No matter how naturally gifted you are, it's your passion that's going to make you better and maybe touch some people.

If you know what kind of music somebody loves, then you can kind of figure out why they do what they do.

The musicians themselves don't seem to know enough about why they're in the positions they're in, so they're afraid to lose those positions.

If you're 22 years old and you can't believe you're even in the position to have a career making music, the first thing you're going to think is: Maintain. Don't lose it. And that's precisely what causes you to lose everything.

I've had nightmares about having to kick people out of my band because they've said that they don't like the Beatles. I'd wake up and turn to them and say, "You like the Beatles, right?"

Even with artists I love, only about a third of their music is what really hits the sweet spot for me.

I have no shame in making music that maybe, if you listen to it long enough, you'll realize you've heard this or that part of it before.