Our songs touch people and take them back to a time when there was no threat of terrorism when you didn't have to lock your doors and when Mom and Dad took care of everything.

My mom's a concert pianist so she started teaching me when I was around seven. When I was eight I started writing my own songs and kinda started putting piano and singing together. But I'm trained classically which is a big influence on me I think.

My mom played the recorder. But not having electricity we had minimal exposure to music. As I got a little older we had Walkmans and things that were battery-powered but it would have been nice to be growing up in the iPod era. A tape only has six songs on a side.

'Evil men have no songs.' How is it that the Russians have songs?

It's the best marriage of songs and production. But I have to say I have an affinity for Bossanova.

And I ask why am I black they say I was born in sin and shamed inequity. One of the main songs we used to sing in church makes me sick 'love wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another.

If there's not drama and negativity in my life all my songs will be really wack and boring or something.

I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can... But I still believe in peace love and understanding.

Pop songs are not as graceful as they used to be. Performers today haven't gone through the regimen of learning how to write. And of course everyone wants to own copyrights.