Describe your genre & style:
Blues/Roots oriented primarily. There are definitely aspects of Americana, Southern Rock and 90's Rock as well. Comparisons I get stretch a pretty wide range: Son House, Robert Johnson, Curt Cobain, Chris Cornell, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, The Allman Brothers.
A cool description I got once was "sounds like cigarettes and depth". It’s true that I was a smoker at the time. I’m no longer a smoker, but hopefully I’ve retained the depth!
What about your background & influences?
I was born in New Orleans, but really grew up traveling the country with my parents. My father was a pipeline welder, and worked for several months at a time in different locations. We used to travel with him when I was growing up (I went to numerous different schools). Perhaps that's contributed to my affinity for perpetually being on the road as an adult.
My love of songwriting, especially from a poetic sense, really stems from both of my parents. Outside of his day job, my dad wrote mounds of poetry growing up, including some published works if I'm not mistaken. My mom and younger sister are both teachers now, and have spent most of their careers teaching English. It would be accurate to a large degree to say that I'm the son of a poet and an English teacher. I guess songwriting was in the cards.
My dad is also a guitarist, pianist, and songwriter himself, and was a massive influence for me initially. When I was around 19, he began performing often publicly, and it was really the first time I heard him, other than bits and pieces growing up. I buried myself in guitar at the time, mostly studying his style from an album he had recently recorded. It was from studying that album that I really learned to play, honestly. (Dad is also where the Southern Rock portion of my style stems from.)
Not long after I discovered Chris Whitley, who was certainly more of an underground artist than mainstream. This discovery undoubtedly shaped my musical style more than any other. The music was rustic and poetic, and also the first time I really noticed resonator guitars. I bought a cheap one and never turned back. I don't own that cheap reso anymore (I think it was a Johnson), but resonators have become signature for me to a degree, and are definitely my go-to instruments.
Along those lines, ten or fifteen years ago my father built the two resos that I currently use for stage, and gave them to me as random gifts. As far as I know, they are the only guitars he has ever built. They are one-of-a-kind instruments, and I'm constantly asked about them at shows. Pretty amazing gifts.
(I built a stomp board that I use for stage as well. It's a big plywood box for foot percussion. Combined with the guitars, my live show involves quite a few home-made instruments.)
In general, I'm a fan of guitar-driven acoustic music. Even better if it is blues-oriented.
I'm also a fan of melancholic music. Even better if the lyrics make me think.
How did you get started? What has been your path?
After college I moved to Austin, like a lot of young musicians from Texas. Spent 5 valuable years there, but was glad to leave. I greatly prefer rural living over city life. I'm very introverted by nature, and try to "overcome" my introversion when I'm in public. City life works for a lot of people, obviously, but it makes me feel a little crazy. I have a very rural home in East Texas that is my preferred place to be.
In 2011, I hit a burnout point with music. Since it was all I had done my adult life, I wasn't entirely sure where to turn, but I had a teaching certificate and degree from my college days. I taught high school English for four years. Looking back, I regret that I lost the opportunity to pursue my passion during those years. It is probably my only real regret to date. (Not long ago I read that it is better to learn to rest than to quit. In hindsight, that's pretty good advice.)
By 2015 I was ready to come back to it all, and the perspective difference has been astounding. I am extraordinarily grateful to be able to write and perform songs as a career. Hopefully those songs are able to reach people and bring a little joy into the world along the way.
I met my wife in late 2007 at a show in Austin. She is a songwriter and guitarist as well, and we were on the same bill at a venue downtown. We later formed a band together (The Rust) and performed together for several years.
What are your current projects?
I recently released a single, "Rollin' and Tumblin", along with an accompanying video. Prior to that I released the single "Fire and Flames" (along with an accompanying video).
"Rollin' and Tumblin" was performed solo, similar to most of my live performances. It represents my interpretation of a traditional blues tune.
I am currently working on my third full-length album (sixth release), and hope to have it completed by the end of this year.
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