Those parts of myself that are too ugly or dangerous are precisely the things I feel convicted to share.
Especially in the sphere of social activism, I think we tend to unwittingly conceptualize progress or revolution as black and white and having a clear beginning and end.
The midterms are a chance for people to vote out those they believe are failing to address the concerns of citizens.
Connecting with people who are able to maintain a sense of humility is really useful.
With my own music, I'm much more reluctant to say, you know, 'This record slaps!'
I think it's possible for Tennessee to be flipped to a Democratic majority, which would be beneficial to enacting policies that I would like to see, but beyond party allegiance, we have an opportunity to involve ourselves in change that will empower us not just now but in the future.
Writing from life is how I feel most comfortable.
Everybody wants to have an empirical analysis of a relationship ending, but sometimes there's not that much clarity, and that's OK.
My music is not always about getting my ideas heard, it's about letting other people feel empowered to have their ideas heard by example.
I love Hank Williams, he's the original emo kid. Some of his lyrics remind me of, like, Promise Ring lyrics.
Music is everything. Evidence of the divine. The possibility of man to be good. The possibility of improving our surroundings and expressing ourselves. All of these things are collapsed together in my mind.
Some songs just fall out of you. And some you have to wrestle out like an abscess.
All of my favorite hymns are admissions of faults, and finding redemption even in those.
Many of my songs just come together in quatrains because that's how a hymn goes.
I do have a little bit of trouble with candor around the things that I used to do. I think it's probably just resultant of shame and embarrassment and not wanting to be defined by the life that I used to live.
I feel like I've had bad nights or destructive nights or nights where I don't remember anything or nights where I was seriously injured or seriously in danger. And I remained nihilistic and unconcerned because it felt like there was no alternative.
When you have an addictive personality, you fixate upon things easily. Routines and behaviors, and ritual, becomes very important.
I think there's seasons of life. It oscillates.
There are people who are explicit and people who are implicit, right? Like I say, 'I think there is a God,' but I've seen Christian metalcore bands do altar calls at their shows and be like, 'Come get saved right now.' I think there's a subtler way, which is to say I'm being honest with my beliefs.
I'm not going to force your participation in a conversation, I'm going to say I can be an example that these things can exist and don't have to be mutually exclusive. Like being a queer artist and being a Christian. Those things don't have to be mutually exclusive and I'm just going to be honest about them so that you know.
