When you work with a major label they create their own message for you and a lot of the time that works great, or at least it did back in the 90's but now it doesn't work, so I think as an artist if you learn your own business, like anybody would when they want to start a little restaurant - they'd figure it out and then build it and they work hard - then it could be your own little business that you grew to as big as you want it to be but you had much more control with how to communicate it and how it's cared for.

When you see opportunities in your life, you've got to analyze, 'Why was that choice given to me?

I was kicked out of middle school a few times. This guy who was kind of a d*** and a bully got hit by a car. I jumped up and went, YEAH Apparently that wasnt cool with some people cause I got kicked out.

There's a time in your life where you're not quite sure where you are. You think everything's perfect, but it's not perfect... Then one day you wake up and you can't quite picture yourself in the situation you're in. But the secret is, if you can picture yourself doing anything in life, you can do it.

You'll always see me doing things that I have no business doing. Whether it's directing a major motion picture or meeting with the most important people in government and dealing with the biggest subjects on Earth. The story of the millennia. These are things I aspire to tackle. It doesn't mean I'm going to win on all of them, but God damn, it looks like I've got a pretty good shot at it.

I've realized that I love all forms of music and get excited when any artist goes crazy and creates something that is an experience.

I'm sick of being known as the sexy guy that writes great songs.