Try to write songs like:
Billy Joe Shaver, Tom Waits, Roger Miller, Stan Ridgway, Merle Haggard, John Hartford, Dave Alvin, Paul Weller, Hoagy Carmichael, Bob Dylan, Tom T Hall
Try and sing 'em like:
Merle, Waylon, Phil Alvin, Big Al Anderson, Elvis, Benny Martin
Try to pick like:
Curtis Mayfield, Lowman Pauling, Jerry Reed, Johnny Guitar Watson, Roy Nichols, Norman Blake, Big Al Anderson, Marc Ribot
Bands that I steal from:
Merle Haggard and the Strangers, John Hartford's Aereo Plain line-up, the Blasters, Waylon Jennings' 70s touring band, the Band, NRBQ, the Replacements, Sir Douglas Quintet, Osborne Bros, X
I've played/recorded with:
NRBQ, Stan Ridgway, Ray Campi, Lalo Guerrero, Big Jay McNeely, Big Sandy, Wanda Jackson, Todd Rundgren, Martin Mull, THE FLINTSTONES, DEXTER'S LAB, Billy Swan, Jamie Hartford, Katy Moffatt, Rosie Flores, Chris Gaffney, DJ Bonebrake, Sammy Masters, Bob Dorough, Les Baxter, Yma Sumac, Robert Drasnin, Rick Danko, Dave Alvin, Carol Kaye, Terry Adams, Karen Mantler, the Hot Shots, Amy Farris, and many, many vainglorious others.