In every relationship there are lessons learned. Mistakes made. Reliving those experiences and finding those best experiences makes for the best songs.

I write songs in my bedroom, and I write them for myself, to fill any void that I may have, or to answer any question about my existence, and then I put it out in the world and trust that it’ll be heard by whoever needs that medicine at that time.

When I was a young man, I would listen to a song, and I’d feel not so alone, and I’d feel so much better about my life, because I could connect myself to that song. And so, as a writer, I strive to do that as well, to connect my life to the song, in order for listeners to have that same experience.

The more pressure they put on you or you put on yourself is just you creating a reason to block yourself.

I still write a variety of songs. Some songs I write feels like the same voice that I’ve had when I was 18. But I can definitely tell that my age and my current experiences are showing up in the songs. So I think that’s the only thing that’s changed.

If you learn to admire everyone for always doing their best, even in their failures and in times of their most confused moments, you will quickly find the whole world admiring you for your compassion. There will be no need to pick and choose whom you ignore and whom you chase after. You will awaken to all the rare beauty and skill that everyone has to offer.

I can’t see myself getting too lost out there on the road. Every couple of weeks, I’m going to go home for awhile, and I’m going to squeeze my cat and do my laundry, say my thank yous, and then I’ll go out and do some more. There are certain new rules I’m playing by and a new me.

I have a lot of great memories from childhood. But I remember my mom dropped me off when I was a little kid at a school of performing arts in my hometown in Virginia. It’s called Spark and it was at a basement of this building, and I remember being kind of sad about it and scared like ‘I don’t wanna go!’ I think I was crying. But I ended up having a great time, I ended up going back to that camp for many, many years, and now, I support to that cause. I donate to that school, but I remember that to be kind of devastating, telling my mom, ‘Why are you taking me to this thing?’ But then, it ended up to be great. It was just Mother’s Day last Sunday and you know, I’m grateful for my mom for always putting me in those situations that she knew I would excel.

I like to sit in the sunshine. I like to do yoga and like cycling and surfing, all of those things. If I can turn my phone off and not check my e-mail for a few days, that’s leisure to me.