Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that's the most important thing for people to do. It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely correct, it's not about what goes on in a computer. It's about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head].

My mother was a public school teacher in Virginia, and we didn't have any money, we just survived on happiness, on being a happy family.

Because you have things like 'American Idol' and you've got radio stations that play music made entirely by computers, it's easy to forget there are bands with actual people playing actual instruments that rock.

When I listen to music these days, and I hear Pro Tools and drums that sound like a machine - it kinda sucks the life out of music.

I'm not allergic to fashion. I'm just one of those people who when they put on a suit look like they're going to a funeral or to court.

When Nirvana became popular, you could very easily slip and get lost during that storm. I fortunately had really heavy anchors - old friends, family.

Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that's the most important thing for people to do.