“Life is short, so I am one of those people – and luckily my girlfriend is too – who wants to live everywhere. I don’t know how long I’ll be there, but I like it right now.”

Ive been making music since I was 14, but for a while, I was afraid to perform.

I realized that the reason why my head was so cluttered and why I was so unstable and not taking care of myself, all of these things, was that I was unhappy. If I wanted to get to a happier place and find some kind of peace,

I dont think I ever wanted to be a journalist – I was more interested in what comes from being a journalist.

I hope that I can make music that helps people in some way or that they can connect with, and that I can just live a life where I’m surrounded by people that I love.

It’s not enough to have good intentions. If you want to be a good person, you have to make good decisions all the time and live a life that’s worth living and that you can be proud of, and that’s what I wanted.

You have to have some kind of clarity or understanding of what’s happening to write.

I was just a music lover who wondered what it would sound like if Otis Redding strapped on a guitar and played in a punk band. Thats it.

I was going to have to address problems with myself, things from my life up until that point that I hadn’t dealt with: insecurities, fears, and those kinds of things.

Even when I interviewed bands, it was about asking them about writing songs, so it was more for me than anybody else.

I think everybody that grows up in Florida, you’ve got a little chip on your shoulder. It’s not as bad as people think it is, but it’s pretty bad. When you go to other places you’re just like, “Oh, god. What was that about?”

Blind Willie Johnson is a pretty big vocal influence. He can be very harsh, like gargly, gruff vocals, but also just slip into some very delicate, vulnerable soft stuff. I like that combination.

You will never have the answers, but you have to keep pushing yourself and keep reading and keep working on yourself.

It’s not like you get up on stage and you’re immediately a genius. It takes a long time. So, don’t be discouraged.

My voice had a long, nonstop career. It deserves to be put to bed with quiet and dignity, not yanked out every once in a while to see if it can still do what it used to do. It can’t.

As long as one person lives in darkness then it seems to be a responsibility to tell other people.

Andy [Griffith] and I spoke on the phone not too long before he died. I told him I loved him and he told me he loved me. He was a wonderful man.

I was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and no one had ever taught anybody that young, back in those days.

I see litter as part of a long continuum of anti-social behaviour.

Studies of volunteers have shown there is a benefit to performing acts of love for other people.

Life is hopefully long, so I don’t know what the future will bring.