One of the things that helps my vocal health immensely out on the road is stopping all my eating/drinking at least four hours before I go to bed. I actually set a timer after my last meal so I can't cheat. This is to prevent acid reflux when I lay down in my bunk at night.
A lot of girls come to our shows, and a lot of them are freaking adorable and want to learn how to play guitar.
My musical tastes - I'm always searching for new things. I know a lot of people say they listen to everything, but I kind of do.
I'm so honored that there are people, peers, that I'm inspired by and looked up to for years and actually want me to do my thing with them. It's quite the honor, and it's been wonderful to see everybody's fan base kind of melting together.
Over the years, it's funny: my guys will tell you and anyone that I have a problem not giving 100 percent. Because there are some nights where I probably shouldn't actually say everything or do everything I think I should do.
I go to a lot of metal shows when we're home. I don't know why, but it takes me back to when I was 17 and going to the local metal shows in Pennsylvania. I go right back to that mentality.
I made a lot of not-so-fashionable choices in my life. I see all of those photos that are on the Internet forever.
I keep telling everybody that touring has now become my normal life and that normal life is like a very odd vacation.
I actually ended up going through a vocal change. It started about two years ago, and it's only been recently that I found my balance again. Vocally, I couldn't figure out what was going on. My lows were getting lower, and my highs were getting higher; everything felt weird.
Not to get mushy, but I realized after talking to my parents what absolute guts they must have had to let their teenage daughter be in a rock band, play in bars, do all of that.
I think there's this primal need to go to a show when you're a rock fan. And it's about that camaraderie and about that intangible feeling that we all get.
It's funny: I've seen a lot of the rock attitude come into play in the rap world, where it's like they're angry, or there's this defiance going on, and there's a lot of danger, and it's actually really encouraging; they're opening the door for us to kind of move on in again.
It's not like I have this philosophical answer as to why I love rock.
For me, this band and the music that I write and this touring thing that I do and playing in front of people, singing, and making a lot of noise on guitar - all that was more important than a lot of other things.
When you have a relationship with music, and it's that deeply a part of your life, it's so much more than a career choice for me. It's an extension of who I am.
