My main inspirations are the people around me, heartbreaks, frustration and everything that makes you feel stronger than you should.
For me, everything that you're passionate about always comes with a little pain. That's how life is, and that's how I want to live it. I don't want it to be balanced and ordinary.
A good song stays in your head because it's catchy, a great song stays because it means something to you.
There's this cliché of always falling in love with the latest song, and I'm kind of like that.
I want people to FEEL something... If it's sadness, anger, horny, happiness whatever! As long as it doesn't just pass you by.
I like the fact that a lot of people get to hear the music and I love performing with people cheering you on and you're feeling the love for what you're doing, but there's also the other side where if you give away as much personal information as I do it's hard not to take it personally when people are saying mean things about you. But I try not to read any comments. Right now I'm just feeling a lot of love.
I want the feeling where you don't really know what to do with yourself - in the vocals, in the production. Everything.
Writing the songs is always emotional and most of the vocals on there are the first three takes from the demos, because they give so much more. You're in that moment, so it speaks for itself.
When I'm on stage, I turn into this rock person. I give everything I have. I sing with emotion, I'm loving it up there, and I think there's a lot of energy. In the same way that I'm open when I speak, I'm that open on stage. I feed off the energy of the audience too, so they're feeling what I'm feeling. And the set up is great - I have two drummers and a bass guy so it's just us four.
Sometimes it starts with a random lyric idea that sets the tone for the whole song. Chords and sounds build from the lyric and rhythm, kind of. Sometimes it's a track I fall I love with... but writing my own songs, I rarely write on tracks.
I'd love to come to New Zealand!! I've been to Australia a few times - I'm well aware it's not the same country. I've heard from people it's beautiful - great diving, music and no scary animals.
I've had a love/hate relationship with performing. I was an attention seeker as a kid, doing all this stupid stuff to get attention in general, but it all depends where I am in my life. If I'm having a bad few months I'll hide away. But I've always loved acting too - I like having all the eyes on me, I guess!
It's important to tell the artist's story. It's their song! And it's always more fun to write together with the artist!
