Boy, it's been a while since I've blogged last! I spent the past 8 months touring and didn't even do one post!
What a whirlwind of a tour that was. I WAS (obviously) able to get the trailer via Kickstarter. Brandon, Buddy, Boris, and I had a great time touring all the way out to the west coast, down the west coast, and back. We met so many cool people, heard so much good music, reconnected with old friends, saw beautiful sights, and dragged that trailer through places a trailer probably shouldn't have gone! We braved the snow of Colorado, cruised through the desert, and enjoyed the salty breeze of the ocean. It was, however, a lot of work!
If we weren't driving, I was gigging, booking, or promoting. We had to miss the redwoods to make it to a gig on time, and failed to meet up with a friend or two, due to time restraints. Driving took up most of the time.
We got in a car accident on the way to the very last gig, where I was to compete for the Grassy Hill New Folk Contest at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Brandon drove all night from Talequah, OK, down to Kerrville, TX, through tornado warnings, hydroplaning, and barely being able to see on account of so much rain! Once the rain stopped, he fell asleep, and we rear-ended a Dollar General truck. Needless to say, I did not perform my best at the contest. I learned my lesson, and will be taking driving long distances more into account when planning tour routes. It was, however, a last minute change this time, as I didn't know I was accepted into the contest until just a couple of weeks before. Live and learn, though!
After our 5 month stint, we returned home, and I traded Brandon and the dogs for the rest of my band. The Sisters Sweet set out on a 5 week tour out to Colorado, which went swimmingly. The second tour was way more rough. The gigs were not as great, and my air conditioner broke right as we headed south. It was a long, hot tour. Touring will bring out the best and worst in people, and personalities will clash! Unfortunately, due to musical and personal differences, we lost half of the band after the 2nd tour.
I learned that touring is hard. You're constantly working all the time. If you think it's a vacation, think again. If you travel with company, it can make or break your relationship. For Brandon and I, our relationship grew stronger. We are more in love than ever. I couldn't ask for a better partner. Touring also brought me a lot of self-reflection. I had to do some work on myself to be able to handle new situations. I had to ask myself why certain situations annoyed me, or brought me down. I had to learn to "go with the flow."
I do think the tour has benefited my musical career. Though I didn't "make it big" while on tour, I met some good people, made connections, and learned what it is to be a full-time, touring musician. I know that touring will get easier, as my connections grow stronger, and as I get better at booking and planning. It's a slow process, and I truly believe that persistence is key.
For now, the plan is for Emily and I to continue playing shows as a duo, still under the name, "The Sisters Sweet." We're going to stay regional for a while, and work on perfecting our duo show, and maybe hire a musician or two for certain shows. We're laying low for the winter, honing our craft. Hopefully you'll see some videos, new songs, and recordings from us soon. Thanks for continuing to follow my journey as an indie musician!
