You get to a certain age and it really occurs to you: "My mother and my father will not always be here. My spouse or my girlfriend or boyfriend are here right now, but someday they won't be." You realize that you need to like yourself.

I don't believe people when they say their songs have nothing to do with their personal life.

I was adopted legally around age three, but it's not like this thing I think about when I wake up every day. I was adopted by my foster parents, so I was comfortable with them. I wasn't in this alien place.

It's very important to enjoy time alone with yourself and just existing, because existence is kind of cool.

I know it sounds so lame, but the songs are like my children.

If you can't be psyched about your own thoughts, then how are you supposed to have a meaningful interaction with anyone?

In high school I was in a band called Goodfight, but it was more me running around on stage. It was very punk inspired. Then I started to get into indie-rock and older music and decided I wanted to write my own stuff. I quit the band. Around 16 or 17, I started recording myself at home on keyboard and piano.