Photo Credit: Mallory Turner
Morgan Paros is a violinist and singer based in Los Angeles. She talked to us about her experience on the road, giving us an inside look at touring life.
After The Show: Have you encountered any unexpected or surprising things while being on the road?
Morgan Paros: This summer was my first bus tour and we slept on the bus most nights while our driver drove to our next tour stop. We had a full bus and when I boarded most of the beds were already claimed, so I ended up on the top bunk…and I was excited at first. The first week of tour I barely slept however due to the sway of the top bunk! I could literally feel my stomach lurching side to side at night. Yet, somehow by the end of tour I was totally acclimated and slept great at night haha.
Have you ever experienced any traveling or transportation challenges — like a bus or van breaking down?
Yes, nothing too dramatic…on my summer 2015 tour with Hunter Hunted, we were traveling back to Los Angeles and driving during the daytime. The bus kept overheating through the mountains in Arizona, so we would frequently pull over to let the engine cool down…which added many additional hours of drive time. It was a vicious cycle of having to stop to let the engine cool, but then adding drive time and more overheating.
How do you maintain relationships with family and friends when you work away from home so frequently?
Phonecalls and FaceTime become the best way of checking in with loved ones. On bus tours you get a little more privacy and daytime freedom since you generally wake up in the city you’re performing in. That always helps – then you have more of a routine and can make calls before your afternoon soundcheck. On van tours, there is generally heavy daytime driving which makes it harder to find quiet time to call before shows. Also, about a week into tour, I’m adjusted to my schedule and so is my family…and we are definitely supportive of one another from afar. I update them on every show, the sweetest fans I meet, and cool places I visit.
If I’m lucky, I also get to see old friends and family in cities I perform in. Lastly, my family will always make it to a couple shows on tour to visit me on the road! That’s the real treat too, because they always bring awesome food and goodies to share with the rest of the band and crew!
What about playing the actual shows — is it exhausting to travel night after night?
Yes, it is tiring to play shows nightly. But, there is a rhythm to it…music pun intended. There is an enormous energy and high I get from performing and meeting fans that carries me through any tour and often coming home is bittersweet…until I sleep in my bed again haha!
How do you get enough sleep, eat healthy, and take care of yourself?
On a bus tour, I sleep in my bunk at night during drives to the next city. Sometimes if I had a late night or didn’t sleep well I can catch a quick nap before soundcheck and get geared up for an awesome show. Eating healthy is getting way easier now that healthy whole foods are popular again. I always pack a giant bag of healthy snacks for tour in the event there’s nothing easily accessible. We are also big Whole Foods market fans and will frequently stock the bus fridge with goodies when there’s one nearby! Showering will happen at a “day room” (rented hotel room) or occasionally the concert venue will have nice showers.
Hunter Hunted is also big on working out. No matter the city, we will always find a cool place to run, play basketball, or even hit the batting cages. We actually have a special rating system for hotel gyms. We are known to periscope our workouts too…and I may or may not teach a class called “Hot Bod by Morgan” 🙂 You’ll have to check periscope next tour to find out!
Thanks for sharing Morgan! Keep up with Morgan’s music projects on Instagram and Twitter.