It's always the roughest path, but I think it's got the most reward at the end.

I have a huge chip on my shoulder.

We're all given a window of opportunity, I think all artists are, of any genre. A window when you're truly relevant, the spotlight's on you and people are watching what you do.

The most important thing for me as an artist is having an identity.

I went to my dad when I was 17 and said, 'I want to be a country music star.' Which every dad loves to hear. And he said, 'I want you to go to college.' So we had a discussion. And I'm pretty stubborn. I'm a lot like him. And he said, 'If you go to college and graduate, I'll pay your first six months of rent in Nashville.' So he bribed me.

I don't care if I starve.

If I wanted the ticket to be a $200 ticket, I'd have made it a $200 ticket, but I don't want it to be that.