Sometimes you get so jaded, you don't have those initial connections and emotions with music, because you are promoting your own.

I've never really gotten into the whole labels thing. There were times I would cover a pop song, and people would say 'You sound really country.' I gave up on that whole thing a long time ago.

As a singer, I just want to try to honor what the writers create - and as someone who's trying to write songs, I just hope I can stand in their company and not embarrass myself.

I think anytime you get nominated for an award, its a very humbling thing.

Over the course of a day, you get to get a feel for where you're playing, so when you get out on stage, you already feel like you've had a bit of a bonding experience with them.

I naively thought I had to go door to door, find somebody who could record me singing some songs. I didn't know Music Row, I didn't know anything! So after six or seven months, I went back home and went to college.

My philosophy has always been that I hope I have a good enough day to give me another one, I hope that I have a good enough year to give me another year. I know that's cliched, but it's the truth in how I approach my career.