I have a structured songwriting process. I start with the music and try to come up with musical ideas, then the melody, then the hook, and the lyrics come last. Some people start with the lyrics first because they know what they want to talk about and they just write a whole bunch of lyrical ideas, but for me the music tells me what to talk about.

Women are dealing with the same thing: they're dealing with expectations about how they're supposed to look and how they're supposed to interact with men. I think we're all trying to figure it all out, especially when we're teenagers, but I think the key is to listen and empathize with one another.

For me I'm actually doing what I normally do when I do my solo thing and the other thing is actually more new to me.

Kind of the critical acclaim of this movie [La La Land] is that it's striking a chord with the public in a way that has been really beautiful and powerful.

I hear melodies and hooks all day. I've always been that way, since I was a kid.

Sometimes success is just limited to festival circuit.

You learn so much from taking chances, whether they work out or not. Either way, you can grow from the experience and become stronger and smarter.