I always said when I was younger, I wanted to write film music, and I think that's what my ultimate dream is.

I remember listening to Miles Davis in the car with my dad. I had just done my Grade 5 piano exam, and I was quite cocky. I said, 'It sounds like he's played the wrong note there.' I remember the look of horror on my dad's face, and thinking, 'Wow, I have to figure out why that is not acceptable.'

I respect hippos. They just look the way they do; they can't do anything about it, but they don't seem bothered.

I don't talk about Amy Winehouse as a 'singer.' She's a pioneer. I listened to her endlessly when I started writing.

I write songs from the heart, and I don't hold back.

Lizz Wright is my favourite singer. Her voice moves me and takes me to another place. She also grows her own food and that inspires me.

Taxi drivers used to ask me what kind of music I did, and I'd say, 'Well, it's kind of jazz, soul, classical' - but that makes no sense to anyone.