I'm a really, really optimistic and really, really positive person. My main thing is, 'Enjoy life. Celebrate life.'

I think the attraction to country music is the fans, the lure of the hardcore fan base.

I'll always have songs with a farm connotation on my albums. It's in the fabric of my music, and I plan to keep it that way.

I wouldn’t necessarily say she is a country artist. I mean, obviously Taylor Swift started in country, but she morphed into somewhat of a cultural icon, so, who am I to judge what she is?

Nothing is more rewarding than to take a song, create it out of thin air and then watch it affect people.

When you look into the eyes of your people out there that came to see you, that's when it's like, 'Yep, this is what it's all about.' This is why we don't sleep, and this is why we write songs and try to be the best. This moment right here onstage.

Early in my songwriting career, when I was learning a lot about writing songs, I'd force myself to sit down until I came up with something.