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.

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

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

I'm a very loud and outspoken creature.

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

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

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

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

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

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 know what it takes to gain a fan.

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.

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.'

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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