The fact that my dad was never around gave me a lot of determination. It really set this fire full of fuel, so to speak. It didn't matter what anybody was telling me, how many times I got rejected, because it was never as bad as being rejected by your own father.

I started out on guitar when I was nine years old, and I started playing bars and stuff when I was thirteen, and I've been playing ever since.

I just never doubted myself. I always knew I was going to do something.

The only thing I knew how to do was draw and play music.

Music has been more, you know, the only thing I've ever known.

I work, to this day, from morning to night, seven days a week. I'm always working two, three years ahead of my own timeline; I'm a workaholic.

I always was intrigued with writing my own stuff, and I was always really bad at learning other people's stuff.