I became very aware of what I was used to relying on, almost tricks. It's funny because I could feel myself creating a formula and sticking with it and I just told myself, 'That's not me, that's not really how I am, god forbid I have developed a formula - it's music; songwriting.' It's heretic, honestly, in the church of music, so I had to unwind a few tricks in order to get past it.

It's a little cheeky; growing up in Santa Fe was kind of a weird experience, because it's such a touristy town. So sometimes it feels a little like you're in a town that's just on display. You walk around downtown and all the shops are galleries or high end boutiques, so it can feel like you don't belong there even though you are from there.

I think that sonically, music speaks volumes more than words do, and I have always thought that and will continue to think that for the rest of my life.

After so many years of whispery, DIY vocals, there's this new generation of voices that are really starting to burst through the seams.

Raucous drunken trumpets and instrumentation tend to guide the way you think. They can give you a path to follow lyrically.

I try to shut my brain down as much as possible. And let the melodies flow, if possible.

I dropped out of high school and I tried to go to community college for a little while. I can't be a student. I always hated that lifestyle.