The public has heard the stereotypical love songs a million times, and they've heard the stereotypical life-or-death songs millions of times. It's good to mix it up a little bit.

I think to be successful at anything you have to put in a hell of a lot of effort. Pick your battles. I picked music, put in a lot of effort, and it's worked.

I've never really been a confident person, except from a musical standpoint. I had to push myself early on, but it got easier with each gig.

Emil's [Nava], the video director. Originally, I was meant to do all the stuff that the puppet was doing. I just wasn't that comfortable with doing it, so he had a puppet made.

You kind of half-prepare a speech in your head, and then you get up there and then you end up saying nothing that was in your head before you went up there. It's a very weird thing. I never do award speeches too well.

It was always meant to ease out of a big radio song and flow into the next one. Don't is the bridge song in between Sing and Thinking Out Loud.

I think I've been around for a while. But I still have to pay my dues.