All That Capricorn Work Ethic Paid Off

Summer dates, Sunday Salon and *new merch*

I just got back from the Moccasin Creek Festival in Effingham, IL. It was a Full Strawberry Moon in Capricorn - the sign of determination, building things, structure, ambition. It was a million degrees. I drove a million miles to get there from North Carolina. I have a million planets in Capricorn. I loved the whole damn thing.

When the promoter booked me back in February, he asked if I could have my friend Greg Klyma and his trio, who were also on the bill, back me up so we could play on the main stage. I love Greg’s playing, so I agreed.

I pulled into town for rehearsal Thursday afternoon. I was a little fried, a little strung out on turkey jerky and gas station coffee. But you know when something just clicks? I had never met the drummer, Nash, or the bassist, Adam, but when I showed up, these dudes knew all my damn songs. They knew the parts inside and out. They had the backing vocals down. Best of all, they sounded fantastic together. I barely had to do anything. Do you know how hard it is to find musicians who will put in this much work for one set? It was a dream. My intuition told me it would work out, but it was even better than I thought. They had my back.

Ruth Nickens

When I was just getting started touring overseas in the UK and Europe, there were a handful of artists whose names I would see everywhere, and I was particularly in awe of the ones who were making the kind of songwriter-driven rock n’ roll I aspire to make: Wilco, Alejandro Escovedo, Chuck Prophet. Their posters were on the walls of the clubs and the fans’ homes I would stay in. Those guys had something going on and they weren’t holding back. They were ten or fifteen years further down the road than me and had some kind of bulletproof cool around them that seemed both a million miles out of my reach and also like it made perfect sense. Something I could see in myself in my best moments, when my ego stepped aside and I understood my raison d’être as an artist.

I won’t bore you with the details of my long slog through the music business - record deals, getting dropped by my label, doing the indie thing. Everyone pretty much knows at this point: the music business can be hell. A lot of people drop out, tired of having their dreams or bank accounts crushed. I have been there, five million times. I had a great discussion with Amy Speace at SERFA where she asked me knowingly, “how many times a week do you decide to quit?” We both know the answer is one less time than you decide to keep going. Because you love it so much. Because you’re a lifer. And what no one tells you when you’re 25 and just want everyone to applaud so you can ignore your own insecurity is: the more you tread the path of transmuting the bullshit into art, the better your art gets. And the better your art gets, the less you care about the bullshit and the more you want to keep going.

My slot at Moccasin Creek was 9 pm Friday, right before Chuck Prophet and Mission Express. I chatted with Chuck briefly before we went on. I felt awkward and a little starstruck, having seen him play in London and in Austin, and knowing through legend and through listening the depth of his song-craft, which is mighty, whip-smart, and transcendent. He said he thought he knew who I was. (I don’t think he did, but it was kind of him to say.)

I took the stage with Greg and his trio behind me and to be honest, we fucking slayed. Sometimes you can just tell something is working. It was working.

Thanks to Rob Hanning for this video of “Little White Dove”

Afterward I was loading my gear off the stage when Chuck approached me and said, “That was amazing! It was one great song after another. Like Warren Zevon.”

Y’all, this was from a guy who actually worked with Warren Zevon. The 27 year old in me, and the 50 year old in me watched our tiny brains explode to have this giant of rock n roll songwriting bestow his blessing on my work. It was the cherry on top of a series of confirmations I feel like the universe has given me in the last 6 months. And for the first time I thought, “This IS where I’m going. That IS gonna be me in ten years. Maybe artists of this caliber aren’t out of my reach. Maybe these are my people.”

This isn’t a comment on something special or mysterious about me. Of course my ego would like to believe it is. But in truth, “talent” is mostly just hard work. I just feel really fucking grateful to have stuck it out.

NEW MERCH! Never Gonna Break Me T’s and Tanks! In my Merch Store.

Let them know your power! Thanks to the magnificent Emily Shirley for this design, based on my video for Never Gonna Break Me.

The Big Table has raised $750 so far for World Central Kitchen - Let’s make it $1000!

Huge thanks to all who have participated in this fundraiser so far to support this incredible organization who have returned to provide meals in Gaza even after seven of their aid workers were killed. Let’s make it $1000! The Big Table single and handwritten, signed lyric sheets are available on my Bandcamp,

Sunday Salon 6/29 - Songs of Summer Crushes

My Sunday Salon for paid subscribers is this week - Sunday 6/30 at 3 pm ET! We’ll discuss:

-Your top 3 songs about Summer Crushes

-Any memories you’re willing to share about a summer fling?

It’s time to nerd out with me about your favorite artists, albums and songs! I’ll compile a playlist from everyone’s additions and share it to Spotify and YouTube! Info is at the bottom for my paid Subscribers!

SUMMER SHOWS

7/21 SEANCE Concert Series, Durham, NC

8/2 3rd Street Coffeehouse, Roanoke, VA

8/8 Gas Hill Drinking Room, Winston-Salem, NC - w/special guest Grant Peoples

8/16-8/18 Philadelphia Folk Festival, Old Pool Farm, Upper Salford Township, PA

9/5-9/8 Antlers & Acorns Songwriters Festival, Boone, NC