If you’re looking for hard-won tales of life on the road and some laughs, you’ve come to the right place. In this week’s episode of On The Record, Tyler and Matt welcome Nick Woods and Brett Newski to their plush abandoned factory offices to talk about what it means to be a touring musician in the 21st century. Woods is the frontman for Milwaukee punk band Direct Hit!, and he shares oodles of stories—some good, some bad, most of them hilarious—about life on the road and dealing with things like stolen vans and terrible, terrible gas station food. Newski is a one-man touring machine, spending most of his time on the road and abroad, playing his wily folk rock all across the globe and occasionally finding it used in tampon commercials in Vietnam.
In addition to being super cool and super funny, both Woods and Newski share some realistic advice for bands and artists looking to tour and make a name for themselves in this crazy business we call show. So sit back, grab a bottle of beer from On The Record sponsor Ale Asylum, and enjoy. Music used in this episode is from—you guessed it—Direct Hit! (“Getting What He Asked For”) and Brett Newski (“Vs. The World”). Before both guests head overseas, you can see Newski at Yield on March 13 and Direct Hit! at The Metal Grill (Cudahy) on March 18. Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).