Nobody's going to sell 10 million records by not working hard.

Smokey Robinson is one of my heroes as a singer and songwriter, a major influence on my own music from the very start.

I'm in the trenches; I do the best work I can always do. Having said that, the way that what I do converges with the outside world is fascinating to me. Because it ebbs and flows. People's interest and understanding, it changes all the time.

Most artists try to avoid cliches, but it's pretty hard to avoid them if you yourself end up being one.

I love antique architecture, so if I have any indulgences, I have owned and renovated and reconstructed a lot of old houses.

When you have that first flash of what you think is going to be a great idea-from the mouth, from the hands-that's an amazing feeling. I don't think anything's quite as good as that.

I think Philadelphia has been underrated over the years as a musical region.