With the exception of a two year stay in the Topeka, Kansas area, Don has resided in Asheville since 1980. He has played in a number of rock bands, bluegrass groups and even spent a good bit of time on the highly competitive singer-songwriter circuit. His passion, however, has continued to be his songwriting. In a recent interview, Don shared some of his ideas about the trade. "I really like to write story telling songs. If they don't tell a story, they should at least create a good image. Melodies are very important too. The trick is to find a catchy, but simple melody that doesn't sound like someone else's song. That can be a real challenge." Humphries, who is known for his slightly sarcastic wit, adds; "Oh yeah, make sure there's a lot of hot licks to cover up for the weak lyrics."

When we discussed the process of writing songs, he said; "Like most writers, I'm constantly searching for ideas. I carry a notebook, certainly not a novel approach, and if something comes to me I'll stop and write it down." When I asked how long it normally takes to write a song he replied; "It just depends. Some of them come in just a couple of sittings, others…don't. You also have to know when a song isn't going anywhere. Just because you wrote some words down on a piece of paper, doesn't mean it's anything special. John Hartford always said that he played his songs for the audience and let them decide if they were any good. I'd say that's pretty good advice." When we talked about songwriting influences, Don remarked "Well, as far as bluegrass writers are concerned, Damon Black and Pete Goble were very influential. I was certainly inspired by writers from other musical genres, but as far as bluegrass goes, those two guys are excellent."