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

I always knew I wanted to be a musician, and I always knew I wanted to write, 'cause the people I was listening to all wrote. I never thought it was an option to sing anyone else's songs.

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 was finding it very difficult to find a label that understood what I wanted to do and really believed that people wanted to hear something honest and a little bit different. So, I did feel a bit like a clown. You're knocking on everyone's door trying to get them to believe what you're doing.

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

Clown' was written when I couldn't find anyone who believed in me as an artist. Maybe those labels will think twice next time a young songwriter comes along.