“I come from a DIY and blue-collar background, and I was a soldier. I’ll do the work, all of it. I’ll write, sing, play. I’ll design, make the art. Hell, I’ll mop the floors at the end of the night! I want to be dependable as a songwriter and a musician. God-willing, I’ll be seventy-something years old, still writing, still putting out music.”
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​This particular songwriter emerged from decade of frustrations. There was a bad, bad woman, a recession, even a war. In the midst of the war, the man said to himself, “I should be writing and playing music. If I get out of here, that’s what I’ll do.” He had more than a few things to figure out upon returning from Afghanistan. The city teamed with possibilities, but it didn’t inspire him.

He did find a good woman there. She inspired him. She understood him. She picked a far-off place on the map, a place with mountains and trees, lakes and rivers, a place with seasons. They packed everything they owned, even two kids and a dog, into a trailer and moved to that place, sight-unseen. First they camped. Then, they lived in a log cabin more than a century old. At last, they found their home near Clark Fork, Idaho.
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Dustin has been able to focus on writing and playing. He’s met people who have encouraged and aided him in his craft. Some question his lifestyle. “People tell me that I should move to a city. Listen, I need to make it from here and on my own terms. This place and these people are inspiring to me. If that’s limiting, at least it’s real.” He says.
I love hearing about the passions and journeys of other people.
Tell me something about what drives you and how you get up and give 'em hell each day.