I'm not in any rush. I'm not somebody who, if I write a song, I get it out. That's not something I've ever really quite done.

I don't write demographically. I don't write a song to reach these people or those people.

When I write, I don't have any expectation of what kind of song it will become or who it might reach.

If I have a song that I feel is really one of my best songs, I like it to have a formal studio recording because I believe that something being officially released on a studio record gives it a certain authority that it doesn't quite have if it comes out on a live album or is just a part of your show, you know.

When something is bothering me, I write a song that tells my feelings.

I'm interested in what it means to live in America. I'm interested in the kind of country that we live in and leave our kids. I'm interested in trying to define what that country is. I got the chutzpa or whatever you want to say to believe that if I write a really good about it, it's going to make a difference.