Tancred – TOUR TIPS

In this Tour Tips segment, Jess Abbott of the indie pop band, Tancred, gives you her tips for being on tour. You can check out the feature, after the break.

1. Don’t drive through the Rocky Mountains
If you’re ever heading to or from the west coast you’re going to have to make a crucial decision- will you go through the Rockies or around? Now if you wanna go for it then go for it but I’m just saying that I was once hit by a semi on the side of a mountain in a snowstorm and our van came within feet of going over the edge into a black abyss.

2. Get gear insurance
It costs a little money (it’s cheaper than you’d think) but it’s almost nothing compared to the value of your gear! Getting good sleep is vitally important when you’re on tour and nothing keeps you up at night quite like staring out your motel window wondering if your amp is still there.

3. Get into podcasts for driving
Even your all time favorite jams get a little tired when you’re on your 3rd consecutive week of 8-hour drives. Getting into podcasts changed drives for me- find ones about things you’re interested in and listen to people say cool shit about it. Keeps you awake and distracted from the fact that you’ve seen nothing but dead grass and pavement for 5 hours. Recommended: Snap Judgement.

4. Pull over at national parks
Tour life gets really monotonous and the truth is a lot of people can’t afford to pay for entertainment while they’re out there. The most therapeutic days I’ve had on a tour were ones where in the middle of a drive we pulled over to a national park and walked around. Sunshine feels great when you’re stressed out and trapped in a van regularly. It’s usually free but at most it costs maybe $5 to drive in.

5. Eat well
Hard to do when America tends to offer nothing but Arby’s on highways but it can be done! Budget a little extra time to drive into a busy area where you’ve got some options that won’t make you keel over in the van seat. Whole Foods has a food buffet that rules- once you master the art of weight estimate (buffet charges by the pound) you can get a really nice meal for $10. That being said, don’t be ashamed to spend $2 at a drive thru if you have to. No shame in surviving.

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