JJ Gray on Salad Bars, Working at a Lumber Yard, and the River of Nickels

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JJ Grey

Inform us about your tour car. Any notable breakdown tales?

We tour in tour buses now, however I nonetheless personal a 40 foot Vacation Rambler that I toured in for a minimum of 10 years. The engine blew up in it one time close to Cape Girardeau, MO. It had a 2208 Caterpillar engine in it. So I needed to have a brand new one (re-man’ed) put in. That was nearly the top of my touring musical profession (lol) however folks helped out and we have been in a position to preserve going.

How do you eat cheaply and/or wholesome whereas on tour?

Salad bars! Salad bars! Salad bars! Additionally, mixing within the occasional common meal at a favourite hang-out too (assume The Purple Iguana in SLC). I really get in significantly better form being on tour than I do sitting round the home stuffing my face with goodies.   

What number of strings do you break in a typical 12 months? How a lot does it price to switch them?

I used to interrupt a ton of strings. I performed for years on my outdated Silvertone guitars with the motion so excessive that I needed to bend the strings like loopy to get what I needed out of them. I additionally used to usually beat the shit out of my guitars when taking part in, however I backed off slightly bit now, and solely break a string or 2 each tour, which might put me at a few half dozen or much less strings breaking yearly. All that stated, my guitar tech often modifications out my strings each couple of reveals in order that helps minimize down on what number of strings really break. Particularly since I didn’t used to alter a string till it broke.

The place do you rehearse?

By no means had a rehearsal house earlier than. We at all times rehearsed at sound checks on tour. However I’ve a brand new rehearsal house now which is a loopy two-story octagon, glass and uncovered beam picket constructing. That’s open from the primary flooring as much as the second flooring. It really sounds actually good in it as there are hardly any opposing partitions dealing with one another to create an excessive amount of slap-back echo stuff. Ultimately I’ll flip this rehearsal house right into a studio.

What was the title and a pattern lyric from the primary tune that you simply wrote?

That’s an amazing query that I’ve by no means thought of and actually I can’t keep in mind what the tune was or what it was about lyrically. I would like to do a little analysis to see if I can determine that out sooner or later (Lol). 

Describe your first gig.

It was an absolute shit present! It was at a spot referred to as the Match Cowl Lounge that was right here in my hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. We have been a very dangerous cowl band doing actually dangerous variations of basic southern rock and (on the time) prime 40. There are most likely, to at the present time, folks attempting to get the psychiatric assist they want as a way to neglect the trauma of listening to me attempt to sing “Your Love” by The Outfield again then.

What was your final day job? What was your favourite day job?

I labored at a lumberyard referred to as Paschal and Shaw. I drove a truck and a forklift and pulled lumber orders. I liked that job. It was most likely the most effective job I ever had as much as that time. Actually, I’d not have been in a position to do what I do now in the event that they haven’t helped me alongside the way in which.

How has your music-related revenue modified over the previous 5-10 years? What do you anticipate it to appear like 5-10 years from now?

It’s positively modified quite a bit. However I assume you’d anticipate it too as a result of as you become older you get higher and extra environment friendly at getting issues finished with much less power. Plus after getting quite a lot of albums out, you might have slightly bit extra circulation in that river of nickels.

What one factor are you aware now that you simply had wished you knew if you began your profession in music?

That sitting round, ready for an e-mail or a telephone name doesn’t make it come any faster. Additionally that it doesn’t at all times should be a wrestle. I positively put myself below pointless stress, and beat myself up bodily greater than I wanted to.

Since his first album, Blackwater, again in 2001, JJ Gray has been releasing deeply transferring, masterfully written, funkified rock and entrance porch Southern soul music. Now, along with his new album, Olustee – his tenth and first in 9 years, and the primary he has self-produced – Gray is again, singing his private tales with common themes of redemption, rebirth, exhausting luck, and inside peace. Together with his music, Gray additionally celebrates good instances with lifelong buddies, oftentimes mixing the carnal with the cerebral in the exact same tune. Fueled by his vividly detailed, timeless originals spun from his personal life and experiences within the Northern Florida swampland, Gray’s gritty baritone drips with trustworthy ardour and testifies with a preacher’s foot-pounding fervor.

Gray made his recording debut in 2001 with Blackwater, following up in 2004 with Lochloosa. Each albums have been launched on the Fog Metropolis label below the title Mofro, a moniker the younger Gray selected to explain his music and sound whereas nonetheless working his day job at a lumberyard. He has since used the phrase to call his band of world-class gamers. In 2007, Gray signed with Alligator Information and launched a string of 5 in style and profitable albums: Nation Ghetto, 2008’s Orange Blossoms, 2010’s Georgia Warhorse, 2011’s dwell CD/DVD Brighter Days and 2013’s This River. Ol’ Glory was launched on the Provogue label in 2015. All through this wonderful run of releases, press, radio and years of touring helped catapult JJ Gray & Mofro additional into the mainstream.

JJ Gray & Mofro have performed numerous festivals, together with Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Austin Metropolis Limits Competition, Byron Bay Blues Competition (Australia), Montreal Jazz Competition and Fuji Rock (Japan). Over the course of his profession, Gray has shared phases with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Los Lobos, Jeff Beck, Ben Harper, Booker T. Jones, Mavis Staples, and lots of others. Gray and his band proceed to play over 75 reveals a 12 months throughout the U.S. and all over the world.

Join with JJ Gray on-line and on the highway.

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