You don't ever want to devalue music. Music is important; it's necessary product. I always try to make sure that there's a value - that people appreciate music and realize that there's a value to it.
That's the thing about music: It's forever. Hopefully, you captured a moment musically that has a timeless quality people will find relevant to their lives at any point. That's the whole idea about what I love about art and music.
I've always loved Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and I watched the Petty documentary 'Running Down A Dream'. I was directly influenced, it made me want to go write.
I just like traditional songs that come from an honest place, and they make you feel something and tell a story and they flow right.
I definitely care about what's happening in our country. I grew up in a family that was very liberal and had very strong opinions about liberal ideas. I was around those thoughts and had conversations about those things and did the best I could to absorb what was happening around me and have my own opinion about it.
I kind of feel like we're all humans; we all live on this planet. I kind of always wish there was more of a partnership - a really healthy relationship between people, working together to do things and make it good and change.
I really like writing for specific projects. It's a whole different way of writing when you have certain guidelines and a theme you're writing to. It's very inspiring.
I'm always trying to think of something clever and fun to do with the music. There's so many cool things musicians and artists can do with their products.
I started using the Internet when I was 12 years old. I would go into chat rooms and flirt. It was the beginning of the Internet for young people.
I'm definitely still putting effort into my lyrics, for them to be emotional and tell a story.
There are certain topics songwriters stay away from because it's hard to go there. I didn't sit down and go, 'I want to write something about my dad now.'
I love all the movies by director John Hughes. I also love John Landis's movies.
I've always been real close to film world. I love film, and I will do things in film, but music is more satisfying. It feels more like me.
I never really considered myself an actor because I never pursued it.
I started Rooney in high school. These were guys I went to high school with and guys I knew from L.A.
When you form a band, you form a real relationship that's like a marriage. It's an emotional connection, especially when you're young... because you don't know what's out there.
Rooney was like marrying a high school sweetheart. And then you're like, 'I think we need some time to see other people,' and those other people are new musicians. Starsystem is like a new marriage with new musicians.
I've always wanted to do a project with space imagery because I've always loved these amazing sci-fi electro book covers. I've always loved science fiction. I feel like space imagery has no boundaries.
Dreaming big is always a good way to go about things.
For the most part, I like to record music as I write it.
