Anytime something starts to feel like a popularity contest or not about the music, I'd rather just not be involved. I'm not a big high-fiver. That really gets to people around me when we have a No. 1 or something big happen. I'm not a big, 'Let's go have a party about it!

We sat around and I fed them barbecue and whiskey. And pretty soon everyone started to compete with each other on the guitars. It seemed the more everyone drank and ate, the more everyone got into it.

No matter who you meet in life, you take something from them, positive or negative.

My whole back's tattooed. I just wanted a twist. I was always in punk bands when I was little I think that's where the tie comes from.

Every storm runs, runs out of rain

I try never to focus on the radio, just find great songs, find emotion and just write the best songs you can. I think when you get fixated on trying to do something too accurate, it becomes more washed out and less what you intended it to be. So I think each time the challenge for me is to try and reinvent a little bit.

If you date a musician, you're never, ever really gonna be first either. You're gonna be right behind the music and maybe right close.