Words

Maybe it’s growing up in my teenage years in the Air Capital of Wichita, Kansas, maybe it’s just wanderlust, maybe it’s just being able to fly now more than ever after years of trekking the nation in old vans and trailers, but I LOVE flying. I write lyrics and dream up new schemes up in the sky more than anywhere … Read More

  These aren’t the 10 records I love or jam the most, but in looking back to what informed my tastes in music and what kind of music moves me to this day, these are 10 of my all-time faves. I don’t believe that what you start with is all you can appreciate (I got into blues, jazz, and classical … Read More

  It may seem strange that a rock ’n’ roll band is traveling the countryside talking to kids about saving money (believe me, it’s the last thing I thought I would be doing as a singer and songwriter), but in my mind nothing is more rock ’n’ roll than the freedom to make your own decisions and follow your own … Read More

  OK, that was a trap, now wasn’t it? No one should ever write the words Willie Nelson VERSUS Bob Dylan. 🙂 For musicianship, I would go with Willie just for his Django Reinhart riffs alone (which I am trying to steal to this day), but as a writer, it’s impossible to compare this caliber of artists. The lyrics for … Read More

  From 2003 to 2007 I lived in the gorgeous and peaceful Colorado town of Fort Collins, Colorado, aka the front range. Brutal winters but every other season was perfect. Hiking and biking trails, good food, and a perfect little tree-lined downtown that reminded me of our school days in Lawrence, Kansas (rock chalk, baby). I had a gray little … Read More

  So I’m at SXSW a few years back. I flew down to speak on a panel, so sadly the band was not with me. I’m staying north of town with our former tour manager Tony Hubbard (Ohio Tony), one of the smartest and funniest mofos you will meet in your life. If you remember the band’s DVD Little America, … Read More

Hello folks! Heading out on the I-40E today from Nashville to play a couple of month’s worth of shows around the Midwest and discuss financial equality. The coffee is hot, the skies are gray and beautiful, and the band is rehearsed and ready for battle. Here are the four questions I am most often asked about why we are traveling … Read More

  RIP Chuck Berry. The Grandfather of Rock ’n’ Roll. Chuck gave us guitar slingers as much of a path forward as anyone. Keith Richards stole all his early riffs from Chuck, as did about 100,000 more of us. I remember working round the clock to learn the intro riff of “Johnny B Goode” for one of my first bands … Read More

Any road dogs, big truckers, or folks with long commutes know this feeling well…You shift in your seat as your eyes start to glaze over. You pound coffee, roll the windows down for cold air, or scream song lyrics at the top of your lungs, hoping some magic force will keep you awake. I realize we shouldn’t drive when we … Read More