The classic, quote/unquote, craft of songwriting still works; it still is relevant.

I have to sing it every night, I can't get up on stage if it's some bullshit story.

I think often times if a guitar riff is centered around the chorus or if it follows the chorus, then it often times turns into the actual hook.

When I moved to L.A., I was penniless, absolutely beyond broke and in debt up to my eyeballs.

Crowds respond to anthemic choruses.

Any time you have a song that is directly connected to a very specific musical trend of the moment, you have immediately cut it off at the knees, doesn't matter if it goes to number one in the world, if you're too attached to a production style.

Melody is the single most important thing to any song, period. I don't care what anybody says, it trumps everything. Not because that's my opinion but because I think it's actually indisputable fact. The human brain retains melody easier than it retains words. It's that simple.