It would be a horrible business, a horrible sort of culture if you didn't have the candy pop as well as the real hard-hitting stuff. And I love some pop music.

I would always consider myself to be political with a small "p," although it makes me mad when people say politics should be kept out of music.

I want to be accessible to a certain type of person who wants to walk around with their eyes open, or at least is open to the idea of change.

One of the joys of writing music is making your own mark. Study other stuff, immerse yourself in music and then tell your own truth.

If you are a Steve Earle and you're up on a platform and there are people out there listening to you, say something to them. Tell them something valuable. Tell them something they need to know. It doesn't have to be dictatorial, it just has to be informative.

My generation in the UK, they're very apathetic, a lot of them.

If you're a Brit you kinda get used to people being cold and aloof and just generally arrogant - particularly musicians. (Compared to Londoners New Yorkers are a walk in the park!)