I'm always imagining some sort of story behind the song, even the ones I haven't written. I'm actively engaging in playacting.

My grandmother sang, too, and she was really loud. It was this wild kind of singing. I count her among my influences.

There was a train that would come by our house every night, and I'd hear the whistle blow. That is the sweetest memory I have.

I know you're supposed to set goals for yourself. I see all that motivational stuff on television. Think about the future, what's next! But I'm all into the journey. It's fascinating to me. So if I make certain what I want moment to moment, I'm cool at the crossroads.

Being black, I'm involved in the reparations movement. It's focused toward the African-American audience. We could begin to heal.

Everything I do is collaborative. It's just my way. I'm really very interested in how the other musicians perceive the song.

My father had all kinds of instruments in the house that he would hide from my mother. He bought them through mail order!