I always try to be very human in my performances and hang out with my fans. It is cool to be a celebrity, but at the end of the day I want to empower my audience and say, 'Hey, I am just like you.'

My music is the chicken soup kind. I want people to get a good feeling in their soul from these songs. Roots rock, heartland rock... whatever you want to call it is OK with me.

I’ve always been a really really big Sheryl Crow fan. I just respect what she does in a way that she just remains true to her music and sort of has just been real. She isn’t trying too hard ever.

My second album was written while I was on the road promoting the first record. I tried to take my personal experiences and elevate them to universal experiences, so that I wasn’t writing songs about living on a tour bus or being on a TV set for the first time.

As you get older, challenges arise that you aren’t prepared for, but what got me through it was music.

I’ve never feared the unexpected.

Acting and singing on ‘One Tree Hill’ was definitely one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I didn’t even know I could act until I auditioned at the casting call for the part of Mia.

My main goal as a songwriter is to make something that inspires people. To write things about my life that people can relate to. Whether it’s a whole record or just one song for someone, I hope it can do that for them. Knowing that I have the ability to do that is inspiring to me.

I never thought then I’d be doing what I’m doing now. At my high school, being on the girls soccer team was the cool thing to do, but that was definitely never going to happen for me, so I played music. Not because everyone thought it was awesome, but for the love of it.

I am definitely still the same kid that I was picking up the guitar at 15. But, I have definitely learned to be more flexible and roll with the punches. It’s such an unpredictable business to be in and it’s insane how things change so last minute.