I used to listen to my dad a lot as a way of trying to be close to him, as well, because my parents were divorced and I didn't spend that much time with him. And I used to put headphones on and listen to my dad talk and sing and I found that quite... bonding with him, in a weird way.

I do think it’s probably true to a certain extent that you tend to sing music that fits your voice. If you’re Lou Reed, you’re unlikely to become a country singer.

I went to a boarding school when I was 13, and it was a very arty school, so there was an opportunity for a lot more. I joined a band and so on. We would do concerts at school, and I would play cover tunes and thought, ‘This is really great.’

I come from a place where there’s a lot of musical families.

Most artists never get a chance to be Picasso, but that doesn’t mean you would stop painting.

Even for the people in the business who are real music lovers it’s really about putting things in the right boxes, and my style doesn’t fit into a box.

The state of radio is not great. It’s like playing the lottery. The chances of hitting are mind boggling slim.

Country music was the music I was brought up on. It’s the music that’s closest to my heart and the music that speaks to me the most, and it’s always been a big influence on my own songwriting.

For a long time I was trying to be poppier and younger. I didn’t want to be on public radio or do any of that stuff for older people. Then I realized that that is exactly what I listen to.

I was obsessed with country music when I was a kid, and it’s definitely had a huge influence on the way I write songs. I was always attracted to songs that had a brilliant pun or a clever turn of phrase, but came from a dark, bitter place. As a writer, I’ve always gravitated towards that feeling.