I carry around a little journal with me, a little notebook and a pen and just write all the time. Not necessarily actually sitting down and writing lyrics, just free-form writing, whatever's going on in my mind.

I want to be in New York. It's the place to be.

Music is my first love.

I was happy to kind of always scoot under the radar.

We live in a cynical world now, and it's nice to be part of entertainment that is hopeful and heartfelt and wears its heart on its sleeve, but isn't saccharine. It's real. It's grounded.

Although birth control is a part of my plan now, it won't necessarily be a year from now. I want to use my platform to inspire other women out there.

In 2009, I traveled to South Sudan with my organization PSI. While there, I visited a local school and met with a group of children who had formed a water club. The group learned about how to treat their drinking water and use proper hygiene practices, such as washing their hands before eating or after going to the bathroom.