As a musician, you just want to be able to do what you love.

My ultimate goal is to try to be real. It just so happens that I'm usually more happy than sad when I'm writing. And in general I think that life is pretty great, and it's cool to be here, so that comes through in my music. I don't have a dismal outlook, but I don't aim to make positive music. It's just what I am.

Well, there are two kinds of happiness, grounded and ungrounded. Ungrounded happiness is cheesy and not based on reality. Grounded happiness is informed happiness based on the knowledge that the world sometimes sucks, but even then you have to believe in yourself.

As a musician, you just want to be able to do what you love.

I've learned to trust that you know what you're doing, because it gets scary sometimes. There's a lot of money being spent. If you panic, then that kind of messes with the whole creative vibe. You can't force something to happen, you have to let it all come out and believe that you'll get there in the end.

When your dad makes a living as a children's singer, you figure, 'I can do anything.' He made up his own job and did it.

I'm a humble guy, but I'm audacious.