People seem to think that folk music is people with acoustic guitars. Or punk music is people with mohawks, leather jackets.

I think it's cool to give people encouragement.

I definitely didn't have a lot of money. I had been fired from a record store. I was just trying to get by. I was on unemployment. I didn't have anything going full-time.

I always thought it was important for my lyrics to come from a really honest place.

Sometimes I have the idea right away, like, "Oh, this is what this song's about. This is how I'm feeling."

It's too bad music can't be like movies. For me, playing music and listening to music and creating music is very environmental. It creates a certain environment; it sets a specific mood.

The melody and the structure of a song always comes first for me, so the emotions behind it can sometimes be a challenge: What am I feeling about this song? Where did the melody come from? I want it to be heartfelt.