Those moments right before we invaded, I wish that I could have done something. But...
You look out there and there's people that, their day is changed because of your contribution to it.
With my guys and with the way that we live out there, we work out a lot and try to eat right, but we try to basically keep it our own rhythm and our own world.
Willie Nelson, out there 200 days a year, calls his band family. And it is.
When they say you're the best, I always remember that the majority of the audience probably thinks someone else should have gotten the award.
Two of my biggest heroes as songwriters are Roger Miller and Buck Owens. They wrote about the problems we face, but there was always an amusing turn of phrase or a chuckle.
Those first couple of years as an artist, you really learn a lot about who you are by which songs work and which songs don't.
They really look forward to meeting you, or seeing you. And thank God for that, because that's really the thing that keeps you alive.
There are many things I can improve on. I'm challenged every day, and I still want to work hard and earn what I've been afforded.
The nice thing about the world that I've been able to inhabit for the last couple of years is that I'm given a lot of freedom. Not all artists really get that.
The days get boring. The thing I like least would be the traveling. It's never fun to check baggage three or four times in a couple days.
Some artists would rather go in there and let some other things dictate the kind of record they do, but I've got such a great team.
My wife works for Jim Belushi. I've got to know him real well. I've got to know Aykroyd too. They're both really good guys.
It surprises a few people, we have a full string orchestral intro on the album. I think this album is what a sequel should be. It goes to a new place.
It just gets easier in that you become more you in the process.
It comes down to building your own world out here on the road. It's who you surround yourself with. My band and crew are really positive guys.
In the past, I tried to be more of a typical session guitarist. I wasn't so concerned with impressing anybody.
If you're really on top, you probably didn't do that great, 'cause you have to water it down a bit for it to get that mass appeal.
If there's a song where there's a possibility of guitar stuff that would be fun to listen to, go for it. Don't worry about what anybody thinks.
If I get an idea for a song, I have a melody for it. I'm a musician first. I'm not limited by the fretboard.
If a melody sounds familiar, I know enough musical theory to head to another place.