In terms of fitting in, you know, I don't have a lot of armor up. I'm a raw nerve and it's really uncomfortable for a lot of people.

It's definitely an intrinsic part of my makeup that makes me want to see black when everyone else is seeing white.

It is so hard for musicians when they step into acting is they're not coming in as a blank slate, they're coming in with a real set idea of who they are, where they're coming from, what their politics are, what their tastes are.

Even to survive and have everyone in good health now is really precious. Bands half our age don't even get that lucky sometimes. It's good to practice gratitude, as they say. I used to be so ungracious, I wasn't even aware that I should be feeling grateful! Now I actually try and put it into my daily thought: Be grateful. It's not always so easy.

At the end of the day, though, the band members have to be strong. It's down to the individuals in the unit. Listen to me, I'm talking like I'm in the army and this is my squadron.

Until we command the exact same salary as every male counterpart, I feel a political desire to stand by other women. If we don't stand together, that equality will never be fully realized, and that bothers me.

A lot of my friends are artists or musicians or single parent families and I'm totally aware of how difficult it is for them to make ends meet.