The Tao of Touring

One night I couldn’t sleep and I opened up the Tao Te Ching by Laozi. Reading it (in English) felt like staring at a clear starry night. I was reminded of my own insignificance and the futility of everything I do. For a perfectionist like me, this is a welcome reminder. Tao has a wide interpretation, but generally is understood to mean the way, the path or the road. It’s the general way of the universe, in a kind of “nothing even matters but that isn’t a good reason not to strive for excellence in everything you do but also if you don’t who cares.” At least that’s how I understand it. Like in herbal medicine, traditional Chinese philosophy is a concept so foreign to the western reductivist, biomedical mind that it begs the question, is it even possible to understand it outside of its contexts in time and culture?

Also isn’t it just a little bit funny? Curiosity, playfulness, detachment and a sense of humour are the only way I’m going to keep doing this.

Which brings me to: The Tao of Touring, or how I am learning to stop worrying and love the road. I started touring in 2012. I quit my job, broke up with my boyfriend and dragged my little sister all over British Columbia. I used to make music for music’s sake. Then I discovered the hustle. I loved the challenge of getting a room of talking strangers to shut up and listen. I loved performing on a stage I could only dream of playing the year before. I loved seeing my like counts and followers go up. Like many ADHDers the dopamine is probably low between my ears and social media became an addiction. Everything seemed to be growing at a steady pace. I signed a record deal, I was touring with a full band, playing some of Canada’s biggest festivals. Then it kind of flatlined when I moved across the world. I’d thoroughly burned myself out so I did the sensible thing and trained as a herbalist. When I came back to music, things weren’t the same. Between the ever changing algorithm and the industry’s blood lust for the new and novel, it felt like the linear progression of my career, which I took for granted, just hit a ceiling.

I am a world-champion wallower, but only over short distances. So once I finished feeling sorry for myself, I discovered this shift is a gift. If I’m not relying on steady doses of the dopamine from the accolades, the bench marks, the Yesses instead of the no replies, I wouldn’t have had to come back to why I made music in the first place: for the sake of it. These days I work a full time job as my own manager/agent and almost all the money I make goes back into my project. I fortunately still have that delusional self-belief which Steve Martin says is a prerequisite of anyone working in show business. I think it’s because I’m getting better at this. Despite the futility and the fact that less than 80% of artists on Spotify have less than 1000 listeners per month (fortunately I’m over that threshold, thank you listeners!!) it’s still worth it. It isn’t about growth and achievement, it’s about being able to get on stage again, no matter what they throw at me, no matter how the goal posts have shifted, because it’s a privilege to do this.

Also isn’t it just a little bit funny? Curiosity, playfulness, detachment and a sense of humour are the only way I’m going to keep doing this. It’s not like I’m going to quit. So it’s back to the reason I make music: because it’s worth making. Nothing even matters anyway, so I might as well do what I’m best at and I love.

Upcoming Shows: get tickets here.

April 5 Ramblin Roots Revue, High Wycombe UK
April 10 The Acorn, Penzance UK
April 12 The Square and Compass, Worth Matravers UK
April 13 The Square and Compass, Worth Matravers UK (Matinee 2pm)
April 21 Glasgow Songwriter Round, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow UK
May 30 Fire in the Mountain Festival, Aberystwyth UK
June 8 Kirkgate Arts, Cockermouth UK
June 12 The George, Moniaive UK w/ Dana Sipos
June 22 Solas Festival, Errol, Perthshire UK
July 4 Maverick Americana Music Festival, Woodbridge UK
July 21-26 Music in the Mountain Camp SIGN UP!!!
July 27 Hexham Bluegrass Festival, Hexham UK
August 7 Garstang Arts Centre, Garstang UK
August 15 Campfire Club, London UK
August 16 Campfire Club, Bright UK
August 17 Folkrooms Presents: Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham UK
August 22 Shrewsbury Folk Festival, Shrewsbury UK
September 20 Letham Nights, Letham UK

Stay tuned for Canada dates in September and October 2025.

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