I write a lot about the past because I really see things clearly in hindsight.

I played trumpet in school once because I joined band because a cute boy played trumpet too. And I was really bad at trumpet.

The best songs for me come from the search for joy. You're in a negative place maybe, but you're still striving to improve yourself and find happiness.

I actually quit music and I thought maybe I chose the wrong career. But, I isolated myself in a cabin in the woods for a while and that's where I fell back in love with music. Just being isolated out there, eliminating all these opinions that I endured during my time in LA and the music industry, all the rejection, it was really hard on me and my creativity. So by isolating myself in the wilderness, I was able to fall back in love with music. It was always ingrained in me, always in my blood, but I just lost it for a minute.

Alex [Da Kid] does have diversity, not just in what he produces, but what he hears. He has this knack for finding talented people.

I moved out to L.A. when I was 17, dropped out of high school, and pursued a career in music.

I realize that I really have to make music work for me as a career because I can't do anything else.