1. My Larrivée L-03R acoustic guitar.
This is the first guitar I got. It was a high school graduation present from my folks. 90% of the music I have written started with these six strings. The sound is phenomenal, it is my go to songwriting tool. I love all my guitars but you always love your first the most. It has a lot of bruises and scratches on it, each of which carry some sort of story.
2. Elixir Strings / McCabes guitar picks.
Kind of a two in one deal for me. Elixir strings are what came with my Larrivée and ever since then I cannot use any other strings. The sound is incomparable. They make my guitar sound like new every time I switch up the strings, and they last forever. I go back and forth between their Nanoweb and Polyweb for my acoustic.
These picks I get from McCabes on Pico in Santa Monica. I go their a lot to mess with new instruments, pick up equipment, and just hang out. You get a free pick when you buy something (I have never paid for their picks). Collect all ten colors and get a
free ___?
3. Oliver Peoples Sheldrake Red Havana Shades.
This is my third pair. They always replace them when I scratch the lenses or the frame.
They look timeless and don't hurt my head after wearing them for a few hours. I live in Los Angeles so I wear them almost every day and the dark shade of red goes with anything. No I don't wear them at night.
4. Remington Holiday Typewriter
Ever since I started reading Hunter Thompson and Kerouac I have wanted a typewriter. I was given this one as a present and I wrote almost all the lyrics for "Gentle Parade" on it. It is the loudest typewriter ever!!!! I live in a really quiet neighborhood and I seriously worry about typing at night because it sounds like a gun going of at the push of every key. The color is rad and so retro, it's from 1963. It is meant to be portable but it weighs like 20 lbs. so when I travel I still use my laptop.
5. Avocados.
I have recently become seriously addicted to avocados and eat them with everything. There is nothing better than avocado toast with poached eggs and sriracha, it's life changing and mind altering. I'm often just as happy eating avocados as I am going out and getting all foodie. In California we grow the best avocados...I think.
6. The Ocean.
It doesn't matter which one. I live by the beach and don't necessarily go their as often as I should, but the thought of it being there is something I need. I couldn't imagine being land-locked, even a lake would probably do. I love the idea of living at world's end, and the atmosphere of people who live at the beach is something I'm into. Everybody just chills and life moves at a lot slower pace than in the city. Slow down and get to the beach people...just stay away from mine.
7. Clothes (without them I would be naked).
I wear some weird things and somehow get away with. My friend found this hat somewhere in Bakersfield, CA and I had to have it. People laugh when I show up wearing it, but it is seriously dope.
I got this polo in Paris, accidentally washed it, and it shrunk to half it's original size. I have been trying to stretch it for years and it is finally at a wearable size again, and I couldn't be happier.
When I wear shoes I wear these.
The perfect pair of jeans. They are Dior so they will last forever and never fade. In the summer I just wear swim trunks night and day, but these are for when it gets colder.
8. Moleskine notebooks / Bic Soft Feel pens.
Ever since I discovered Moleskine notebooks I can't stop buying them. They are simple, and timeless. I use them to catalog songs and draw. The pens are comfortable to write with, cheap, and good for sketching. Don't try to steal my pens!!!!!
9. iPhone
I don't remember time without one. Honestly, I do so much with it. I record demos for almost all my songs with it, check how empty my bank accounts are, play games, and keep in touch with the world. It's so sad but I would be helpless without it (for a while). I broke the screen on my iPhone 4 a week after getting it but it still works so and I've been using it like that for 9 months.
10. NY...no, not New York.
Neil Young. The man can do no wrong. So much of my musical inspiration comes from Neil Young. He brings out the best songwriter in me. Listen to "Don't Let It Bring You Down," "Revolution Blues," and "Words."
I'm out for now. Back Soon.
photo credit: Julian Jones
