Spirituality is complicated. I do not belong to any particular religious group, but I have profound respect for people who devote their lives to faith.

Follow your path unapologetically. Be compassionate.

Think about what makes a band burn out. They get too successful too fast. And then they take it for granted. And they get entitled. And they get picky. We don't ever allow ourselves that possibility.

I hear it all the time: 'What happened to the Grace Potter who didn't used to wear makeup?'

The misconception about the record company is that they were the ones who got me wearing short skirts, or got me to do my hair blond, or got me to dance around onstage and start doing different things with my clothes. No, that was actually all me.

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved dressing up.

What I'm wearing changes everything about how the show goes. If I'm wearing blue jeans and flannel, it's going to be a country show, and I'm going to get my twang on. But if I'm wearing a flapper dress, fringe or sequins, I'm rocking out, Tina Turner style.

My mom was a piano teacher. It turned into something of a competition between me and her students... I liked the idea that I needed to be better than everybody else.

We are all just the tip of a pinprick of the millions of things that had to happen in order for us to be here.

Being on a major label is like living at your friend's parent's mansion: It's a lot nicer than any apartment we could afford, and the fridge is always full of food.

When people see a talented girl, it calls to mind the very rare breed of women who have managed to succeed. If I were a dude with the exact same voice, band and songs, I doubt they'd compare me to Sheryl Crow. But hey, I'm not complaining. Big fish, small pond.

I loved the experience of going to the farmers' market, seeing where your food is grown, turning it into something delicious.

Food has always been a passion for me from a very young age.

It's easy for me to write songs but hard for me to write an album; that's been my experience.

I always think it's a little bit of a challenge when people sort of associate female artists as their own genre.

It's funny: when I was a kid, my mom would reorganize the record collection all the time. She'd have classical, she'd have Celtic, she'd have rock and roll, and then she'd have female singers. And I don't like it that female singers are their own genre.

Being a rock and roll band is about spending time on the details so that you can hone your own identity.

I love a great pair of shoes, and as long as I feel like I can walk in them, I can dance in them.

There's something to be said for being sleepy-eyed. I love sleepy eyes - that sort of vulnerability of being slightly discombobulated because you don't know where you are. But I like that vulnerability. It's sexy to me.

Obvious is not my forte. I take a left turn right when everybody thinks I'm going to go straight.

So much of myself is consumed with earning my way, doing it myself, and never feeling like things are being handed to you. Growing up that way was humbling.

I know it's strange, but I've always had a better time with other people's wild ideas. Coming up with my own is a deeply emotional and challenging thing to do.

As a kid, I was not a tomboy; I was a total girl wearing tutus and red shoes.

It took a lot of years for me to get comfortable, strutting my stuff, dancing like a fool, having that sparkly dress on that says, 'Here I am.'

I worked extremely hard at my craft and at being a good songwriter, being a good guitar player, being a good organist, because I didn't think people would take me seriously.

I know what it takes to gain a fan.

I don't have any kids of my own, but I love my band, and I love the people I'm around and taking care of them.

I love cooking... I'm quite domestic.

Living on the road can make you feel quite displaced. Cooking a meal on the tour bus for everyone makes it home.

I grew up spending summer Saturdays at the local farmers' market, where my mom was a vendor. It fueled my passion for regional foods.

There are daily stresses on the road, but when everyone gets fed, everyone gets happy. Simple.

I was a bit of a film nerd as a kid.

I'm a very loud and outspoken creature.

I usually start with a lyric or a melody and then build a song around that.

The rainy season in Vermont is not long, but it definitely gets gloomy.

A lot of the themes that I write about are an affirmation of our existence on earth and making people feel like they are not alone, and making them feel like it is OK to be a little bit insane. That has always been sort of my credo in life.

As long as you have balance, you can experience all of the things going on in the world and reach out and meet people and try new things, and you shouldn't be judged for it.

You shouldn't feel judged when you are dancing or singing at the top of your lungs or existing in a maximum-expression way.

I was kind of a troublemaker, believe it or not.

I'm really into poetry.

I think that being precious and rock and roll should never go together.

I was, like, a kooky kid, so people thought I was loud, but I really wasn't. I was kind of loud in outbursts. I was like a silent volcano. When I did have something to share, it was very over-the-top. But I've learned to balance that.

I think that identity and sort of the brand - I hate that word - the brand of the musician should be malleable. It should change, and it should grow.

I'm not capable of wielding the guitar like Jimmy Page, one of my all-time favorite guitarists. My skill set is more based on the grinding, sort of human heartbeat - almost playing the guitar more like a drum.

I dance all the time. I'm almost constantly moving.

I hate long pants.

I love Kind bars - I seriously always have them in my purse because they're so yummy.

I love making savory stratas for Christmas morning. I get excited about it. It's a polenta strata with homemade bread, with a billion eggs and Parmesan cheese. I'll drizzle truffle oil over the whole thing, which will just destroy people. It's amazing.

I love 'New Girl.' I think it's so fun.

For dramas, I love 'Downton Abbey.' I'm a sucker for the BBC.