Imoved to LA about a year ago, and it’s the first time I’ve lived outside of Tennessee. My hometown of Memphis is so interesting. It’s like a big city, and it has a legendary musical heritage, but the contemporary scene is small. Because it’s a B market, the kind of music coming to Memphis when I was growing up was country, rap acts, or the third run of a pop tour. Then there was metalcore and groups that got their start in the South, like Lucero and Drive-By Truckers. So when I was playing in indie rock DIY bands, we’d play with sludge metal bands, solo acoustic acts, or just some guy rapping. It was an amalgam of influences. Scarceness makes you hungry—not that you’re less discerning, but that you’re more open.

I have this beautiful memory of being 13 years old and going with some older

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