The Royal Foundry – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, the alternative rock duo, The Royal Foundry, recommends advice for being a musician on the road. You can check out the tips, after the break.

After a year and a half of not touring and having just released a song that we wrote while on the road, I would happily share some of the tour tips we’ve accumulated over the years. We are fairly practical in nature, so we hope you can relate to 1 or all of the following for normal, everyday use.

1. Pre-tour health prep: Weeks before you even start the tour you NEED to lean heavily into upping your daily vitamins, cold FX, and getting as much sleep as you can. Trying to make your time before tour as stress-less as possible can help your longevity.

2. Where there is good coffee, there are cool areas. We are coffee magnets and thus, unconsciously drive out of our way to grab some joy in a cup (it’s a gift). Finding those spots usually unveils cool neighbourhoods that can have great shops and restaurants, which as we all know just help with your mental state while the harsh realities of touring encompass us. So, do yourself a favour and try to enjoy what little time you have by seeking out that which gives you enjoyment.

3. Keep your touring vehicle clean. Some drives in-between shows are long and will start to smell if you don’t do something about it. If you can have at least one girl in the band (the more the better) there is a higher chance your smells won’t be as bad. But getting a nice smelly thing for your car could stop any (or all) arguments in a small metal box going 110km down the highway in the middle of nowhere.

4. Try not to eat shit. Grabbing groceries and keeping healthy snacks readily available will stop you from those late-night McD runs.

5. Make sure you have access to cheesy, well-known songs that can ruin your voice during those late late late night drives… We always gravitate to Creed to keep us awake! Otherwise, never underestimate the power of learning with the vast array of podcasts to educate while driving cross country.

6. BONUS: Look out for each other. There is a lot of chaos that occurs during touring and it’s good to make sure everyone is being safe and cared for and some need it more than others. Be kind to others and yourself.

Keep up with them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.