I'm not just a doormat. I'm not just being stepped on all over the place. If you look at the bulk of my material, it's about trying to find some strength through that.

Believe it or not, people went so far as to suggest that I might not be able to write songs anymore because now I am married. I tried to explain again that there are other things to write about besides boy meets girl, girl meets boy, boy breaks up with girl, girl is sad.

I didn't grow up in a mom-and-pop, Ozzie and Harriet type of environment, but who did.

What I do as a songwriter is a constant force in my life, that I'm grateful to have.

It's easier to write songs when you're single.

I have to try different things to see what works best. Other people get impatient with that.

There's this whole idea that you've got the blues and you're going to write. Bullshit. When I feel really bad, all I want to do is sit in front of the TV with the remote control and check out.