I want to be very authentic when I perform, because I feel like I owe that to people listening. You can't go through the motions on music like this. You are making people feel a certain way, that you are not feeling yourself. It's like saying "I want you guys to cry, but I don't really care," which isn't right.

The first time I ever found Paste I thought somebody just might have finally made a magazine using only the contents of my brain. I read it cover to cover every single month.

The advice is, go slow and take your time with it. That works to my benefit.

If I am feeling musical and I pick up the guitar, usually something will eventually come out and I'll see where it goes.

I am saying what comes out, because I'm really not a methodical writer. I'm not a good building writer, where you are like "well, I going to make a song today, and I think it will be a pop song." Some people are great at it and it's beautiful. If I am feeling musical and I pick up the guitar, usually something will eventually come out and I'll see where it goes.

The old adage, that "music is a universal language", is really true.

Therapy really did prepare me to become an empathic songwriter. As far as advice goes, it's a matter of self understanding first.