Great classic music that I've been turned on to has not only inspired and influenced me, but it has had an effect on my songwriting.

Writing the songs and producing the songs and arranging them and recording them is your canvas and your palette and your brush.

When you're in love, you've found your soul mate, you think life is going one way, and suddenly it's completely apparent it's not. You have to rethink your whole purpose.

I've changed the way I look at things. When I put out a record or single I don't allow myself to set up expectations like, "This song must be a number one hit. Its got to sell X amount of records." I have fallen into that trap before.

As I've gotten older, I've found that I'm not afraid anymore to throw my influences into making a record.

Dead fish don't swim around in jealous tides.

When I'm not completely loaded, it's a much more vulnerable place. I can feel the music, I can feel the energy and I really have to put it out there. When I was loaded, I was just oblivious.