A great song should make you stop everything that you're doing. You should be so into it that you just can't imagine doing anything else for that moment. You wouldn't even dream of picking up the phone.

I don't go to record stores to look at my albums, but it's always a thrill to see them.

Some of the best songs that artists perform year after year are ones they hated.

I've never been fired in my life.

There's a lot of craft that goes into achieving a hit song - at the beginning of your career, you're usually more inspiration than craft, and you get great when those intersect. A skilled songwriter can get you to that intersection.

Good new songs are the backbone of the music industry. There isn't an artist out there who could survive without hit songs.

I looked a little pasty. But hey, at least I didn't wet myself!