Photo credit: Melissa Fields
Tell us about your travel vehicle. Any notable breakdown stories?
We have a white Chevy Express, no stickers, tinted windows. Great under the radar. Please do not attract any attention. We haven't had any major breakdowns, we're pretty good at maintenance. This is how we make our money. How about some near death experiences, I'll save the details in case some loved ones read this.
How do you eat cheaply and / or healthy on tour?
We're constantly trying to figure out the right street diet, I know we tried intermittent fasting, no fast food, just free food, but I don't think we figured it out. We try to be strict and I've learned not to beat myself up. It's hard enough just to be out and about.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace it?
I rarely break strings, our guitarist Junior Tutwiler breaks some every now and then, but we are gentlemen and business people, we take care of our equipment.
Where do you rehearse?
Our rehearsals are usually on the go, so if we have time or a long sound check we will play through some melodies.
What was the title and sample text from the first song you wrote?
“Them Days And Nights” was my first real song, which I wrote on my debut album OH / KY about 10 years ago after a break for a few years. “I don't know which way to go and I don't know how to go” are the opening lines and exactly how I felt in a nowhere relationship with another person.
Describe your first appearance.
I don't remember my first gig, but I do remember some very tough gigs like the solo Santa pub crawl gig that I played in front of about 200-300 extremely drunk Santas.
What was your last job? What was your favorite job that day?
In 2020 we got cut off from the road and I got a job for a local construction company and so did my drummer. Our guitarist got a job loading trucks. Now that we've started playing a bit, it makes the day job tough. My favorite job was probably my first job as a bricklayer when I was 17. It's good honest work and every job after that looks like a breeze.
How has your music-related income changed in the past 5-10 years? What do you think it will be like in 5-10 years?
My musical income has changed drastically, people actually want to pay us to play. It would be nice to meet a treat like this on the street so that I don't have to shut myself down in the future.
What do you know now, what you would have wished you knew when you started your music career?
I wish I had known that I was myself.
When Jeremy Pinnell released OH / KY to stunned applause in the summer of 2015, it felt like an entire career was compressed into a knock-out album. Hailed as a "devastatingly good" (Greg Vandy / KEXP) "tutorial on classical country music" (Popmatters), Pinnell's debut immediately differentiated itself as authentic and fearless. This was followed by persistent tours through Europe and the states and celebrated radio sessions, which cemented Pinnell's position as an uncomplicated master of his craft.
His 2017 album Ties of Blood and Affection featured a sly sideways move. Rather than duplicating the stark themes and values of his debut, Pinnell found solace in his own skin on the second album and achieved the redemption only hinted at in his earlier ghostly songs.
If the third time is a spell, Pinnell will air on the upcoming Goodbye LA. Produced by Texan Jonathan Tyler, the melodies polish the wax and buff the chrome of country music's deeper roots. Rooted in his enduring acoustic guitar, Pinnell's songs are infused with honest and classical elements. The rhythm section, all snap and shuffle, finds its purpose in well-trodden paths. The Pedal Steel and Telecaster Stingers hit the cue perfectly and wink at JP's worldly couplets. Here the slippery organ insinuates the gospel into the conversation. You can feel the space breathing and get a sense of these musicians eyeing each other as their performances are recorded on tape. And through it all comes that oak-colored identity, the devastating heart of his work. Honest and concerned, Jeremy's voice can be ironic, jubilant and extravagant – all on a single line. At his best, Jeremy Pinnell records the joys and sorrows of being human, which is the best one can do.
Connect to Pinnell online and on the go.
