I think the best thing that I can do is be myself. I don't know about being a role model; I think placing that sort of title on myself is too much. It's trying to be this thing that puts loads of pressure on something.

I feel incredibly lucky to have grown up with creative parents and around creative people, many of whom live with anxiety. My mum would sometimes say that it was a beautiful thing, and that it would come in handy when making music - and it's made me a more empathetic person.

I feel so blessed that I grew up in the age of the independent woman, the survivor. I had Destiny's Child telling me I didn't need a man to feel good about myself, and I want to carry on that message.

Being a solo artist in general can be incredibly lonely. It's funny how often the bigger you get sometimes, the lonelier you feel.

Just enjoy every moment - don't stress. Just be yourself.

Growing up, I was always playing with video games.

If you make money, what's it worth if you can't be with your family?

We live in the realm where all the metalheads and rock fans know us, but we're not giants like Linkin Park or Black Sabbath.

We just found that in 2016, if you announce a record, and it's coming out in three months, and you're just giving people breadcrumbs, it's the most boring, drawn-out experience.

We like to wait to a point where we have to get in there and write a record because we're just so built up.

We want metal to be dangerous again. How cool would that be?

If you're going to put out a record just to get a No. 1 and then forget about it after the first week, it's the tail wagging the dog: it doesn't make any sense.

One thing I loved when I was growing up, you maybe saw one review from a magazine like 'Rolling Stone,' but now there are 150 reviews before an album even comes out. There are so many opinions out there, but the only one that really matters is your own.

The world is changing, and the way we consume music is obviously changing. I was one of the biggest CD advocates you will find, but when Apple music and digital options came out, like for everyone else, it was more conducive to my lifestyle.

The metalcore has been left behind. It's not something that any of us find enjoyment in listening to, so it's obviously not the direction we would write songs in.

Personally, I just want to hear good songs.

We really like having songs where we think the arrangement is just as important as the melodies, even though they're typically not.

We write when the time comes, and we try to be exciting, and stuff that excites us usually makes the record.

One thing that was frustrating to us, always, was having to do so much press building up an album, and you're asked so many questions about, you know, is it more melodic, is it heavier, are you doing your old stuff, is it new?

We kind of reached this point in life where we don't really want to put out anything just to put something out. We really don't want it to be like, 'Two years are up. You've had your break; now do another record and get it out there.'

Most people know we're kind of one of the only bands around right now that will admit that we're Republican.

I think 'The Stage' is kind of left field.

All I can say to people who don't think depression is a real thing, or say 'just suck it up and get over it' - they just really have no idea. You have to give people the benefit of the doubt that they're doing the best they can to get through it.

I've had friends who've had depression or been on medication because their pituitary glands aren't giving out enough hormones - so I've been around a lot of people who've had problems like that. I've always been open to talk about that.