Can you tell us about the inspiration behind your latest album, and what themes or stories you aimed to convey through your music?

The inspiration behind my latest album, Travelin’ Light was that I really needed to get a back log of songs recorded. I’ve been carrying them around and performing them for a while. Finally, a very good musician friend, who I respect, let me know he thought it was time to record.
The songs on this record are first about the people that mean the most to me: my family. There are also stories of friends who have suffered or succeeded. The silent battles we are all fighting. Some you win, some you lose.

Music often has the power to transport people to different places and times. Can you describe a moment in your life when a particular song or album had a profound impact on you?

The single biggest moment like that for me was when I was probably 11 years old. My friend and I rode our bikes from school to his house to see this brand-new station called MTV. The first video I saw was Billy Idol’s White Wedding. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
But, the very next one was The Clash’s Rock The Casbah. I was stunned, absolutely rooted to the ground. They were the coolest guys, playing the coolest music and I wanted to be exactly like them.

Many artists have rituals or routines they follow before performing or recording. Do you have any unique or quirky pre-show or pre-recording rituals you find help you get in the zone?

In either setting I remind myself, “I get to do this, and I’m pretty lucky.” So, whether I’m getting in front of people, or recording, I want a foundation of gratitude. That makes a light presence. I’ve loved everything about music, especially rock and roll for as long as I can remember, and now, I get to be a small part of it.

Your lyrics often tell a story or convey a message, Can you share a story behind one of your songs and the inspiration that led to its creation?

My favorite song of mine is Maeve. My family went through a tragedy a while ago. When
I sat down to write it in the middle of the sadness and despair, I thought, “I want to add something
hopeful to what I am experiencing. I want to have an active role in shaping where this experience
goes, and what its memory feels like.”

If you could curate a music festival with a lineup of your dream artists, who would be the headliners, and what would the theme of the festival be?

Dream artists? Chris Cornell, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Cage The Elephant, Kimbra, Lily Allen, Eric Clapton doing something acoustic, some small Bossa Nova and Samba acts and some chill swing country acts.
The theme would be: everyone is fighting silent battles we know nothing about. So be kind. Always.

Music can be a powerful tool for advocacy and change. Are there any social or political causes that you’re passionate about, and how does your music play a role in promoting these issues.

I volunteer with a non-profit called Hope For Haitians. It is a wonderful organization serving the most vulnerable and deprived people in the Western Hemisphere. As part of my role with HFH, I will put together events to raise funds and profile visibility for the organization. There are so many starting points for aid in Haiti, but for me, I focus on clean water.
Generally speaking, from my life experience and from working with Hope For Haitians, besides clean water, the cause(s) I am most interested in and which is carried in my music is respect and dignity for self and others.

The music industry has evolved significantly with technology. How do you see artificial intelligence and emerging technologies impacting the creation and distribution of music in the future?

Well, AI and technology aren’t going away. And, we know technology makes life easier and more efficient. So, music creation and distribution will become easier and more efficient. That is not a qualifying statement, I just see it happening.
However, I think there is a large, and growing demographic that wants life experiences that are as close to the source as they can get. People want the idea of organic in more than the food they eat. They want it to color their life experience because it makes things so much more interesting and enjoyable. There will always be artists creating their work with their hands in their craft, and there will be consumers who want art created that way. Humans are active, busy and engaged. We need a mission, and we need sincerity.

Many recording artists evolve over time. How do you see your musical journey changing and growing in the next decade?

To continue evolving and changing, I have to keep writing and performing. I have to get in front of people. It is the finishing process for me. So I will keep writing and performing.
But that is not enough. I gotta have a network of peers to collaborate with. I have some now, but I’d like more. I don’t want to do this in a vacuum, that will suffocate the entire process.