful songs as possible, that provide a welcome soundtrack for people, and are genuine to who I am; to always experience the collective enthusiasm of playing in a band setting, bouncing off others’ ideas and interpretations; to see as much of the world as possible with my wonderful combo through touring; to end up, in my 80s, playing 1940s country music every taco Tuesday in some small town with my guitarist husband, Gerard Egan.

Photo credit: RR Jones

BGS 5+5: Catherine MacLellan

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Artist: Catherine MacLellan
Hometown: Baie-Egmont, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Latest album: Coyote

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

If I couldn’t include my dad, then I would say Joni Mitchell. But truly, the artist that has influenced me the most is my father, Gene MacLellan. He wrote such songs as “Snowbird” and “Put Your Hand in The Hand.” He died when I was 14. Learning his songs and sharing his life story over these last few years has taught me so much about him, but also about the art of songwriting. As a kid I would watch him constantly with guitar, pen and paper — always editing, jotting down ideas, working out songs. That work ethic plus the singability and melodic structures of his songs have taught me all I need to know.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

It’s hard to choose one favourite moment, there have been so many. From unexpected collaborations to beautiful settings or amazing connections with audiences. But if I have to choose one… I remember my first tour to the UK. It was my first trip that far from home and I had left my young daughter, Isabel, with my mom. I was feeling very homesick and far away from Isabel. I was touring with two other artists and when we entered the Bell Pub in Bath it was noisy and chaotic.

I felt depressed and frustrated that we had to play a loud bar. I really just wanted to go home. I offered to play first, so I could just get it over with. But then, as soon as I hit my first chord on the guitar, the entire crowd turned towards me and you could hear a pin drop. They were one of the most attentive audiences I have ever experienced and very forthright with their love for the music we were playing. It was such a switch of gears for my head and heart, it reminded me to have faith in hard times.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I remember being in high school and everyone always asking “What are you going to do with your life?” I tried so many times to pick a practical career that also included creativity. Nothing ever seemed to stick. Music, though, was a constant companion and songwriting (as a severely shy kid) was my voice to the world. Music seemed to pick me, rather than me deciding. As far as a career choice, I did have to make a decision when I was still a fledgling artist and about to become a single mother. I decided to keep going with my music career, despite knowing it would be challenging to do both well. My daughter is now 14 and I feel like it was all worth it; she is amazing and I am still making a living at music as well as making a life at home.

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

I recently promised a young girl that I would write her a song for her birthday. What should have been an easy project turned into painstaking research and a “try, try again” approach. By the time it was finished, and I shared it with her, I was happy with the song. Part of the problem for me was the pressure of doing a good job, as I knew how much it meant to her. It created a real roadblock for my creativity.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I live rurally, so nature influences just about every one of my songs. Where I write I can look out over a big field that leads to a river, and if I’m outside I can hear the sounds of the ocean, birds, and the wind through the grass or over the snow. These elements seep into everything I write.

Photo credit: Millefiore Clarkes

BGS 5+5: Jeremy Ivey

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Artist: Jeremy Ivey
Hometown: Still looking for it
Latest Album: The Dream and the Dreamer
Nickname: Jivey
Old band names: The Lunar Ticks, Riverbottom, and Horse Sense.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

I was influenced early on by poetry. Poets like T.S. Eliot, Poe, Dickinson, Keats… all those ones you get exposed to in high school. I put a tune to Longfellow’s “The Fire of Driftwood” And would play and sing it. Later I got into the Beats and that really twisted my head in the best way. After that it was Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and all the song poets.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

The first time I got to join John Prine for “Paradise” and more recently, I did my first encore. That was surreal.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

I think of everything as an influence. I mean, when I was a toddler I watched Captain Kangaroo, when I was 9 my uncle was struck by lightning, when I was in high school I had a deep infatuation with a girl I was invisible to. That’s all living art and I think it affects the art we in turn make. Film is definitely important because of dialogue. There’s dialogue in songs too. I like Sam Peckinpah.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

I’m still not sure I want to. It’s more of a calling I guess…a nervous twitch I can’t seem to shake

What’s the toughest time you ever had writing a song?

Oh I don’t know, I probably blocked it out. I try not to try when comes to writing. There’s no bigger drag than hitting that high stone wall of effort over inspiration. I try to stay inspired period. If it’s not happening in a song I’ll go find it in nature or in a book.

BGS 5+5: Charlie Parr

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Artist: Charlie Parr
Hometown: Duluth, Minnesota
Latest album: Charlie Parr
Personal nicknames: Jeff, my actual first name. My mom calls me Jeff.

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Koerner, Ray & Glover have probably had the biggest impact on me as a musician, and it’s hard to put into words exactly how. When I moved to Minneapolis in the ’80s there was so much amazing music everywhere you looked and each scene had a certain vibe to it, from jazz, funk, the beginning of whatever they were calling alt-country then, punk, hardcore to the incredibly unique West Bank folk/blues scene. I loved it all, but I lived on the West Bank and that sound that K,R&G made either together or in their parts (K and/or R and/or G) changed my life.

What’s your favorite memory from being on stage?

I’ve been lucky to have had mostly good and great experiences performing; there are so many nights that stand out it’s hard to say I have a favorite. This summer an audience in Bozeman, Montana, threw flowers on stage after my set and it really made me happy. Normally I just want to play and that’s the primary mover, but when I feel like an audience likes what I’ve done and responds with that kind of love it’s just about the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt.

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc — inform your music?

I read a lot, mostly novels and short stories, some history and biographies, a little philosophy, and that all goes into the pot. I go to galleries when I can, and occasionally see a film, but not as often as I’d like. Everything tends to influence the music.

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I drink a little coffee, walk a little if there’s time and room, or at least pace. I like to warm up on the guitar if there’s a place to do that. I also really like spending time in the venue, I like to see who else is playing and meet some folks who came to the show.

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with and how do those impact your work?

I live near Lake Superior, which is a powerful force up here for everyone, and I really like getting to go walking near the lake. When I’m on the road and there’s time I like to walk wherever there’s water; it grounds me and gives me a sense of balance.