I'm a very disciplined person when it comes to my work, but discipline can't save m from being a drug addict.

What songwriting does better than almost anything is empathy - it's incredibly empathetic. The reason people sat around in bars when they were bummed out and listened to country songs is because it made them feel better in the long run.

I really believe that if I make records that are indispensable to my audience, they'll go out and spend money to buy them, even if they've already downloaded them. If they can afford it. If they can't, I'd rather they be able to download it than not get it at all.

I have a low tolerance for mediocrity in music and life. I'm into pain and joy and the in-between doesn't interest me.

People hate good books to be over. I wish I could write a 700-page book.

I'm supposed to make people cry, but not by manipulating.

When I write something simple I'm always really proud of it. When you write something that simple with that much air in it and the whole premise behind it is something pretty obvious - that everybody wants to be happy and free - the song is sort of an exercise in not forgetting that's what you really want and what you really need. We can get caught up in a lot of other stuff.