1. How old were you when you knew your life was going to be art? I've known it in my bones the whole time. My head had to catch up. Everyone does art: some people whittle, some people do construction. It breaks my heart that still some have to perform arts that they hate, like when I do the dishes. Fortunately for me, I have the time to channel that bad art frustration into an art I Love, music.

 

2. When did you start for real? Professionally, I started playing music when I was 7. I was Ponty Bone's washboard player for many years.

 

3. Were you single minded in this pursuit or did you train/educate for a "real" job? Haha, I'm pretty single minded. or simple minded? 

 

4. School - Did it help, hinder, or immaterial? It didn't really affect me, I either had my guitar at school, or my guitar had me at home.

 

5. Who supported your decisions?  I haven't really encountered anyone who hasn't supported my decisions. Sometimes the support comes even before I've decided, which is a pretty crazy position to be in.

 

6. Do you have family?  And where are they? 6. I have a very large family, all over! Some in New York, some in Sweden, mostly in Texas though... My pop is a musician about town, Spencer, and my mom, Beth, takes people's blood... If you run into them, say "hi," they're very approachable. I've got TONS of cousins, if you weighed'em all out...

 

7. What gigs stand out to you, looking back? I Love performing with frands! Ponty Bone is particularly fun, 'cause I don't get to play washboard that often... Capyac too, for the same reason!

 

8. Who did you like performing with? On out tenth birthday, my sister Zephyr and I had a costume party at Music Lab. I played guitar there, and for the first time, I felt that thing in my stomach. It makes your face screw all up 'cause it feels soooo good to play that oooone note.

 

9. What do you see as your best work? Honestly, I've gone through a lot of music phases, and I love them all. They're all part of a larger story, they're stories of a certain time, and they're made up of smaller stories still (songs). But I've been better able to communicate through what I've been writing recently, so I like that. To completely throw you off though, my real magnum opus is a comic I drew a year ago, that I'd be happy to show anyone who asks. I usually have it on me!

 

10. Has your outlook on fame changed since you've achieved it? I'm a far cry from fame, but I know I don't want it. Notoriety my be nice, or a reputation for making people feel good... I think there's a false sense that fame is gonna save you, and fix all your problems, but I think it can be harder to relate to people as you gets more famous... I don't know, maybe that's not true for everyone.

 

11. Has notoriety changed you? Haha! No.

 

12. Do you feel satisfied with yourself? Generally yeah. Sometimes no. Cycles are natural and happen anyway, which makes me feel good about my state no matter what state it is, at least it's the right one.

Get sleep/ Finish these later.

 

13. How do you want to be remembered? 'd like to be remembered through personal experience, maybe through a piece of artwork. I'd like not to be remembered, and remembered all at once, which I think is really doable if we put our minds together!

 

14. What are you currently working on? Right now I'm really focusing on BATTY JR (capitalized in this response for eye-grabbing), which is my band with somewhat of a rotating cast (currently Sadie Cello Wolfe, Taylor Bass Turner, and Delwin Drums Campbell). It's a collection of my songs that's really lyrically driven now, but ever evolving. The future is bright. Hey! We got a show on the 17th of June at Red Eyed Fly (which recently changed owners).

 

15. Is it as easy as it looks? It's JUST as easy as it looks... well, practicing can be tough when everyone (including myself) is in five bands, but the part that looks easy, really is. You should do it! Get to it!

 

16. Is it fun? Hey these are all tied in! The part that looks easy IS the fun, and... 

 

18. What would you say to wannabee performers? You should do it! Get to it!

 

19. Do you have pets, what kind? I've got no animal pets. I've got a pet peeve when people talk over music I really want to listen to, and I've got some pet names for people like Jeff Niles, Jake Miles, Greggles, Saddles, Crifoter, Zephry... the list goes on... and I've got some petrified wood somewhere around here... I do like to pretend I have pets, for minutes at a time, when i find bugs or lizards... My Pop has a dog I wrote a song about : )

 

20. What's more important - Talent or hard work? I guess it just depends on what the end goal is. Hard work is very important, but nothing compared to opportunity. And unless you have a talent for finding opportunities, hard work ain't a thing! They all work hand in hand, I would love to hold all their hands myself, only I'm shy... workin' on it though!

 

21 Xtra. What is your take on MP3 downloads? MP3 downloads aren't as easy for me... I have to hear about a music, and turn on a computer, and "dang! Where did I put those headphones," and download, "do I even have time right now?" It's easier to be walking around where time isn't a factor, "oh wow, a record store!" and do it that way. I like stumbling. Into things.