Steve Earle – HuffPost 4.19.11

Mike Ragogna: Having had such a prolific and dynamic career, do you have any advice for new artists?

Steve Earle: It’s tough man I don’t even know what to tell my son. I came along in the ’80s, I came along from the old music business, where it’s whoever dives with the highest, hungry, huge figure wins. It just doesn’t work like that anymore. But the other side of it is, the business being downsized has actually kind of made it more democratic. You can go out and find ways to make your own record and get it out there now. If you really want to you can be heard. Keep things simple. Learn to go out and play solo. That’s a really really good thing to learn, if you’re a singer-songwriter. Don’t be dependent on a band because you may not always be able to afford one. I take a lot of pride in knowing I go out with one guitar and do a show. I’m touring with a band this tour but I’m constantly reminding everyone, hey, I could go down to the subway and busk if I had to make a living, I promise.