Nick Dittmeier and the Sawdusters booked for Albany Locos show

ALBANY — It’s the reality of life as a musician: You go where the gigs are.

Case in point: Earlier in his career, Nick Dittmeier — who with his wonderfully named band the Sawdusters will play April 24 at Locos Grill and Pub in Albany — booked a solo show at the Highway 15 Brew House in his home state of Indiana. The rootsy singer/songwriter got an inkling of what he was in for when he drove — alone — to the club, located “30 miles off the highway, isolated among some cornfields and soybeans.”

“When I got there, there were a lot of people, so that was good,” Dittmeier said in a phone interview with The Albany Herald. “What I didn’t know, though, was that the club was holding an after-party following the funeral of a guy who’d died of a heroine overdose.

“There were a bunch of farmers milling around, a really weird vibe. I couldn’t wait to do the show and get the hell out of there.”

That’s the way it goes for “lifers” like Dittmeier and the Sawdusters, whose wonderful 2014 album “Light of Day” includes the hit-worthy title song. Along with everyone else whose name isn’t among the 20 or so at the top of the musical food chain, they’re still trying to figure the best way to make a living in the ever-changing industry.

“Yeah, we make those long trips in our no-frills white van,” said the 30-year-old Dittmeier, who’s been playing in bands since he was 16. “It’s really not all that bad because all of us get along so well. We have a good sense of humor about the situation. We all know guys who have huge fan bases who have to do kickstarters every now and then.

“In the long-term, we may be better off doing the things the way we’re doing them, maintaining a level of control. We’re in the middle of a digital revolution that everyone’s still trying to figure out. There’s a huge difference in music and in the music business, and it’s going to take some time before someone finally figures it out.”

Meanwhile, Dittmeier and the Sawdusters — Zane Hilton, Aaron Waters and Eric Baldwin— book gigs in places like Albany, places they’ve never been to but are in between shows at Point A and Point B.

“You have to have a thick skin when you go into a place where no one knows you,” the singer said. “You can’t change who you are once you get to the venue. Fortunately, it’s not really a money game for me right now. You can’t put a price tag on the experience.

“It means a lot more to me as a musician to play to a crowd of 30-40 who are really connected than it does to play for a big crowd that doesn’t get into what you’re doing.”

Dittmeier and the Sawdusters’ April 24 gig at Locos kicks off at 9 p.m. There is no cover charge.