I think inside every rock journalist, there's somebody who wishes they had the courage to live the life that they're not, and that they're writing about. But at the same time, inside every songwriter, I guess there's a wish for happiness.

Everything about singing, I learned from busking. Everything I learned about songwriting, I learned from busking. Busking, you learn people, you learn about reading people. You learn about reading the atmosphere of the street. If you stand still in any city long enough, you see everyone pass you by. It's almost like you get to know personality types, just by watching people walk past. You get a sense for things.

I guess in a way I just feel blessed to be able to make music.

We saw too much beauty to be cynical, felt too much joy to be dismissive, climbed too many mountains to be quitters, kissed too many girls to be deceivers, saw too many sunrises not to be believers, broke too many strings to be pro's and gave too much love to be concerned where it goes.

I only ever really take out my guitar when I'm miserable, which isn't necessarily a very good time to do it.

My dad was quiet, angry, shut down. So my thing is: I express everything that's there. I want to get it all out.

If you don't mark your successes, the day your ship comes in could be just another day at the office, and there's no poetry in that.