The people on my mum's side of the family are atheist intellectuals who are ueber-proper. My dad's side of the family are missionaries who are more comfortable sitting around in sweatpants than they are in a five-star restaurant. But those two influences converged in my life.

I went and took golf lessons so Dad would let me play with him. I was just terrible... but I was able to have a wonderful time just walking around with Dad. I can see the real pleasure of that game.

I was born and raised in the high desert of Nevada in a tiny town called Searchlight. My dad was a hard rock miner. My mom took in wash. I grew up around people of strong values - even if they rarely talked about them.

Well my dad was a pretty good player at one stage and my two older brothers played golf as well. So there were always golf clubs flying around the house.

On the one hand I've had such a normal upbringing with my mum who has kept me grounded but on the other the wild experiences through my dad.

My dad served in the Air Force as ground crew for several years and doesn't really talk about it. I know that it's there. I think my main thing about direct or indirect experiences as near to home as it were is the idea of self-sacrifice really.

My background is basically scientific math. My Dad was a physicist so I have it in my blood somewhere. Scientific method is very important to me. I think anything that contradicts it is probably not true.

We would make songs and the producers said we should play it for my dad. I was kind of scared I didn't know what to think cuz we were just joking around.

I had the best of both worlds when I was a kid. I'd spend a quiet week with my mum then I'd go to my dad's property in the Adelaide Hills where there were all these kids and animals running around.

The last thing I want my child to see is Dad running around in the middle of the pack. That would really upset me. And that would upset him. I would be embarrassed to take him to school with kids saying 'Hey how'd your dad do this weekend?' 'Well he finished fifth or sixth'.