Danny Barnes

Q

Hello Danny,

I’ve just recently discovered your music and your blog and I am very glad that I did. You are a wellspring of inspiration.

Reading your post on being an opening act, this part jumped out: "if you hired a guitar player to back you up, and at the jobsite you find she's passing her own demo cd out and hitting everyone up for a gig, fire her"

Do you have any advice for disentangling yourself from situations or associations that aren't compatible with your path without being a jackass or creating toxic animosity? Sometimes avoiding the conflict of firing someone or refusing a collaboration or unsolicited help can get you off-track for a while, yet I think people new to music can often feel like we're being ungracious when having to say "no" to people.

Thanks!
Nick

Danny Barnes responded on 09/14/2016
A

man shucks i don't really know what to say too much. if you just spend your time doing what you like/want to do, your attention kinda waters the plants of your ideas. sometimes you have to move on. it might not be necessary to micromanage and things. i never have liked that vibe, and i don't do it to other people, and don't like it when folks do that to me i suppose.