Most of the time, reading through treatments, it's like it could be any band, any song -- it doesn't matter that it's you or your song. The ideas are completely disconnected from the music and the image of the band.

I just thought, that's what you did -- you sang in a voice that was appropriate for the song. You wrote music that was exciting to you and incorporated any style you liked. That shaped me as a musician and has been the key to my longevity. I accepted that music as the Bible.

Once you sit in front of people and start playing songs, it's all on you. No matter what happens, it's entirely your responsibility the entire time. I like that intensity.

We consciously set out to not be a Southern rock band. It was a matter of time before it'd all come back around. We're still not a Southern rock band, but we've got those influences.

You can really walk around a song and completely, if it's a good song, look at it from a lot of different angles. Johnny Cash with Rick Rubin illustrated that perfectly.

There's sadness to anyone that dies before their time, and specifically ones that seem to affect people in a positive way. It doesn't matter if it's Whitney Houston or a nameless, faceless person on the street. That's just as big of a tragedy for me.