Well, I had a record deal since I was 18, and it got me where I am.

I can find some way to make poetry out of my life's experiences.

So it's the greatest compliment in the world when people want to hear you sing. That means it feels good to them, so I keep doing it.

I can't tell you how freeing it is to have my own label. For the first time in my career, I have total control.

I love being a gypsy and getting on the bus with the band making sounds for the people who love and enjoy a night of Americana and good times.

That's what I so admired about Johnny Cash and June Carter. Their music wasn't a big influence on me. It was their character, their individual styles, what they were like as people. They weren't afraid to stick out.

I write about what I know.