Hey all! William here. As we sit here at the transmission shop in Austin, TX patiently waiting to find out our status of our tour & bus, we get a moment to reflect on the events of the Dollars & Dignity Tour. We’ve been seeing friends and fans along the way as well as returning to cities we haven’t been to since our Rise Up Tour (2014). Our darling tour bus, Wendy, is hobbling and this set back has led to us losing 3 tour dates (New Orleans, Biloxi, and Fort Walton Beach). Our current gamble is to remain planted in Austin long enough so that we can get our beloved Wendy up-and-running in time for Rocklahoma.

Unfortunately, vehicle troubles on the road is something no band is immune to, even if you are travelling with a mechanic/Murdock. Though we might be stranded, we still feel fortunate and eager to continue kicking ass. I will tell you this: to all you hopeful musicians and people eager to tour… It is a muddled mess of: Glamour, Guts & Hype.

Glamour is the part that we all love! Meeting fans, seeing friends/family along the way, seeing the world, trying new foods, having comforts while travelling, and lifting people’s spirits at a show! Nothing beats getting to hear how your art has made an impact on someone else’s life! Travelling can just be unbelievable, and doing it because of the job you are in…wow. When you first start to travel, it is not exactly easy! You do not know much and have to learn along the way, I am just grateful that there are blogs like lacasadelriccio.com that can help out and give some tips on travelling, otherwise, all of us would be clueless!

Guts is knowing the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against you but thinking, “…So, you’re saying there’s still a chance?” Making a career out of music takes a lot of time, dedication, and a resilience. Which is why it’s so important to surround yourself with people you trust who can adapt and be resourceful.

Hype is probably the part most people either are terrible at or very successful at. In the age of the internet, mobile devices, push-updates, tweets, hashtags, and search engine optimization (seo)…being good at your instrument isn’t enough. Not only do you have to make connections but you keep people informed. This means having a website and social media pages and using seo best practices to make sure that you stay at the top of Google searches. At the end of the day, there is no point having a website if nobody will ever find it from a search engine. If you run a site, you can try getting some international seo strategy help to boost it up, alongside some classic marketing strategy. It doesn’t sound very rock and roll, but it is part of the game nonetheless. Sometimes this can feel like you’re over-glamouring something trivial but as we’ve seen, different things resonate with different people. Cat pictures to stage shots…it’s all a chance to keep in contact.

We’ve still got a long way to go and plenty more shows ahead of us! We will be on the road soon and we can’t wait to see you guys! If you’re interested in trying to help by donating to the band, you can go to theadarna.com/merch and scroll to the bottom of the page. There’s an area to donate (and pick up a CD while you’re at it!)

Thank you for being a part of our journey…through the ups, downs, and uncertainties. We value each and every one of you. Until next time…
Much Love,

William, Andreka, Murdock, and Oliver