I don't mind putting my heart out there for the audience, and for the country music fans... to be vulnerable with them... that's my job as an artist.

As a songwriter or artist, there's only so many ways you can say, 'I love you' or 'I think you're beautiful.'

There's very few things that tear me up and get me, but kids, especially terminally ill kids or kids with diseases... gets me every time.

I'm just like my fans, and that's the way I like it.

I knew what I wanted to be, but I didn't know exactly how to get there. I thought you move to Nashville, you sing downtown, and someone discovers you, and you become a country music star. I had no idea.

I think, as an artist, part of your job is being aware of what's going on around you and not selling out and not following the trend, which I'm totally against.