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.

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 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.

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!

War is life multiplied by some number that no one has ever heard of.

Humor is a social lubricant that helps us get over some of the bad spots.

If you only do what you want to do, you won't get there.

The imagination of our children is blunted on television, and their thinking is done for them.

We must revolutionize our optical perception. We must remove the veil from our eyes.

I think doing shows with other R&B artists like myself brings the attention to the crowd. You can't just do those one artist shows anymore. I don't like just me being on the show.

You show me a capitalist, and I'll show you a bloodsucker.

Human passions have mysterious ways, in children as well as grown-ups. Those affected by them can't explain them, and those who haven't known them have no understanding of them at all.

Scientists should be doing a better job of guarding their own reputations and of the general scientific community.

I always think that art is one of the most wonderful exciting curious ways to learn. I have no worries or apologies about art being used as a teaching medium.