There are pretty girls all over the place. But there are still a lot of people standing strong, doing their thing in loving relationships, actually staying true. I wanted to write an honest love song from that point of view.
I think there's a song for every moment. I don't think there's one right love song.
You hear a lot of songs that are about people cheating or about infidelity. I haven't really heard one before about connecting with the noble part of yourself. I know it sounds a little bit cheesy, but that's the real deal. There are a lot of people who are making a genuinely good, sweet decision on a daily basis.
A big part of my upbringing was being with an instrument and kind of figuring myself out through music. So I feel a strong desire in any way that I can to help do that for other kids.
One of my passions in life is to try to inspire people. I don't know if that sounds cheesy, but I genuinely love to do that.
I'm just trying to write things that resonate with people. And when we're all going through something together, I think you smile after that - I hope that people leave inspired after one of my shows.
You know when you hear a lyric and you can tell that the person means it? That is really hard; that is so much harder than it seems: to find the topics that you're passionate about and have it come across as like, 'Yeah, that guy needed to sing that song.'
I think that you just understand, as any creative person, that there's a beast that you have to beat, and it never goes away. I've resigned myself to that, and it's kind of what keeps you going. Writing is the worst and the best.
The alarm on my wife's phone is 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered,' so that's a great way to wake up.
I think I'm genuinely sincere, and that's what hopefully makes it work. I take that very seriously when I'm writing.
The fact that people put on 'Honey, I'm Good' to get their day started - that's really sweet.
I love going places that could sound cheesy but, when you hear them, just sound sincere.
'Fresh Eyes' was my own little discovery of having been in a relationship for a while and realizing that my favorite part of it is being surprised.
It's really fun to have the spotlight and feel ready for it. Not in a conceited way. But just like, 'Man, I think I'm going to give you what you need.'
It sucked to make my own CDs. I'm bad at that. It sucks to figure out how to power my amp. I don't know that stuff.
My dad is a children's singer. His name is Red Grammer. He's literally one of the happiest people on the planet.
Street performing can be a great teaching ground and a barometer for what you're doing. It's rough and unforgiving at times, but it can be wild and fun and a real open canvas for your creativity.
You need to be growing and getting better, and in L.A., it's so hard to get bookings. You literally have to pay clubs to book you. It's pay to play, and then you only get 30 minutes. That's no way to get good.
There's two things that are tough when you're trying to be a songwriter: Number one is, how do I write a great song? The second thing is, how do I write a great song that's right for me?
I tend to be an all-in-type of guy, so I get in a zone to write, and then that's all I do. I'll spend eight hours doing nothing but chasing that one song. That's what works for me.
