55 Quotes by Kristian Bush

It was such a conscious effort. The first thing you encounter when you're older is 'When do I get to be happy?' So we just made a decision that we're going to do this. Let's create an environment that's fun, that's happy.

It's pretty cool. I don't know how to balance it other than to say that I had a record deal with a major label when I was right out of college. I was educated very quickly . . . at an age where you were young enough to recover from anything they might do to you. Without that information, I would not be able to truly impart to you how miraculous this is.

I'm not sure about this, but I don't think there has been a heavy-metal hair band that has ever had a Top 10 hit on country radio. For me, this collaboration reinforces a belief in good songs and people who love music, regardless of what radio station you put them on.

One of the things that defines a country song for me is that it's honest. It's not putting on a tuxedo to go eat at the Burger King. It's about a song being emotionally true to itself.

My biggest lesson ... was to try and create narrators that were believable. ...so the listener becomes really invested in the story or the song.

You can find me in the melodies, the chord progressions, the song style and structure. The lyrical places you fine me most are in the lyrics that 'show' more than 'tell.' I like to describe what the listener is seeing and let them make up the middle rather than telling them.

The first time I toured the U.K. was in the early '90s with Billy Pilgrim, so I know how much the people there love music.

As soon as I saw tattoos as a way to tell your story, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I totally get it.’ So I got my first tattoo a couple of years ago, and it’s the word ‘hope’ on my left arm. It has a couple of dots at the end for each of my kids.

One of the things that defines a country song for me is that it’s honest. It’s not putting on a tuxedo to go eat at the Burger King. It’s about a song being emotionally true to itself.