Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • "Worst rap album in history"
  • Superbooth 2025
  • Eilish vs Radiohead
  • 95k+ free music samples

Recommended reading

tourist
Producers & Engineers “Get the ideas out - and then look back with different ears or different eyes in a few months. Then the really good ones will stand out to you”: Tourist shares his music production wisdom
Gene Simmons
Artists “Gene Simmons is very down-to-earth, funny, and knowledgeable on almost any subject:” The Kiss legend wants you to be his assistant… but there’s a catch
Bob Dylan
Artists “I was frightened, but I was like, ‘ok, big boy pants time. Step up to the plate, here comes the pitch and you can either knock it out or you can strike’”: Dylan's live sound engineer Jason Frankhouser on mixing front-of-house for The Never Ending Tour
Ed Sheeran's new Headrush?
Artists Is this our first sighting of Ed Sheeran's top-secret new Looper X, as he continues his global busking jaunt?
Lzzy Hale and Arejay Hale on stage in 2009
Artists “You don’t stop the show for any reason - not even when you don’t have a drummer onstage because he's locked outside the building!”: Halestorm star Lzzy Hale tells her funniest gig story
danny l harle in the studio with headphones on
Artists “PC Music was just two guys in a room making stuff and uploading it to the internet - that’s where it starts”: Danny L Harle on self-discovery, success and helping unsigned artists find their sound
Marcus Mumford and Neil Young
Artists “He was like, ‘You’ve got it all wrong, man": Mumford & Sons reveal what Neil Young told them about the way they were approaching their live shows and album recordings
  1. Artists

Andy Grammer's 7 tour survival tips

News
By Joe Bosso published 6 August 2014

"Life on the road is an alternate reality – but you can master it"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Andy Grammer's 7 tour survival tips

Andy Grammer's 7 tour survival tips

Three years ago, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Andy Grammer's touring itinerary could be written on a Post-It note, with most of his gigs taking place on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. "I had the busker thing down," he says. "I knew my spot, I knew the best time of day to hit it, and if I was lucky, I could make money. Street performing wasn't as bad as some people make it out to be."

These days, Grammer has a lot more choices over the kinds of venues he plays. The success of his 2011 self-titled debut album, buoyed by resistance-is-futile pop hits such as Fine By Me and Keep Your Head Up, bumped him up from street corners to clubs and festivals nationwide; subsequent tours with the likes of Train, Colbie Caillat and Natasha Bedingfield even gave him a stamp or two on his passport. "Seeing what kinds of songs work in other cities and other parts of the world was pretty eye-opening," Grammer says. "I know it changed how I approached the second record big-time."

That would be his just-released Magazines Or Novels, a grander, denser, more introspective but no less engaging construct than its predecessor. But whereas Grammer's breezy melodies once tended to interlock with briskly strummed guitars, more and more they work off subtle hip-hop beats and artfully employed electronics. "That's no accident," he observes. "The first album was more born from busking – they were the 'me-and-my-guitar' songs. Going out on the road and opening for big acts changes you. You look out at those audiences and start to think, ‘OK, I need to write some music that’s a little bit bigger.’ So maybe you don't start with the acoustic guitar; you might start out with a beat instead."

The bevy of revved-up hooks throughout Magazines Or Novel's 12 tracks would indicate that Grammer's newfound mindset has paid off. Whether he's flirting with modern country (Honey, I'm Good), evoking vintage R&B (Forever) or pumping out a heart-on-his-sleeve pop anthem (Back Home), he hits his marks with uncanny precision. Grammer is currently playing a series of album release dates, but come September he'll be on the road with American Authors, with gigs stretching from Portland, Maine to Auckland, New Zealand.

Asked whether he would ever entertain the thought of opening up his guitar case on some street corner and knocking out an impromptu show for old times' sake, Grammer laughs and says, "You know, I’m not opposed to it at all. I do radio gigs, three-minute spots, solo shows, so I still get plenty of practice at the sniper attack – me at a piano or with a guitar, having win people over fast. When I get back with band, the lights and the whole production, that's me with the full artillery. A quick radio performance keeps me sharp for the big show.”

You can purchase the new album, Magazines Or Novels, at iTunes. On the following pages, Grammer runs down his 7 Tour Survival Tips.

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Avoid back seat pockets on planes

Avoid back seat pockets on planes

“Seriously, never, ever, ever put anything in the back seat pocket on a plane. There’s at least a 50/50 chance you’ll forget whatever it was you put in there. Rest in peace my last iPad mini.

“Maybe normal people can use back seat pockets on planes and not have any problems. With me, I’ll do a show, get on a bus and then take a red eye flight to get somewhere else, and I’m like a zombie. I just don’t remember anything. On tour, we all have a saying: ‘If you put it in the pocket of the seat in front of you, you basically don’t care about it.’”

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
A Mophie charger is a must

A Mophie charger is a must

“It's a little bulky, but it gives you an extra full charge on your iPhone. That’s a big deal.

“Like right now, I’ve been going nuts on social media all day, and my battery is still at 100 percent. That extra charge becomes clutch when you don't know where you're sleeping or when you'll get there. Power up that added juice and get the most out of your phone.”

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
La Croix

La Croix

“And a whole hell of a lot of it. La Croix is a soda water with just a little hint of flavor. I pound back something like six to 10 bottles a day as opposed to six to 10 bottles of soda. I love the stuff.

“When I’m on tour, I tend to nervously drink whatever's around – Red Bull, Coke, you name it. But that stuff gets you all sugared up and wired. La Croix is a little, little bit of a treat, but it doesn’t make you feel weird and heavy.”

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Always have an auxillary cable in your backpack

Always have an auxillary cable in your backpack

“The kind of cable that goes from your iPhone and plugs into the stereo of your car – you've gotta have that.

“You never know when you’ll be out on a long drive, but trust me, if you're promoting a song to radio, you will be on some mighty long-ass car journeys. An auxillary cable can turn a boring six-hour haul into a damn good time if you can listen to Spotify in your vehicle."

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
For guys - one pair of all-purpose badass boots

For guys - one pair of all-purpose badass boots

“If you have to take just one pair of footwear out there with you, make it count. With cool boots, you get functionality and looks.

“The pair I’m wearing right now is Steve Madden – I think they cost about two hundred bucks. Not cheap, but they work for practically all occasions. Shoes take up a lot of space in the bag – you’d be surprised at how much real estate they demand. Spend a little more on a nice pair of boots and rock them hard the whole tour. Easy. Done.

"And for girls: This isn’t a tip or anything, just an observation of amazement. How do you do it, girls? How is this possible?

“I have no idea how you all still look so fresh and pretty every night while on the road when us guys look so rough and worn down. You are clearly the superior sex. I tip my hat to you."

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Tour bus etiquette: number two is a no-no

Tour bus etiquette: number two is a no-no

“Just don’t do it – ever. I’ve never been guilty of it myself, but you get this message pounded into you the minute you start your first tour.

“Buses don’t have great ventilation, and I’ve been told the smell lingers, man. Going number two on the tour bus is the quickest way to become an outcast on a tour. And everyone knows it was you. Wait till you get to a hotel or restaurant or venue – or wherever. Anywhere but on the bus. This should probably be tip number one – it's that important.”

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Get in a touring state of mind

Get in a touring state of mind

“It took me one tour to realize that I can’t possible pack everything I’ll need for the entire trek. You just can't cram seven weeks’ worth of stuff into one bag with an allowance of 50 pounds on a plane. So don’t even try.

“Get OK with the fact that when you lock the door behind you, you’re saying, ‘I’m leaving with about 20 percent of what I'll need. I'll get the rest out there.’ Trust me, you will."

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.

Read more
tourist
“Get the ideas out - and then look back with different ears or different eyes in a few months. Then the really good ones will stand out to you”: Tourist shares his music production wisdom
Gene Simmons
“Gene Simmons is very down-to-earth, funny, and knowledgeable on almost any subject:” The Kiss legend wants you to be his assistant… but there’s a catch
Bob Dylan
“I was frightened, but I was like, ‘ok, big boy pants time. Step up to the plate, here comes the pitch and you can either knock it out or you can strike’”: Dylan's live sound engineer Jason Frankhouser on mixing front-of-house for The Never Ending Tour
Ed Sheeran's new Headrush?
Is this our first sighting of Ed Sheeran's top-secret new Looper X, as he continues his global busking jaunt?
Lzzy Hale and Arejay Hale on stage in 2009
“You don’t stop the show for any reason - not even when you don’t have a drummer onstage because he's locked outside the building!”: Halestorm star Lzzy Hale tells her funniest gig story
danny l harle in the studio with headphones on
“PC Music was just two guys in a room making stuff and uploading it to the internet - that’s where it starts”: Danny L Harle on self-discovery, success and helping unsigned artists find their sound
Latest in Artists
romesh
“I was watching an episode of Friends and someone was wearing a Motörhead T-shirt. Literally an hour later, I got a call to work on their record!”: Romesh Dodangoda on how he became one of modern rock's most in-demand producers
Shawn Levy, Julia Garner and Madonna
“I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist": Madonna has teamed up with Netflix and the producer/director Shawn Levy for a series based on her life
David Byrne in Studio
“Making music is like constructing a machine whose function is to dredge up emotions in performer and listener alike”: How becoming more in-tune with our feelings when listening to music made us better creators - with a little thanks to David Byrne
Gene Simmons
"I have a whole crowd in front of me, and all I want to do is hug him”: Someone just paid $12,495 to be Kiss icon Gene Simmons' roadie for a day
Thomann Shure Montreux 2025
Want a gig at the Montreux Jazz Festival? Thomann and Shure want to gift you your big break at the famous global gathering
Chad Smith
Chad Smith just destroyed the Wu-Tang Clan in his latest drum tuition video
Latest in News
Shawn Levy, Julia Garner and Madonna
“I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist": Madonna has teamed up with Netflix and the producer/director Shawn Levy for a series based on her life
Gene Simmons
"I have a whole crowd in front of me, and all I want to do is hug him”: Someone just paid $12,495 to be Kiss icon Gene Simmons' roadie for a day
Thomann Shure Montreux 2025
Want a gig at the Montreux Jazz Festival? Thomann and Shure want to gift you your big break at the famous global gathering
Chad Smith
Chad Smith just destroyed the Wu-Tang Clan in his latest drum tuition video
Aaron Comess of the Spin Doctors
“I used the snare drums I played on those early records, including the snare I played on Two Princes”: Why the Spin Doctors are still rocking with the same old gear they used in the ’90s
Millenium Drums book
“This book will serve as a reliable companion on your journey through drumming”: Millenium launches new book for drummers

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...