SiR imbues his music with an intimacy only achieved by someone who prioritizes love over all else. So, even on the road, he stays connected to those who matter most.

“I haven’t really missed anything, but my wife and I are prepping for next year when I’m out on the road and working, so I don’t miss anything important, or if I have to miss anything, we’ll handle it properly. I love my daughter. She’s everything,” SiR told REVOLT.

In this installment of “Tour Tales,” SiR opens up about why he was overwhelmed at Dreamville Festival, touring with his brother D Smoke, and how Maxwell and Jill Scott factor into his 2023 plans.

Read the exclusive chat with the one and only SiR below.

What was your reaction to your first Dreamville Festival performance?

It was overwhelming. After I left the stage, I got hit with a lot of emotions just because it’s been a long time coming, and I was overly prepared for this, and it showed onstage. The crowd’s reaction and everything was a lot. I’m just happy we got through it, and everybody responded how I expected them to.

What are your tour hits?

“Wires In the Way” is the favorite on tour. I attach Bob Marley’s song to that; it comes out smoothly. I do it a cappella and play with just guitar. “Fire” is one of ’em for sure. “Ooh Nah Nah” is definitely a cult classic. We should have shot a video for that, but we never did. We might still do one. That would be tight to me.

How did you prepare for your Dreamville Festival set?

I wanted to make sure I was putting a good blend of everything. I try to put the new with the old, slow-paced and fast-paced. I just want to show my versatility. I did the three songs I dropped last year, and added some Chasing Summer music and even some songs from November.

What did you notice about the Dreamville Festival crowd compared to other audiences?

A lot of people didn’t know me at first. Certain people know me for certain songs. So, when I started off with “Life is Good,” a lot of people didn’t know it. Then I did “John Redcorn,” and the crowd understood. So, they’re very attentive. They are watching everything that you do. That’s what I want. I don’t want a crowd walking around while I’m performing. It felt like I had all eyes on me, which was great.

Let’s take it back. What do you remember about your first-ever live performance?

It was in a barbershop, and I had eight people there, six of whom were family. I didn’t prepare for it (laughs). Today, I prepared. I did 200 pushups and all my vocal warmups, drank a lot of water, and had tea onstage. Finally, I was ready to go. I took a puff of my inhaler. I did everything I could to get right.

Speaking of getting right, what’s on your rider? What does SiR need before getting onstage?

My rider‘s going to change. It’s a lot less than it used to be. It used to be gummy bears, grapes, graham crackers, and all kinds of different stuff. But I’ve been changing how I eat, so we’ll probably have a vegetable tray and water in there.

What is your favorite memory from your last tour?

My last tour was a SiR tour… the LA show. My mom came and played onstage with me at that show. We sold out The Novo. That was something I never really pictured in my head for myself. To have my mom onstage with me is always an honor. It’s not the first time we performed together, but it’s a blessing and an honor to show the world who my mother is. That’s definitely a memory that stands out in my mind.

What was the first tour you ever went on, and what did you learn from it?

My first tour was [“The War & Leisure Tour”] in 2018 with Miguel. I learned you could perform the same show back to back to back to back, and it won’t matter. The more consistent you are, the more your show looks the same, the easier it is on you, and the more shows you could get done. Miguel is a monster, man. Shout out to my big brother. It was super chill. He’s from Inglewood. His mother’s from Inglewood. His brother and I were already friends. Shout out to Nonchalant Savant. I’m a nice guy, so I’m easy to get along with. I’m not pushy. I don’t want to be all in your face. But he’s the same as me. He’s open to just being friendly. So, it didn’t take long before we were comrades.

The mark of a good performer is how they adapt to unexpected changes. What have you had to adjust to on the fly?

Our controller wasn’t working today, and my keyboard player couldn’t play his keys onstage. I just performed. Missing instruments and missing bass — nobody cared. It is what it is. We made it happens.

You’re also somewhat of a cannabis connoisseur, correct?

Yes. I would say I am.

How does that affect how you travel?

No comment (laughs). Honestly, it doesn’t affect my travel. I’m safe about how I move, and typically, if I know I’m going somewhere, I call ahead. So if I need to get some weed, I’m going to get some weed. I try not to smoke as much nowadays. I’m getting older and don’t want to jeopardize my life over some weed. I got too much to live for.

How do you balance being a father and a performer who’s out on the road?

I’ve missed things for myself, but not with my wife and my daughter. I’ve been out on the road for birthdays and things like that. I’ve grown accustomed to stuff like that. My daughter’s 2, and since she’s been born, I’ve actually been home because of the pandemic and all that stuff. So she’s a pandemic baby. I haven’t really missed anything, but my wife and I are prepping for next year when I’m out on the road and working, so I don’t miss anything important, or if I have to miss anything, we’ll handle it properly. I love my daughter. She’s everything. I’m actually really excited to get home. I [talked] to her right before the show. I like to call her before I go to bed in the hotel room because I get lonely on the road. I’m not big on partying anymore, so I’m by myself when I go to sleep, and we talk a lot. Communication is key in any marriage. But in mine, it’s a necessity.

D Smoke was on that Miguel tour with you. What was it like hitting the road with family?

It’s difficult. At the time, he was in my band, and it was difficult being his boss. But, the respect is so high that we only have conversations for a short time. But then, things get fixed, and we move forward. So, it’s a blessing to have somebody that you can trust wholeheartedly by your side. He was running my show tracks. He was the band director. He was having a great time with me, and I was having a great time with him. So I can’t wait till we get an opportunity to do it again the right way.

Now that you’ve experienced a few years of touring, do you make music based on how it’ll be received live?

All the time. I used to not do that until songs became too difficult for me to sing. I have songs that I love to death, but you’ll never hear ’em because I just can’t perform them. I am now more aware of how far the song will go from the jump. A live show song would be “Satisfaction.” I hope they felt it when I performed it today at Dreamville Fest.

What do you have coming for the rest of 2023?

I’m opening up for Maxwell this year. I got a show with Jill Scott this year. I have a couple more festival dates and new music. Hopefully, I will drop a couple more singles.