I had a band when I was in middle school, but I was the drummer. I kind of thought if I was going to be in a band, I'd be the drummer. I'm innately drawn to rhythm. But we didn't have any shows. We just jammed in our parents' basement.

I feel like piano is my main instrument. I'm most comfortable on the piano.

My folks bought a baby grand piano and that's where I did the majority of figuring out the songs I heard on the stereo.

I bought a Three Dog Night album when I was pretty young, and I remember listening to all those songs. That's just greatly crafted songwriting, and the songs have such great harmonies. I remember marveling over those and trying to figure them out on piano. That was my early education - figuring out records, older records, as a kid.

It's very easy in the studio to get overzealous with your vocal takes, thinking, 'Oh yeah, I can do it over and over. I can sing at the top of my range for this whole song.' But when you're doing it every night on the road, it's pretty intense.

Yeah, moving to Los Angeles definitely influenced my sound.

I really like Colin Blunstone, the lead singer of the Zombies.

My vocal influences are a lot of jazz singers: Billie Holiday, Julie London, they had this tenderness to their voice.

I grew up with my mother as a Tonic Shaman.

I grew up watching 'The Tonight Show' and Jimmy Fallon on 'SNL.'

A big piece of my heart is definitely in Michigan and will always be in Michigan. Growing up there is definitely a big part of who I am as a person.

There's a book called 'The Baron in the Trees.' A friend got that for me because I was kind of a tree-dwelling nomad for a bit. I kind of associate myself with the book.

I like to buy books at airports sometimes.

Dreams are pretty unexplainable. Have you ever tried to explain a dream to someone, and they're like 'Yeah, that sounds not as exciting as you think it is?'

I feel like I'm never playing the same sized venues within two or three shows. It keeps me and the band fit in a way. It keeps us on our toes just because you don't get used to one size and one energy. It's good to switch it up.

The ultimate language of love is music... The ultimate connector.

I like the idea of creating from your inner youth. You don't have to think too hard about it. Just make what feels good.

My favorite songs of all time are songs that take you on a journey and give you pleasurable moments you weren't expecting.

If you've never been to Michigan, everyone thinks it's completely rural. It's a destination state. You don't really drive through; you're going there for a reason.

There's this poet named Walter Benton, I really like his stuff. He always uses landscapes as a metaphor for the female body.

I like writing love songs. I really like romantic poetry.

A lot of my songs are inspired by a muse of some sort, whether she's real or not.

I don't want to make a living. I want to make a life.

I'm a professional musician.