Whether it's about children or not, we have to move forward.

If humor is not present, I tend to be concerned about the artist, or distrusting of what they're presenting - unless there is an obvious tragedy being talked about.

It was Rick's Rubin idea to have the 'Brooklyn' verse repeat. It already was a story, but having that made it a folk song. Instead of this rambling march of verses, Rick understands that music needs hooks. You need that repeated chorus, that everyone can sing along to.

I have always considered myself an artist and painting was the first medium that I claimed.

In painting, the key is not taking myself seriously to the point where it kills sincerity.

Women of all looks, shapes, sizes, everything, if they recognize how beautiful they are-because they all are-then they carry it that way. And you can see that. Confidence is reflected in how they walk and how they dress and how they speak and how they carry themselves. It's just amazing. And that can turn anybody's head pretty quick, especially mine.

One of the things that I love about painting is that I never consider myself to have an audience.