I grew up on Dilla, Timbaland, Pharrell, all these drums that are super pocketed, so all those influences come out on a song like 'Ungrateful Eyes,' with all the crazy drum swing.
I came to the realization that I'm a child of God, and that's my identity. If this all goes tomorrow, I don't have the proverbial rug under me that can be pulled out. I'm taken care of, and there's someone who loves me.
If I can show people how vulnerable and how flawed I am, maybe others will relate.
I was sick of waiting for people to jump on hooks for songs I produced. So I tried singing myself, and I haven't looked back.
The way Ben Gibbard paints a picture, you feel like, 'I was there that day with him.' You really feel the way he paints pictures and speaks and talks. It's almost like talk-singing. Paul Simon does that very well as well. He's a huge influence of mine.
You grow up listening to Eminem; your parents don't let you listen to it - you gotta sneak into a car to listen to this guy rap. He changed my whole life, my whole perspective on music, so to more or less co-sign something that I've done is the ultimate childhood goal.
I'm just a product of the '90s, to be honest.
People can relate more to being honest about your problems, your insecurities, and the things that you find wrong with yourself. Because that's how we really are.
When you get a song placed with two of the top stars in the world, like Rihanna and Eminem, especially as a new writer, they're gonna take a huge chunk of your publishing. That's just the way the business is. I'm not complaining.
We're not as happy as our Instagrams and Twitters make us out to be.
I wanna make music; that's all I wanna do.
'Translations Through Speakers' was literally, I'm translating very spottily what my aspirations are.
I'm born and raised Long Island. Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Ben Gibbard - melody-driven guys... They shaped me, molded my music.
Sometimes, people will fight over five, six percent, because if it's a smash record, that can mean a lot of money. I don't really care.
I don't view any of the hits I've ever written as the climax of my career. They're just minor stepping stones.
My artistry is my baby.
My brother is 10 years older than me, so whatever he listened to is what I listened to, and it was all rap.
I think some of the best music throughout the actual history of music itself came from cultures where they're not really looking for outside themes. It's developed from their hometowns - it's what they love and what they love to do.
Sometimes I feel drawn to writing about my shortcomings because I'm chock full of them.
I'm fascinated by Jesus and pray to him every day.
