I built a reputation as a songwriter in the industry before my own hits. People were used to coming to me for songs. There were songs like 'Clown' and 'Mountains' that were my songs that I wanted to keep. But the record labels saw me as a songwriter. It was hard to get people to believe in me as an artist.

Melody is the first thing that comes to me when I'm songwriting. I learned piano classically first, and then I went into soul, and so melody has always been the first. It's so important.

I was so shy and so quiet, and the only time I had my own voice and I could really connect with people was when I was singing or on stage.

I mean, there'll always be room for big productions and everything but it's good to see the other side.

I was very quiet until I got at the piano, and weekends, lunch breaks, after school, before school, I was just making music.

From when I was a kid I wanted to write. It was so important to me that I was writing my own material.

I built a reputation as a songwriter in the industry before my own hits. People were used to coming to me for songs. There were songs like 'Clown' and 'Mountains' that were my songs that I wanted to keep. But the record labels saw me as a songwriter. It was hard to get people to believe in me as an artist.