Everyone has to kind of fend for themselves.

I have this typical Ukrainian face. Even people who know my music don't recognize me most of the time, thank God.

Rich kids who write songs about food stamps always piss me off. I'm not going to write any songs about that, either.

I'm pretty self-conscious, so I tend to work in a way where I say what I need to say and get out rather than revisit things. It's kind of a collage style. I realized that it had more emotional weight that way. I'll always be in the developmental stages as far as being a songwriter.

When you get an idea, it's not going to be a great idea until you push it. You’ve got to push it until it’s uncomfortable. And then you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Does my project say to my audience what I want it to say?’ ”

Country music is completely punk-rock. It's the original punk-rock.

Making music makes me feel vulnerable in the best possible way. It gives me a feeling of balance.