Can you give us a brief history of your playing career?
My father is a musician and we had a little studio in the house growing up. I started out playing piano and then turned to drums. It wasn’t until I was 18 that I really picked up the guitar. I started playing my dad’s right-handed guitars upside down and backwards until my 19th birthday when my dad gave me my first lefty. It was a fender strat.
What inspired you to start playing?
I was surrounded by music and knew it was my passion from a very early age. It was my talented family and friends that inspired me to pick up the guitar and start writing songs.
What was your first electric guitar?
Fender Strat
What are your top 5 favorite records?
Carole King – “Tapestry”
Fleetwood Mac – “Rumors”
Leonard Cohen – “Best of”
Cyndi Lauper – “She’s so Unusual”
Elliott Smith – “XO”
What was the proudest moment and/or performance of your playing career?
Well, when I was playing drums for “Bright Eyes” there were several “Oh, my God, I can’t believe this!” moments – one of which was playing in front of 60,000 people at Bonnaroo…
As for my solo project – playing in Japan for hundreds of quite respectful fans was pretty incredible! Azure Ray just got back from Korea and that was an amazing experience. So many wonderful people who had been listening to our music for 13 years who finally got to see us live.
How did you hear about Reverend?
Browan Lollar played in the Azure Ray touring band this year and also played on my upcoming record. He spread the word about how awesome your guitars are!
What Reverend guitar(s)/basses are you using?
A Jetstream 290
What do you like about your Reverend guitar?
The neck feels incredible. It feels so sturdy. It NEVER goes out of tune, and they look unique.l
What amps and pedals do you currently use?
I use a Fender Blues Deluxe. The only pedal I use these days is a Holy Grail reverb pedal.
Do you have any unusual hobbies, skills, or pastimes you’d like to share with us?
I’m a red wine LOVER.
Do you have any advice for up and coming players?
Stick with it, stick with it!!!!
Please tell us about any of your current projects, tours, cds, etc. we should know about:
My new solo record will come out in August at which time I’ll hit the road again. I’ll probably tour Europe first and then back in the States.
