Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Country music tell stories. That's something that I can relate to.
I'm not trying to claim I'm a country singer, but I do love country music.
I'm not the best at expressing my feelings other than in songs or on paper.
Growing up in Florida was really amazing. I spent most my time at the beach.
I love 'Ocean Avenue' by Yellowcard. That's always been one of my favorites.
I've learned to really just trust my gut and to go with what I really feel inside.
I love when people cover songs that are familiar but have been kind of forgotten about.
I am writing things on my own, but I really believe co-writing makes you a better writer.
I started singing when I was four years old; that was the first time I took a voice lesson.
The first album I owned was probably a Backstreet Boys album, and shortly after was Shania Twain.
I do care about what people think about me sometimes, and sometimes it affects me in a negative way.
I've always kept writing. There's never been a moment where I went through a spell where I just don't write.
It's funny - it's called 'The Voice,' but I sure as hell didn't have the best voice on the show. I'll admit it.
I have never wanted to hide my freckles. I just didn't like the way I looked without them; it didn't look like me.
Growing up, I tried to be involved in school a lot, and I had good grades. I was an active kid, and I loved being social.
I grew up singing a lot of Martina McBride, Shania and LeAnn Rimes, and because of my age, those were my main influences.
I still struggle with my low notes. It's just always been something for me: I'm not a low singer. I have a really high voice.
I'm pretty hard on myself when it comes to my voice, and certain notes I'm afraid to hit because I'm afraid I'm going to sound bad.
I didn't go onto 'The Voice' thinking I was going to go country. I went into it with an open mind and thought whatever happens, happens.
I had always dreamed of starting off in pop radio and crossing into country. I used to sing country; that was my genre when I was a kid.
Anytime I can watch television, I usually do the reality show stuff unless it is, of course, 'Breaking Bad' or 'Homeland.' Then, I am all over it.
We're all complex creatures, and we shouldn't have to pick one thing to be passionate about. Life isn't black and white, so we shouldn't live that way.
Don't be afraid to not be OK. For a lot of people, when they get upset about something, they keep it bottled up, and that's the worst thing you can do.
I'm from Florida, and my family somehow is really into country music. We're all southern in a way: My grandpa hunts, my uncle's, like, a redneck, and we're all NASCAR fans.
Growing up, my parents loved Bon Jovi and Boston and Rush and all that, but it wasn't really connecting with me. I was still in my boy-band phase - Backstreet Boys for life!
The more people do hear my music, they do realize that I'm being true to myself. So there is that conflict, but I think more and more, people are realizing I'm just being me.
I'm not the best at expressing my feelings other than in songs or on paper. It's just been such a blessing for me my whole life to get my feelings out there in a positive way.
There's something about being onstage, singing my lyrics to somebody and them either listening and receiving them, or singing them back to me, that I just can't get enough of.
I would never say I think divorce is wrong. After seeing what my parents went through, I would never want them to stay together just because they think it's the right thing to do.
My parents are civil, but they don't keep in touch or hang out or anything. If they're in the same room together and are around each other, they're totally fine and act like adults.
I love country and rock, and I wanted to fuse them together. But I also knew that there were certain elements that needed to still be there to be both country and cater to my old fans.
I would say, maybe from five years on, I sang on stages constantly. That's what I call my natural habitat: It's a place where I feel most like myself and the most confident, the most excited.
My style is kind of all over the place. I've always loved the combination of leather and lace, but that's probably just been something that I fall back on if I can't really figure out what to wear.
When I was around 13 years old, I started playing in bands and became obsessed with Blink-182 and Newfound Glory. I didn't pay attention to country music anymore; I wanted to do more pop rock stuff.
It doesn't bother me that people think that Blake Shelton made me go country, because I can understand it. My immediate past is pop-rock, and people don't know a ton about me as a kid - yet. They will soon.
I really love that song. I love when people cover songs that are familiar but have been kind of forgotten about. So when you play it, it takes people back to a certain place. That's what I wanted for 'Torn.'
Before getting on 'The Voice,' I was very critical and judgmental of people's vocals. After getting on the show, I was so nervous, I realized my low notes were gone, so nerves do take a big toll on your voice.
I just always loved the storytelling aspect. Even with the production that's happening right now in music, I still think the core of country songs are very stripped down, and they tell a story in the most pure sense.
I went the more pop-rock route when I was around my teenage years, actually around 13 years old. I think Avril Lavigne really jump-started that. I heard 'Complicated,' and I fell in love, and I've loved her ever since.
The 'Hey Monday' songs were always glammed up to be this big production, and I definitely want there to be some bells and whistles like synth or drum loops, but for the most part, I want a simple yet powerful production.
The hardest part about touring is being away from family and friends. When you're gone for a long time, it's especially hard for me to remember to keep in touch with certain people because there's so much going on on the road.
I always felt in my band and in the pop-rock format that I wasn't weird enough, that I wasn't standing out enough. Wearing things to get people's attention - I didn't want to do any of that. I didn't want to compromise myself.
I love writing with really experienced producers and co-writers who open my mind to things I never would have thought otherwise. We may think the same way about something, but they might say it in a way that I never would have thought to say it.
My advice to anyone being picked on for being different or for working towards a dream is to remember it's never personal. These people don't actually dislike you at heart. They're just going through difficult things in their own personal lives.
I feel like Nashville has really embraced me with open arms. I was a little worried at first; you know, everybody knows about my immediate past, which is rock music. But everyone is coming to find out that I've been singing country music my whole life.
Empowering girls is extremely important to me because, growing up, I needed those empowering women to show me the way. When my parents divorced when I was 11, my mom was a force to be reckoned with. She showed me how to be self-sufficient and independent.
You have to be really, really confident in your decision to marry somebody. I don't think my parents were stupid, but I do think maybe it was rushed. But if they hadn't gotten married, my sister and I wouldn't be here. I think everything happens for a reason.
When I was 17, my main goal was to be in a band and travel the world. I ended up getting to do that with my old band Hey Monday. I got to see the world and learn how to tour, and the next thing I knew, I was on 'The Voice.' So it was just a crazy, crazy ride.
I always want to pick songs that are really crazy rangy, and sometimes those low notes aren't there. But I started taking it way more seriously after a certain point, and I started doing vocal warm-ups every day, even when I wasn't singing, sometimes twice a day.
A few girls would be catty and say that my voice sounded really high, and I sang like a chipmunk, I got a few prank calls about that a few times. But it didn't really bother me that much. I think I was so focused on music that nothing could break me or get in my way.