Beyond that , I think that it ’ s rare for the two parties to miss each other equally . When you ’ re an artist on the road , you ’ re doing exactly what you want to be doing : playing music , being creative , and traveling . Your significant other is doing regular life , less the person they care about .
“ At times , I ’ ve come off the road and realized that I just haven ’ t been present in my relationship ,” Erenberg admits . “ Like , I literally wasn ’ t there , but I also just didn ’ t feel like I was in it anymore .”
“ I think [ being on the road ] definitely makes you push for quality time ,” notes Michael Bernard Fitzgerald , a touring artist from Calgary , “ and that sometimes poses challenges , too , because quality time requires both parties . You can come home and be craving quality time , and your partner or friends just want to watch TV . My stance is just to try to do your best with people and be compassionate with them , and that ’ s all you can really do .”
For many artists , maintaining relationships on and off the road becomes the biggest stressor in their lives . And sometimes , for better or worse , that can be inspiring .
Being Creative on the Road
While touring is something that a lot of creative people do , it ’ s not always something that creative people enjoy . Some people love it ; others find it frustrating .
When you ’ re touring , you ’ re taking in a lot of experiences and emotions , and that can result in a lot of creative ammo . At the same time , you ’ re on a schedule in an unfamiliar place , which makes it hard to get into a creative headspace .
“ Being a creative person on the road kind of sucks for me ,” says Roman Clarke , my bandmate in The Middle Coast and a great songwriter in his own right . “ I ’ m a very space-orientated person . At home , I have all my recording stuff all
MICHAEL BERNARD FITZGERALD
MICHAH ERENBERG
right there in a little circle , and everything I want is at my fingertips . When I ’ m on the road , I ’ m a big baby about not having that stuff . I feel less inspired and creative , which is frustrating sometimes .”
One of the most frustrating things about touring is having ideas that you can ’ t immediately go and work out . You may have a great idea in the middle of an eight-hour drive , but you can ’ t work it out because … you ’ re driving .
“ At the same time ,” notes Clarke , “ when I get home , it takes me a few days , but then there ’ s kind of an explosion and I ’ ll make a ton of music .”
Miller says she ’ s noticed a similar phenomenon . “ I didn ’ t write much on tour , but now that I ’ m home , I want to get back into the studio and write . Something about playing the same songs over and over again makes me want to get the creative juices flowing . My sister Jordan loved it though . She kept a journal and wrote a bunch of lyrics on tour , which was a new thing .”
That brings me to my point . Some artists find ways to be creative on the road and actually find the road and all that comes with it very inspiring .
“ I get ideas and inspiration on the road for sure ,” says Erenberg . “ I love driving the van , and it ’ s hard to be the one behind the wheel when you get an idea . I end up pulling over a lot . And then there ’ s a week after every tour where I ’ m just going through voice memos . I think touring is like creative prep . You might not get a full song but you get a lot of ideas and inspiration .”
Also , your ability to be creative on the road is , to some extent , facilitated by where you are in your career .
“ When I was traveling with Lights , opening those shows up , she would have her techs and her tour manager , and she would be all set up so that she could chill at the hotel with a guitar or chill in the green room ,” explains Fitzgerald . “ She really made a point of being able to do that . In the touring that I ’ ve been predominantly exposed to , I end up shouldering a lot of the tour management and a lot of the driving , so to actually afford yourself the time to sit down and pen something is sometimes just not an option .”
44 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN