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I wanted to put out a solo record because I was stuck on a major label and sick of it.

As funny as it sounds, the best thing I got out of making a solo record was to realize how much I love being in a band.

That is the true joy of being a solo artist. I can do whatever I want. I can go wherever I want. I can show up with my guitar and my song, and it can sound a hundred different ways. That's the freedom of being on your own. The flipside is: That's you on the cover. If it sucks, it's your fault.

My approach is to be part of a band that makes music, not hit songs.

When you make a solo record, it's you. It's your name. It has to be the right songs for how you feel.

I think that was the whole idea behind doing the solo record was to be able to do musically whatever I wanted to do.

When I'm sick of myself, and when I don't know what to say as a solo artist, I can write a song for a movie. When I don't know where to turn musically, being in a band - Rilo Kiley or Jenny & Johnny - the collaborative nature is really exciting.

I've always just given myself to the band, if you know what I mean, and been busy with that.

I have to be my own artist. I need the world to know who I am, especially for music. When it comes to acting, that is a whole other story. I have no complaints; that's a team effort. It's not just me, it's everyone. But when it comes to music, it is solo; that's all me.