'In Case You Didn't Know' was written in Mexico, actually, on a songwriter's retreat.
My dad's a pastor; I grew up in the church, and it's really easy to just have a healthy respect for what some people might be sensitive to.
We've gotten to play shows where I'm the headliner, so people are buying tickets to come see me, and that's when you really learn, 'Okay, who's listening to this music?' That and social media. But I couldn't feel luckier about the fan base that is starting to grow... People have just been super, super supportive and awesome.
I always say, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.' I couldn't be happier with where I ended up and how it worked out.
There's a fundamental difference between how often men remember to say 'I love you' and how often women want to hear 'I love you.' For the most part, it's on the guy. He's not withholding it intentionally. It's just that we kind of miss the point sometimes, that even in the most nonchalant way, telling the person how you feel is important.
Californian artists are kind of willing to push the limits a little bit further just because that's kind of our mentality in that state.
It is such a surreal feeling to have my first single go No. 1!
John Mayer will be around forever, like the Eagles and Eric Clapton.
When I was young, I would just write poems into textbooks in class. Everybody needs that outlet. For me, I think it's less about learning about myself and more about just needing to get things out sometimes.
It's really hard to chase a lofty dream.
I like the idea of a relationship where you can need and rely on each other and not feel needy and not feel like that makes you not independent.
I don't know what it is in me that refuses to quit, but I think it's kind of like, dare to dream.
If something's gonna make you happy, and you know it's gonna make you happy, and it's what you want more than anything in the world, don't let someone else discourage you and talk you out of doing it just because they're doubters.
There is a lot of California in my... sound, and a ton of it is the laid-back nature of Southern Californians and the beach.
My first concert was Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey.
I moved to Nashville with the same kind of mindset that I had in L.A., and that is to make sure you don't get outworked by anybody and make sure you're always writing songs and take every opportunity to play that you can.
If I want people to connect to my words and my stories, I need to tell them where they came from. Because then, when you break into song, they have kind of a blueprint for why I wrote that song, so they can come to it with something they went through that helps them connect to it.
I've never seen my dad come home from work and not walk straight to my mom and ask her about her day.
My parents' example of a loving, caring relationship, I think, has affected my songwriting a ton and allowed me to start writing love songs that people could connect to without sounding like you're being cheesy, because they're coming from a real place, something that I saw coming up. I think they're a huge influence on my songwriting.
It's funny how God will change your plans for you when he's ready.
