Ronnie Day

Album:

The Album.

Release Date:

November 14, 2006.

Past Album:

Nine Sleepless Nights

You'll Like 'Em If You Like:

Teddy Geiger, Ryan Cabrera, Dave Melillo, John Mayer.

Ronnie Day on Ronnie Day in Five Words or Less:

My name is Ronnie Day.

Ronnie Day is the type of guy you would have a huge crush on in high school -- if only he had stayed in high school long enough for you to notice him. At 16, he left school (he placed out with a proficiency exam) to persue his music career. "I don't feel like I missed out. I'm not a very social person. It wasn't much fun," he says. "I have my books that I read all the time. I actually enjoy that a lot more than I enjoyed the high school." But this smartie's strengths don't just lie in writing lyrics -- he also recorded his debut album, Nine Sleepless Nights alone in his bedroom! Now 18, Ronnie opens up to us about living in a van, sharing a last name with Howie Day, and how his break up with his high school sweetheart, Jamie, fueled his music career.

During your first tour, you slept at fans' houses. Did you meet any weirdos?
I've run into more weirdos recently. We've actually been sleeping in the van -- not out of necessity, but there's something about surviving. You know, turning life into a survival endeavor that makes it really exciting. You have to struggle to find a way to park and sleep and shower and brush your teeth -- you learn to appreciate day-to-day life in a different way. And it was the same thing staying with people. It's really exciting to meet new people and go through that struggle. You have to be on top of your game 24/7. It never stopped feeling like an adventure.

What's the best thing about living in a van?
The mobility is nice. Because we've been touring so much recently, it feels like Christmas or a holiday no matter when I come home [to my parents' house]. We had Thanksgiving two months early [this year] because we knew I'd be on a road trip during Thanksgiving.