In music industry they always want you to write something like the one that was popular. And that's something you kind of have to just - sometimes you just say yes to people, like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure," and then you just write the one you want to write.

We want to give kids something to hope for. If one kid says, "Your cd helped get me through this year," that's all it takes.

Start enjoying the things you like about yourself, and if there are things you want to change, either get to work on it or get over it.

When you have a relationship with a label, it can really affect the work you're doing and if you feel like they don't believe in you sometimes you go: "maybe I'm not any good at this". Then you get on a label that is excited to have you and you go: "oh, maybe we are ok at this". It gives you a little more confidence and you work a little better.

3 years ago I was stocking shelves at Target, living on Ramen noodles, and crashing at Billy's house. Now I'm on tour

I got a little tattoo on my face, I'll never be able to work another real job so I consider that to be kinda forcing myself to stick to music.

I need a little criticism while I make a record so that I kind of feel like: okay, I know that I'm doing the best that I can do because someone is actually here challenging it.