Packing List: Kevin Morby

Peanut butter and jelly: either the salty-sweet sandwiching of two classic condiments between sliced bread, or the act of driving a car with the windows down and the AC on. The latter definition according to our friend Kevin Morby, who has a well-documented love of the former.  

A lot’s going on in the life of the Midwestern musician at the moment. Fresh off the “Little Wide Open” world tour, fatherhood and his brand-new single “PB&J,” we caught up with Kevin about his packing science, pre-show ritual and the tour wardrobe that accidentally got him jacked. 

First off, congrats on the kid! How’s fatherhood so far?

Fatherhood, so far, is truly wonderful. Currently in a little end-of-summer baby bubble dream and loving every second of it. 

Do you anticipate having a kid will change how you feel when you’re on the road touring? Have you gotten any advice on that from fellow musicians?

I think the big thing will be touring for shorter stints. I’ve prided myself on going out on marathon-long tours; six or seven weeks at a time. I probably should have stopped doing that years ago if I’m being honest and honestly I’m glad I’m gonna have something in my life that probably caps my tours at around three weeks at a time. 

Speaking of, you just wrapped the “Little Wide Open” tour. How do you approach packing for the tour bus? How do you manage to stay organized?

I’ve got it done to a science at this point. The hurdle is always: how do I pack all of my gear, stage clothes, everyday clothes and shoes as efficiently as possible. For me it takes two suitcases: one large, one medium. Then a dual guitar case and a regular guitar case for my three guitars. Then a backpack on-top of all that. It’s a lot, but I can manage all that myself.

The big thing, though, is shoes. I have stage boots, leather slip-ons if I wanna look cool, running shoes for long walks and working out and then Hoka Slides. I honestly wear the slides 90 percent of the time.

Grounding feels important when you’re on the go. What pre- or post-show rituals do you practice?

I have a pretty wild pre-show ritual that begins hours before I play. First off I eat dinner three hours before I play. Let’s say I’m playing at nine, then I’ll eat at six. After that I chill and digest until two hours out which is when I meditate. I do a twenty minute meditation and afterwards I just sorta lay around some more and preserve my energy.

Then at an hour out I stretch for twenty minutes. After that I get into my stage clothes and at a half hour out I do a twenty minute vocal warm up. During this time I drink half a lite beer and a lot of water. 

At ten minutes out the band gets together and we do a huddle. Then I take the half-drunk beer on stage with me when I walk out and never touch it again. It’s just a strange thing I do. 

Does the work you’re touring for influence how/what you pack?

It certainly influences my stage clothes. So depending on the outfit it either takes up a whole lot of room or just a normal amount of room. On my album This Is A Photograph I’d wear a 15-pound gold fringe jacket. That thing was heavy as hell and crazy to haul all over the place. Also performing in it every night felt like doing hot yoga in a weighted vest. I got super fit during that time on accident. 

Memorable past packing mistakes?

The biggest mistake is to underpack. My motto is to ALWAYS overpack. Also ALWAYS bring a rain jacket. Sometimes you convince yourself you won’t need one because the weather says blue skies with no chance of rain and the moment you land a freak storm rolls in. Always pack a rain jacket. 

Good sleep must be hard to come by. What tricks have you learned for solid shut-eye on the bus?

Ear plugs are essential. Also I wear a weighted eye mask. Even though it’s pitch black in the bunk I love the weight of the silk mask on my face and it seems to let my body know that when I’m wearing an eye mask it’s time to sleep. 

Showering must be difficult, too. I’ve been told you resorted to showering out of a bag. How’d that feel?

We have legitimately had to take some grocery bag showers outside the bus in the middle of a parking lot. Sometimes you gotta leave the venue at midnight but bus call isn’t until 4 AM and you go out with the band and it’s a heatwave and you get sweaty as hell and you have to clean yourself off before getting in your bunk somehow. It’s awful getting into the bunk when you’re dirty. Nothing some water bottles and a bag from Target can’t handle. 

You’re famously obsessed with PB&Js. When did the obsession begin and what’s your recipe?

Like most people, when I was a child. And just classic: peanut butter, jelly and bread. But I’ve been known to add some kimchi and/or eggs to it from time to time. Don’t knock it till you try it. 

Lunya Weighted Eye Mask: Will turn a bright-ass hotel room into a sensory deprivation tank.

Hoka Slides: These are recovery slides. I jump around in boots for an hour and a half every-night so these feel essential. Once you put these on your feet it’s hard to ever wear anything else.

Singing Straw: I carry a small metal singing straw for my vocal warm ups. Life changing. 

Baseball and Gloves: You’re gonna get bored on the road and a game of catch is one of my first go-tos. Nothing can kill an hour like a game of catch with a friend.

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