On Tour with Hungover

I completed my very first tour with the guys in Hungover a few weeks ago. I had spent a few days with them in the winter and was thrilled to be able to head out with them again on their spring run. Touring has been something I've wanted to do since I got into the music scene and to say that I finally did it is exciting. After spending the past year shadowing touring artists of various sizes for my Day In The Life features on idobi Radio, I had a good idea of what I was getting myself into. What I wasn't expecting was the emotional/mental push and pull, the amount of kindness that would be shown toward us by friends as well as complete strangers, and just how fulfilling it would be to be surrounded by a group of people that are not only fun to hang out with but also have your back.

I had tangled with the idea of being happy at a 9-5 desk job for months but something in my gut kept telling me that if I got the opportunity to go on the road that I couldn't ignore it. Not to mention - if I did get to go out, it would certainly provide me with some sort of mental break from home life which often stifled my creativity and will to continue being part of this industry. So to be able to see this tour from initial talks, to the planning, to living it, and the conclusion has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've had while working in music. I remember when Mikey first sent me the dates - I marked them in my calendar way before the entire routing was even confirmed. I was ready for the long nights, the donuts, and the new cities I'd wake up to. What I wasn't fully prepared for was the balance I'd have to maintain on an emotional and mental level.

As somebody who is an extroverted introvert, I get exhausted easily from being around others for an extended period of time. I thought that being on tour would relieve some of that because I was so excited and thrilled to finally be able to see the country with a group of people I call my friends but I got about a week in before I finally felt the pressure. I was craving this alone time that I continued to ignore because I felt like there were too many things I was responsible for thus not making time for me to decompress by myself. I felt like I had no outlet for all the emotions I was feeling. I could only post so much on social media before it got excessive and calling up my friends at 2am wasn't exactly ideal given that it was the middle of the week during finals. When it came to the Chicago date, I was ready to see my friends and to tell them about all the adventures we had been having. The day of, just about every plan to meet up or to see friends fell through. If there is one thing I learned from tour it's that sometimes you have to put your interests aside for the team and that not everything is going to work out the way you want it to. With that said - this left me feeling more frustrated and upset than ever. All I wanted to do was see my friends. While I would usually hang out before the show to capture those candids, I needed to leave to collect my thoughts and feelings. I treated myself to some donuts with Colleen and waited 30 minutes to get tacos which relieved a bit of the pent up emotions I had. I want to stress how important it is to try to find time to yourself while you're out or even find the time to talk with just one friend. As somebody who not only is an extroverted introvert but also a workaholic - it honestly is vital that you remember to take a breathe and do something for yourself every once in a while.

My anxiety and frustration was short lived that day thanks to my new friend Christina who came out to the show and got drinks with us. We got to shoot the shit at a barcade and "only get one drink." But also, without the support of my team I surely would not have felt as relieved as I did. If there is one thing that I learned from any remotely anxiety ridden, stressful, upsetting, etc event/day I had it's that these guys had my back 100%.

That's one that I do need to emphasize about touring with Hungover. That they were always there to back me up whether I needed it or not. While a lot of the things they said and did perhaps did not mean anything to them in the moment, I took notes. There are countless times that made me realize why this tour and this band were everything I had wanted/been waiting for. While we were driving to MA, we stopped to explore a spot in CT. After going on our merry way, I found a tick on me while in the van, screamed, and flicked it off. Austin managed to snatch it and throw it out the window. I was so paranoid that Marc and Austin both helped me check my ridiculous mane for potential ticks. On another day while in St. Louis, I had a venue lady call me a "bossy bitch"because I had asked for the lights to be left on. As a New Yorker, that's just another day . Unbeknownst to me at the time, Evan was rather bothered by the comment. After the incident he said that he was so annoyed by what she said that he was ready to pack it up right then and there. Little things like this are the exact reason why touring with these guys was and easy decision to make. No matter how much they bust my chops from time to time, at the end of the day knowing that they have my back means much more. Find you a band that gets more upset than you do when somebody is rude to you haha

On top of having a supportive team, that feeling like you finally belong somewhere is unlike anything else. When you're part of a crew on tour, you wake up feeling like you have a purpose in some ways. You feel a little less alone at the end of the day. Despite long nights and some difficult situations, it was the least stressed out that I have ever been in the last couple years. I didn't want this feeling to ever end - I cringed at the thought of having to go back to NY and a place that was stifling me creatively, emotionally, and mentally. I never thought it would be so fulfilling to be surrounded by 5 other people who are smart, kind, funny, positive, above all else genuine and real.

Lastly, one thing that I can't take for granted after these two weeks is the unwavering kindness that was shown towards us by so many of my friends and complete strangers. Gina + The Magnans who are always so willing to help me out regardless of how late it may be or if it's last minute. Luke who let us show up at 1am drunk and wasn't mad about it. Amanda who let us cram into her little apartment so we could have a roof over our heads on a rainy day in Buffalo. Brennen, Jake, + Zack who let us crash an extra day because our Columbus show got dropped and also gave me supplies to cook everyone breakfast sammies. Joe, Maddie, and Adi who did more that I could ever ask for in Cleveland. From finding us a place to stay with one of your friends, to giving up your own bed so we could rest AND cooking us dinner. There truly aren't enough words to describe how grateful I am to know all of you.

The selflessness they've shown towards myself and Hungover reminded me that there are still people in the world who are still willing to help you for the sake of helping you because you're their friend not because you have something they want. In addition to that, I realized who actually cares and takes an interest in what I do. I have some of the most supportive friends across the country and am very thankful for that.

Now that I'm done being a sap about tour, I'll leave off with this. Being able to finally do this with a great team made me realize this is exactly what I should be doing. I have never felt so welcome, excited, carefree, and above all else creatively motivated. I don't know what the future holds for me but I hope that it includes seeing more parts of this country and creating more art to share with the world.

If you'd like to see more photos from our travels check out my tour diary.

-Audrey