The Best Problems

Jun 26, 2024

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photo by Tim Fading from The Listening Room at Oak Hill United Methodist Church in Austin

Another successful leg under the ole planken-belt. The states were Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois. Venues included in this run were a summer concert series in the park, house concerts, one of my favorite clubs anywhere, some listening rooms, and one very cool festival. Oh, and three great Texas radio spots at KEOS in College Station, KWVH in Wimberley, and Sun Radio in Austin for “Sun Radio Day.”

Coach and Chrissy from KWVH in Wimberley, TX rocking 2 styles of Plank shirts! photo by Bonnie :)

Playing the Moccasin Creek Festival (and subsequently booking it for next year in a headlining Thursday night spot with full band!)is REALLY making me look forward to my upcoming band gig in Austin at The Saxon Pub on July 26th. I’ve been touring solo, which truly is a joy of mine because of the freedom regarding where I go and what I do (nobody else to worry about getting to flights, the hotel lobby on time for the van call, and so if I feel like going to as movie or a restaurant on my night off, I just go). If I ever bump up another level I plan to take a road manager, even though I’m so used to this now I’ll probably end up managing them. I saw Pat Byrne coming off stage recently as I was getting on stage. He asked if I was mostly touring buy myself and I said yes. He said he was too and we agreed that even though it can be grueling at times it’s a really freeing, cool, and particularly fun way to do it.

It’s not financially viable at this point to take a band on the road, but luckily I have made friends with incredible musicians close enough to band gigs that most of the time we don’t even travel together; they too enjoy the independence of arriving and leaving and not being tied to my staying a minimum of an hour after every gig to sell merch, hang with friends and fans, and deal with the business of music.

I love it all. Someone recently asked me what is my favorite venue and type of gig. Here’s a potential order:

Festival band or solo gig
listening room or performing art center band or solo gig
band in a club gig
solo house concert
everything else

Not that the “everything else” category doesn’t kick butt too. Each of these has their pros and cons, but really it’s all gravy once you make it to the stage. Connection is the key (for me). I know, I know — it sounds a little hippie dippie, but I really feel the less it’s about me, and the more it’s about us the better.

fun on the Shady Stage at Moccasin Creek Festival photo by Rob Hanning

So thanks to everyone for a wonderful tour, and enough about that. I write about touring more than anything.

About the music…

I have been wonderfully inspired as of late. Songs are coming to me left and right, and from every direction. I was able to play a few of them at The Resentments show at The Saxon Pub the Sunday before last, but that barely scratched the surface. On my last trip home (where I am headed now via Minneapolis Airport terminal D where I sit writing this for you) I was spending most of my morning hours and well into the afternoon writing. You see, I was supposed to have a live recording made at one of my gigs in the PNW. I really love the recordings made from this recording studio and the head honcho and engineer there, and we had a “live recording in front of a studio audience” slated for that night.

Things happen; there was a big technical problem and we weren’t able to do the recording part. But when one door closes, once in a great while (not always, mind you) another opens. On top of that sometimes you have to nudge it open and when it comes to nudging, one might even call me shameless.

So I have two more golden opportunities to record before the end of October. A solo recording a la Nick Drake’s Pink Moon, Patty Griffin’s Living With Ghosts, or even Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Each song with have only one instrument (acoustic guitar, lap steel acoustic guitar, or piano) and my voice. Maybe I’ll even include a little “porchboard” action with my left foot stomping a bass-drum pattern as I often do in my live shows to add percussive feel. I love the way Willis Alan Ramsey would kick the base of his microphone stand for that effect on his famous self titled ‘73 album. I sure do have acres of inspiration to draw from my many musical influences and mentors. I’ll be heading to the gulf coast in mid-July to record that with my friends down at Coastal Bend Music.

Then later this year the plan is to go all the way to The Netherlands to record a “blues” album with The Southern Aces — the phenomenal Dutch band that backed up Malford Milligan on his last two albums. I’m slated to spend 3 weeks there in October before I head to Texas for my yearly Halloween gig in Austin.

What to do…what to do?

I just put out Alone At Sea in late September. At present, my musical community is ready for new music. I can put the music out on my patreon page (and will at a rate of a minimum one song per month), but when to put out these other (potential) albums? Streaming alone won’t cut it, and neither I nor my listeners are satisfied by singles or streaming alone. I love albums. So, who knows? I guess, in a way, the good news is that nobody knows. There are three major labels that own the vast majority of the music we all listen to and consume. The rest of us are scraps, eking out a modest living if we are so lucky, and for me, loving every minute of it. My indie label is incredible. I love them, but I can’t expect them to put out 3 albums in 2 years! So I could release singles and see what I can drum up. I could also only give these songs to my sync agent (someone who pitches your songs to movies, streaming platforms, tv, etc.). That would unfortunately mean even longer before my people would get to enjoy it or for me to start playing the bulk of it at my shows.

So I have “the best problems” I could think of right now. I have an incredibly busy schedule, more songs than I know what to do with, and I’m writing like mad. Even my wonderful wife noted on my last couple weeks off at home that she, “hadn’t seen me like this in a long time.” Something’s cooking…

What I do know is I can make songs first, worry about them later. Live, in my home studio, and in recording (when I can afford it!). As I continue to tour my behind off finding new venues and audiences, in the two countries I spend the most time in and the rest of the world, I’ll keep writing and recording. For now, you’ll hear a song or two peppered into my sets when the mood hits me. You can also hear my new music every month here on patreon. Sign up now if you haven’t already at patreon.com/jeffplankenhorn