I was a 12 year old kid in Northern Idaho listening to Billie Holiday and Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan and Nat King Cole. This whole genre of music is a part of who I am.

A few years ago, when I was writing songs for my first album, I was staying with Michael Feinstein as I often did. I was working on a pilot. My grandma was very sick at the time. She died of complications from alcoholism. She always used to say [in his grandma's voice], "Red wine is good for my heart. That's what my doctor said." And we'd say, "Yeah, but not for breakfast." Unfortunately, it was the thing that killed her. I felt inspired to write a song about her and what that meant for her life and for all of us. I was writing it in Michael's house.

Joan Mitchell, Joan Baez, Judy Collins - that was my mom's era.

Believe it or not, my best meal is to go to the store and buy a DiGiorno pizza, come home, add some fresh Parmesan cheese, and just hang with my family!

I'm a New Yorker; my oven is used for storage.

I understand why the gay community wants to embrace actors who are out. People want to be represented.

I have insomnia, and it's hard for me to sit still for a long time. My mind is always "tick, tick, tick."