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

You need to understand that a skilled professional songwriter can accelerate your success as an already talented musician. These people are writing every single day, so their craft is really sharp, and it's the best songwriters who consistently get on the radio.

I've never in my life bought a big piece of jewelry - like, 'I'm gonna get myself a big piece of jewelry!' Songwriters' lives are unstable and up and down. Even though mine has sort of has followed more of a going toward the sky trajectory.

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

Songwriters tell the truth.

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

Yeah... I was a singer as a kid. I had a lot of stage fright, and what's happened with "Idol," it has got me past so much of that.