I wasn't encouraged to write just stand there and sing and I never thought I was a writer. I always figured if I couldn't write something as good as "He Stopped Loving Her Today," then what's the point?

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.

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 feel like records are moments in time, a modern moment that feels right then and it found its way to us then, that minute. We can all try and repeat records we have made that had success, but it's not possible.

If you think too much about something, you're not feeling it.

It was hard to work and work and work and not get your music played on the radio.

What is happy? I think happy's in the moment. I don't think everybody can be happy all the time.