Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors are coming to visit one of their "favorite music towns" on April 5 -- the Classic City. This will be the first time in six years that they have performed at the Georgia Theatre.

As a result, we caught up with Drew Holcomb, lead singer and songwriter, to ask about music, life, the South, and the struggles of growing up.

Here's what we learned:

Danielle Weiner: So, hey, I’ve got to ask, is this your first time in Athens?Drew Holcomb: No, we’ve played the 40Watt about six times over the years. Last time we played it was a sold out show, and this time will be our first time at the Georgia Theatre.

What is your favorite thing about Athens? Is there anything special you plan to do while you are here?
Oh, yeah. We totally have our regular spots. We love going to Broad Street -- what’s that really cool store with all those antiques? I can’t remember what it’s called, but we love snooping around. Not to mention all the great types of food. We’ve been to Transmet several times over the past couple of years. Athens is one of those towns where you try to get in early enough to explore, enjoy the downtown, the weather, the general feel of it all. It is hands down one of our favorite music towns. 

You started playing when you were 21. Obviously we are all very different from that stage of our lives until now. How has your perspective on life changed since then?
You know, I think more than anything, the greatest thing about growing up was getting married and having a career for 10 years. Everything when you’re younger seems really rushed, a year when you're 21 seems like an eternity, when you’re 30 it’s about a month. Instead of trying to beat the clock you learn to enjoy life more. Your perspective, empathy, and point of view -- all of it grows. There’s just a healthier sense of identity with oneself as you get more mature and comfortable. 

Hearing you say that makes me feel so much better. It’s good that we all figure it out one day.
You can’t force experience, you have to let it happen to you.

What was is it like to perform with your wife? Do you remember when you two first performed together? 
YES! We were in college, at Knoxville. I was a senior, she was a junior, and it was a BBQ joint (downtown Knoxville) called Lucilles. It’s closed now. But anyways, we were just hanging out with a bunch of our friends, and she just came up and performed a bunch of songs with me. 

AWW!!!!! Well, obviously that turned out well for you considering you’ve been happily married for some years. I know you recently had a kid (well not recently, but you get the idea) how do you balance a rock star lifestyle and being super dad?You know, to get into music for a living was a total joy, but it really pales in comparison to being a dad. Emmylou loves music, she loves to dance. She actually went on the road with us for a year. Elle spends more time at home than on the road these days with her. When you’re a dad, the perspective thing changes a lot. Your career is important, but it’s not the most important thing. Being with the ones you love is. What I love most though with Emmylou is that everything is always new. Elle and I just love being her agents of discovery. 

If you could collaborate with anyone (besides your wifey and the band), who would it be?
I would love to write a song with Bruce Springsteen. He’s one of my favorite songwriters and storytellers. If I could just sit in a room with him with two guitars, talk music and pop a beer -- I would totally enjoy that. Just sitting in his company and talking about what he does and why he does it would be amazing. 

What’s your playlist like when you’re driving from concert to concert? 
We listen to a lot of Wilco, Jason Isbell, Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, Carole King, Need to Breathe, Dillion – honestly,  everyone in the band has a ton of different tastes! Our bass player loves old 70s soul records, and our tour manager loves big epic stuff like Arcade Fire. 

What has been the biggest struggle you as a band have faced so far?
The economics of a musician’s life is a struggle, realizing that you have to tour to pay your bills, finding the balance of making a living and making your priorities your RIGHT priorities. As far as issues go, we haven’t had a lot as a band. We wake up in the morning with a positive perspective and realize that we’re living the dream a lot of people wish that they could be living. 

What is your favorite memory from touring?
Honestly, there’s no way to describe how it feels the first time you play a sold out show and you see everyone around you singing your songs. Austin Texas, December 2010 – it was in that moment I realized I might be able to do this for a long time. 

Do you think folk music is making a revival into mainstream pop? Why do you think that is? Does it have to do with our generation?
Folk music never really faded out per se. It’s always been underground with its niche communities. It faded out of pop culture for a bit, but it’s always been a thing. The resurgence had to do with something and someone looking for something real and authentic. You can’t be a real musician playing real instruments on stage with electronic and pop music. 

What was your favorite part about undergrad back when you were in school? 
Probably going to see shows. When I was an undergrad, I went to shows all the time. Being exposed to live music in Knoxville, road trips, seeing Ryan Adams, Damien Rice, and the Watson Twins. Tons and tons of bands. I even saw U2 when I studied abroad in Ireland for a semester. I loved how there were so many options.

What advice would you give to struggling college students hoping to succeed?
It’s not about what you major in or what you’re studying; it’s about learning how to learn and finish things. In the real world, what you study won’t matter that much. It’s a matter of learning to finish what you start. For example, when I told my dad I wanted to be a musician, he said “I’ll be at your corner” and from there on out I began to try to pursue my dreams.
What are your plans for the future? Is there another album or tour in the works?
Yeah, there’s a couple things. We started touring over in Europe in October. We’re going all over Scandinavia, and we are actually putting on our own music festival this summer. It’s called Moon River Music Festival. (For anyone wanting to go, it’s June 7th in Levitt Shell Memphis!) Later this summer we are coming back home for a bit to record a new record. 

Why did you decide to start a band? Was this always a dream of yours?
It initially was a solo artist type of thing, and I just heard great music to help me make sense of my life. I started writing songs for fun as a junior in college. I got a great response, and people started encouraging me to play for others. On the way to making a solo career, I just happened to meet the rest of my band.

What was your first performance ever like? 
Well, I actually sang at a school talent show when I was 8 years old in front of the entire school, parents and everything. The song I sang was an old spiritual song called, “Old Man River,” and it’s about the Mississippi River. I sang it in a deep voice and got a standing ovation – needless to say, I was thrilled. 

When you write songs, how do you get into your creative mindset, and how do you narrow down which songs to put on your albums?You know, so many people think song writing is about this word "inspiration." For me, it’s a matter of work, sitting down with a guitar, notepad or laptop, and you just keep up with ideas and catalogue them. You throw away a song and keep a line. You just work at it, spend time at it, forcing yourself to sit down and be creative. As far as inspiration goes, you spend time with interesting people and do the things you love. It’s at that point that you quickly find things to say and comments based upon all the things you subject yourself to. 

Do you guys know Judah and the Lions very well? How did you guys come to perform together? 
We’re good friends with Judah and the Lions. We just loved their set when they first opened for us once back in the day. We really enjoy their company, and I love performing with a band that is really, really good. Having an outstanding opening band keeps the spirit of the night, making for an excellent all around concert. I’m excited to have them on the show with us at the Georgia Theatre. 

Is anyone in your band a Bulldogs fans? 
Well, our bass player is from Georgia, so I would say he is. However, he doesn’t really follow the whole SEC football type of thing.