“Performing live didn’t always come easy for me. I’ve been playing guitar for nearly 20 years, and singing for about 10 years. It took at least a year or two of playing gigs almost every weekend for me to feel comfortable as a performer. Now, performing live is amazing. There are good nights and bad, but when you have the audience in the palm of your hand, and they’re feeling your songs, there’s nothing in the world like it.”
“One of my favorite nights performing came two years ago, on the night of the grand opening of The Harvester Performance Center. My good friend, Levi Lowrey, who was on Zac Brown’s Southern Ground label, was booked to play the grand opening with Clay Cook from the Zac Brown Band. I spoke with Levi and Gary Jackson about being the opening act, and they were gracious enough to let me, along with my bandmate Justin Arnett, open the very first show. I’d never been more terrified and thrilled to play in front of an audience in my life.”
“The house was packed, and all eyes were focused on us. When I stepped out on that stage and began to speak, I felt the tears well up in my eyes, so I made the introduction short and sweet. In the 10 years I’d been performing, I’d never experienced that kind of undivided attention from an audience. I was accustom to playing in bars, full of drinkers. It was especially emotional because I grew up in Rocky Mount. To be the very first act to perform on the Harvester stage, in my hometown, was and is the highlight of my musical career. The night became even more special when Levy, who is one of my musical heroes, joined us on stage with his fiddle. Together we played a song I wrote, “Some Kind of Magic,” that seeks to capture the magic of being a musician. I’ll never forget those 45 minutes for the rest of my life.”
“Life experiences, my fellow musicians, and listening to new music fuel my writing and inspire me to continue to play. I try to write songs in a way that will paint a picture for the listener. I want to take them to that place I was when I wrote the song.”
“Most of what I play includes Americana, Reggae, Rock, Country, Blues, and Soul. While I attribute The Black Crowes, Bob Marley, Dave Matthews, and a number of other big rock bands to my sound, my biggest influence is local legend, Corey Hunley. Corey has been a family friend since before I was born, so I grew up knowing him. I saw him perform a lot, and remember thinking, “I want to do that!” If not for him, I wouldn’t have gotten a guitar or known what good music was at the age of 12. I always have, and always will look up to Corey as a musician, songwriter, and human being.”
“While I appreciate Corey, and all the artists who have influenced my music, I work to find my own voice. Being an artist is about creating art, not duplicating it. Take chances and play as often as possible. You won’t do anything worthwhile by sitting around and waiting for something to happen.”
