My mother passed away, my marriage ended, and I moved. Those are some pretty big things to let go of. But I find that if you hold on to something too tightly, you strangle it and yourself. If you don't let go, and let things go through you, it's toxic - physically.

Sometimes to move forward you have to let go. I figured that out through opening myself up, allowing people into my creative process. It allowed me to write songs that surprised me, and in fact, inspired me.

What you see online isn't real. How many likes you get on Instagram doesn't have any bearing on how good of a person you are, how good your heart is. It's all for fun; it shouldn't affect you so deeply.

Some of the songs I wanted to be really full, [but] there's something to be said for just a voice and a guitar

When you're writing with someone else it helps you think of things you never would've thought of.

With Twitter and Instagram and all of these vehicles where fans can directly interact with you and get your attention, there's a little bit of an entitlement. Like, "Why won't you follow me or write me back?" Well, if I write you back, then I have to write everyone back.

Music to me is something that I didn't choose; it was a necessity. I grew up with music, my father is a musician. It makes me happy; it makes people happy.