When you have a solid upbringing and a strong sense of place, that sustains you. My sense of home never leaves me.

Both my parents worked, so I was home alone a lot, and I would listen to their records. They belonged to the Columbia House record club, so they had records!

It's important to be successful enough to be able to keep doing what you love.

Man, I need to impress her, cause I'd like to undress her.

When someone tells me what he or she was doing the first time they heard a song of mine, then I've done a good job. If my song becomes about your life, then I'm successful.

Everybody's career is different. In this new age of being able to talk to the whole world at once, the possibilities are staggering, really, to be able to do things yourself. But I've always enjoyed my relationship with the record company.

It's really a lot easier to write about things that are problematic. Who wants to hear how happy you are?