On this extended “episode” of 67 Designs Customer Spotlights we’re taking a deeper look into the unique adventures of Jason and Emma Walsmith, collectively known as The Racontourists. Unabashedly native Iowans, the Walsmiths’ lifestyle plays out like a song as they travel across the country in their custom Storyteller Overland van. Travel has long been a necessity for Jason’s work as a musician, but the addition of an adventure component set the stage for a unique way of living that empowers them to pursue their passions in a way most can only dream about. This is their story, where dreams do come true.
Carve Your Name
Jason has always been musically inclined. He uses his creativity to combine music and photography into storytelling, which he believes is a natural element of both. Even in college when he was playing guitar and writing songs, he fell in love with the collaboration between himself and the audience. “When those things are working together, that’s when the magic happens.” The singer/songwriter has been making the magic happen not only as a solo artist, but also as lead singer for his band The Nadas, for thirty years. Emma acts as tour manager, but also owned her own business for ten years as an online ticketing service and now has a position in marketing that allows her the flexibility to travel. Their chosen moniker, “The Racontourists” is a blending of two words: raconteur – a person who tells stories in a skillful and amusing way; and tourists – a person traveling or visiting a place for pleasure. While you may not find this word in the dictionary, it perfectly personifies their lifestyle.
Follow the Land Line
As the lifestyle of aspiring musicians would dictate, touring meant copious amounts of interstate travel and living out of hotels. Jason has owned sixteen different tour vehicles during his career, most notably an Eagle tour bus once owned by legendary rock star Meat Loaf. While many of those vehicles met untimely demises, the most reliable was their 2019 sprinter van. But then the impact of COVID-19, which saw a year’s worth of canceled gigs, had them selling that sprinter van to help mitigate the financial loss. Eventually they had to decide how to manage this bump in the road. So, they did the only thing they knew how to - tell stories.
Feel Like Home
Playing venues with sizeable attendance can be an indicator of success, but the downside to that can be lack of deeper connection with the crowd. This critical pivot to salvage their livelihood would be filled with opportunities to become much more intimate with their audience. The band’s “I’ll Play Anywhere Man” tour saw them performing at small, private, outdoor gatherings across the country. Trading traditional venues for open pastures, rooftop bars, front porches and just about anything in between. These settings allowed them to really connect with their audience - not only getting to tell stories, but also getting to hear their stories. According to Jason, it was the “most enjoyable piece that we had no idea we’d get.”
Camper Van
Crucial to the success of this non-traditional tour was a means of transportation that would allow them to safely travel self-contained. For their next house on wheels – something that would accommodate them, their dogs, a few guitars, a PA system, and more – they turned to Storyteller Overland, a company they were familiar with since stumbling upon them at an adventure van expo. Their 2020 MODE 4x4 van would take them over 100,000 miles. Jason and Emma then upgraded to their current 2022 MODE LT which can run the rooftop air conditioner for ten hours – a bonus for the dogs – and support both plugged in lighting and PA. Not only did Storyteller Overland literally get them back on the road, but they also turned into a valuable tour sponsor, connected them to other musicians in the Storyteller Overland family, and opened the door to sharing their story online through the Storyteller Network.
Come Along for the Ride
Jason and Emma really enjoy the experience of driving. They’re eager to learn about communities and seek out the local coffee shops. Whenever possible they try to slow down and enjoy it, but sometimes it simply must be point A to point B. The biggest change during this period of travel was the ability to adventure their way along the path, discovering all the random, in-the-middle-of-nowhere places. Playing music is the job, but the adventure along the way is what motivates Jason to do what he does.
The incredible sense of community with other people who have these same vehicles has been the most valuable part of owning the van. It’s been a way of bringing them to the table and putting them on the same page with diverse, yet like-minded people. Jason may play a gig in a certain town and have twenty van friends meet him there. They’ve been to several events and had numerous adventures with their newfound van family, starting out as strangers but becoming fast friends. One of their first adventures came on the trip to pick up their new van. Jason and Emma spent a couple of days just wandering around in Arizona and New Mexico, then tagged along with other vans exploring the backcountry for a few days. Of course Jason played a few places along the way too.
Anchor
As much as the Walsmiths enjoy learning and experiencing new things with their van family, they always return to their beloved home base in Iowa. They have a strong sense of pride in their home state and the tight-knit community there. As people return to normal during the post-COVID era, they are either at home or with the band more. It’s a much smaller world now though, and it never fails that wherever they go they find other Iowans. Jason and Emma heartily identify with the famous exchange between Field of Dreams movie characters: “Is this heaven? No, it’s Iowa.”
Where I’m Going
Since their introduction to the Storyteller Overland van community, they’ve often asked themselves how they can contribute to the growth of that community. The icing on the proverbial cake would be to pair that with their desire for others to experience the natural and agricultural beauty of Iowa. In the past year Jason and Emma have undertaken a passion project that has culminated in what they’ve dubbed The Waypoint Camp - a van life destination that creates a comfortable space where folks can stop off as they’re traveling across the country. Value added adventure amenities include places to ride bikes, a quarry pond for kayaking and fishing, plenty of trees equipped with hammocks, tent camping, shared utility space, and even an alpaca farm. All because they bought a van, opening up a whole new way of seeing the world.
This Mess is My Masterpiece
The Walsmiths have built their life around things they enjoy doing and they love how it’s empowered them to invest in things they’re passionate about. Adventure has long been a key component of their lives, from motorcycles to land cruisers, overseas travel via plane, tour buses and now 4x4 van excursions. Exploring different places has always been exciting, but now it’s more about exploring new places and meeting new people. When asked about their dream trip, their unflinching reply was “we’re on it, we’re living it.” However, they do have aspirations of seeing national parks, following the 70-degree route (where the temperature is 70 degrees everywhere you go), taking in the Baja 1000, and riding Jason’s bike across the country. Resiliency in the face of challenges and finding new ways of adventuring seem to come naturally to The Racontourists. It may not always be easy, but it’s always worth it.
Note from the writer: Sub-headings within this Customer Spotlight are all song titles by The Nadas.
For more on Jason and Emma’s adventures, see their related social media channels:
- Instagram - @theracontourists
- Instagram - @thewaypointcamp
- Instagram - @thenadas
- Website - https://jasonwalsmithstoryteller.com/
This Customer Spotlight by Tricia Soderstrom.
This series was envisioned and created by Kate Della Pietra in the summer of 2020 when she worked for 67 Designs as a marketing intern.