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If I have an audience, I'd like to make music for my whole life. But it's not really up to me.

My audience is a huge part of my success, so I see us as a team. They send me tons of song requests every day. Some of the songs I've never heard before, but I listen to them and then pick the ones that I love.

If you are making music for other people, you will have to be aware of how people relate to it.

I feel like, if I'm going to have young, impressionable people listening to my music, then I'm going to respect that.

You make your music, then you try to find whatever audience is out there for it.

You've got a song you're singing from your gut, you want that audience to feel it in their gut. And you've got to make them think that you're one of them sitting out there with them too. They've got to be able to relate to what you're doing.

I think, in music, you're always hoping that you'll have a like-minded audience and that the music you like making will appeal to them, too.

When I go to see people, I always kind of hope they are going to play some kind of songs I know. So you've got to know your audience. It's kind of something that is a blessing and a curse in a way. You're obligated to play some of that stuff that people know, but I don't think that's all you have to do.